Panasonic Announces HDC-SD1 AVCHD Camcorder

[Paulo Teixeira]

This article is obviously about Panasonic’s commitment toward Blu-Ray but the second to last sentence should tell you something.
http://www.ertweekly.com/Default.asp...0l.Lang-EN.htm

[Cliff Gilmour]

Originally Posted by Aaron Tinling

Just picked one up tonight at Circuit City at South Center (they had two or three more on the shelf). Haven't had a chance to decode and look at any footage yet, but it's a neat little cam. Manual settings require some menuing around, but there's WB, shutter, iris, etc. Found an 8 gig SDHC card at Fry's for $129, and it seems to work just fine.

I'll post a little more after I get a chance to really play. Shouldn't this cam get a forum or something?

Aaron
www.navagear.com

Congrats on the cam Aaron. What's your opinion on it after one week? How do you connect it through HDMI? What's your HDTV?

[Michael Vaden]

I played with this camcorder in Circuit City last week. It's pretty good so far, but I asked them how could I transfer the recorded video into my NLE. He said I would have take out the SD card and insert in into my pc.

I have Vegas 7 and Adobe Premiere 2.0. Does anyone know if I can edit AVCHD files in Vegas and Premiere 2.0? I need all the info I can get before I purchase.

Also, I don't have a HDTV yet. Are there any A/V cables with the cam?

[Cliff Gilmour]

Originally Posted by Michael Vaden

I played with this camcorder in Circuit City last week. It's pretty good so far, but I asked them how could I transfer the recorded video into my NLE. He said I would have take out the SD card and insert in into my pc.

I have Vegas 7 and Adobe Premiere 2.0. Does anyone know if I can edit AVCHD files in Vegas and Premiere 2.0? I need all the info I can get before I purchase.

Also, I don't have a HDTV yet. Are there any A/V cables with the cam?

There is an av cable and a component cable included I think, at least in the Japanese version I own there is. If you should buy it you will be able to use it on your SD TV with the AV Cable. And you could sell me the component cable, I still need one :).
The best thing to watch is to buy a $8 HDMI cable for HDTV viewing.

[Guy Bruner]

Originally Posted by Michael Vaden

I asked them how could I transfer the recorded video into my NLE. He said I would have take out the SD card and insert in into my pc.

I have Vegas 7 and Adobe Premiere 2.0. Does anyone know if I can edit AVCHD files in Vegas and Premiere 2.0? I need all the info I can get before I purchase.

You can copy the video file from the SDHC card to your computer just like any other file. However, you will need an SDHC card reader, use the SD1 as a card reader, or use the software that comes with the SD1. Regular SD card readers will not work with the SDHC card because they are limited to 2 GB.

You cannot edit AVCHD .MTS files directly with Vegas or Premiere. Vegas is supposed to be updated this Spring to allow editing. In the interim, and perhaps a better long term solution, you can use Nero Vision 4 (part of the Nero 7 Ultra Enhanced suite) to convert the AVCHD file to HDV (MPEG2 at 25 Mbps). Then, you can edit it in just about any NLE.

[Cliff Gilmour]

SDHC card readers can be picked up for as low as $8 shipped to anywhere in the USA on ebay.

[Michael Eskin]

Guy,

Have you had any luck getting Vegas 7 or Premiere to recognize the HDV files that Nero Vision 4 exports from an AVCHD file transcode? I'm getting errors on import of these files in every editor or transcoder I've tried to import them into. They play fine either in WMP or PowerDVD, but won't import.

[Paulo Teixeira]

Originally Posted by Michael Eskin

Guy,

Have you had any luck getting Vegas 7 or Premiere to recognize the HDV files that Nero Vision 4 exports from an AVCHD file transcode? I'm getting errors on import of these files in every editor or transcoder I've tried to import them into. They play fine either in WMP or PowerDVD, but won't import.

I don’t know if this will help at all but you should try changing the extension to .mpeg.

[Michael Eskin]

Guy posted the answer on CCinfo, rather than use the HDV export, use the MPEG-2 export with the output parameters set to 1920x1080. That did the trick!

[Scott Muhlbaier]

First, a NEW review from PC World about the HDC-SD1:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,12...1/article.html

and second, Panasonic has finally put the manual online. Looks very nice!:
http://service.us.panasonic.com/OPER...CSD1PP-MUL.PDF

One thing of note: since there is no optical digital feed, to play back 5.1 sound recorded from the 5 mics, you need an amplifier that has an HDMI connection. That's the only way to do it.

I'm still baffled by the lack of interest...have the review sites like CC review gotten this in yet or is Circuit City the only place to get this for awhile?

[Paulo Teixeira]

Originally Posted by Scott Muhlbaier

First, a NEW review from PC World about the HDC-SD1:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,12...1/article.html

and second, Panasonic has finally put the manual online. Looks very nice!:
http://service.us.panasonic.com/OPER...CSD1PP-MUL.PDF

One thing of note: since there is no optical digital feed, to play back 5.1 sound recorded from the 5 mics, you need an amplifier that has an HDMI connection. That's the only way to do it.

I'm still baffled by the lack of interest...have the review sites like CC review gotten this in yet or is Circuit City the only place to get this for awhile?

It definitely is a shame when you consider the video quality of this camcorder is a whole lot better then the SR1 that has a higher bit rate.

As for that review, it’s just like the ones I linked to where they don’t compare the SD1 to an HDV camcorder. Plus the camcorder may retail for 1500 but in B&H and Circuit City, the price is at 1300.

Besides the fact that the PAL version of the SD1 has a better/newer decoder than the NTSC version, the only thing I hate about it is the lack of a focusing ring. I think the reason why a lot of people don’t have in interest in this is because it records to memory cards.

For a 1300 dollar camcorder that includes a 4 gig memory card and ¼” chips, the price isn’t that bad at all; especially if you consider that the chips in the FX7/V1u are of the same size.

[Cliff Gilmour]

I have the newest issue of the German magazine Hifi test TV Video in my hands. They review 5 cams.
Canon HV 10
Panasonic DX1 (SD1 with DVD drive)
Sony HDR-UX1
Sony HDR-SR1
Sanyo Xacti.

Testwinner = Panasonic!
Referenzklasse 1,2 (1= perfect 2= great 3=good 4=bad 5=crap)
So they give it almost a perfect rating!

I haven't read a single negative review of the SD1. The 2 people who bought it at my advice also are very happy with it. Guy's review was the only review with negative aspects on the www.

[Guy Bruner]

My review was a first impressions and I don't think it was negative. I didn't have an opportunity to test the cam. In fact, Panasonic personnel hovered over my shoulder the entire time I was trying to shoot something. I had to leave CES early and Panasonic waited until after I left to make the cam available off its tether. I was the only one with software and hardware that could work with the AVCHD files. It is very possible that the SD1 and DX1 have excellent video. Examples I have seen posted since CES are interesting, particularly the comparisions to the HC3. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to really test the SD1.

[Paulo Teixeira]

Originally Posted by Guy Bruner

Examples I have seen posted since CES are interesting, particularly the comparisions to the HC3. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to really test the SD1.

Hopefully you get to test both the NTSC and the PAL versions to really make a good review because as you know, the PAL version is allegedly much better.

[Guy Bruner]

Paulo,
That is not likely. We only get the NTSC versions.