Camera as AVCHD player ?

[Ray Hopper]

Have migrated here from a Panasonic SD1 forum, where we've been discussing the potential use of the SD1 as a player of edited AVCHD and concluded that it isn't possible, a problem exacerbated by the lack of even the simplest in-camera editing on the SD1.

I notice that the Sony SR7, for example, has a USB-in port, so does anyone know if that means that edited AVCHD can be imported back to the camera, which can then be used as your player link to a HDTV?

RH

[Douglas Spotted Eagle]

to my knowledge, nothing writes a compatible file back to the SR1 at this point in time. I could be wrong. I have the SR1, SD1, and although I haven't tried terribly hard, cursory testing doesn't allow me to write back to either one in a playable format. Overall, there is little point that I can see. Once it's in the computer, you can do anything you wish with it.

[Ray Hopper]

Originally Posted by Douglas Spotted Eagle

. Overall, there is little point that I can see. Once it's in the computer, you can do anything you wish with it.

No I can't - my desktop doesn't connect to my TV.

[Ray Hopper]

Addendum to previous post.

The point is, what we all need is a portable AVCHD player without spending any more cash !!

[Leon Chen]

I don't think there is any point to transfer AVCHD back to camcorder, because AVCHD is an ultra-highly-compressed and computing-power-hungry format, which is just a middle-format between the reality and final video output.

Similar to miniDV, there is almost no miniDV player on the market anyway...

[Ron Evans]

Yes you can export back to the SR7/8 so that video can be played back on a TV with HDMI. I don't know what NLE will encode to AVCHD though. You could edit, cuts only with the Motion Browser software, create a playlist and export back to the SR7/8. Or create a AVCHD DVD for playback on a BluRay player. Hopefully in the future we will see output options for some of the NLE's.
Leon, there are a few miniDV players on the market from Sony, Panasonic and JVC. They may cost more than a DV camcorder but they are available.
Ron Evans

[Ray Hopper]

Ron

Thanks for your positive reply.

As I understand it, Nero7, Pinnacle11 and Ulead11 can all now read and edit AVCHD files. I have assumed that all 3 output an edited AVCHD file, and it is this that I'm hoping will read back to the SR7/9 via the USB 2.0 port (I think the cheaper SR5 also behaves in a similar manner). Am I being naive ?

Leon - all these AVCHD cams are superb players of raw AVCHD to HDTV's via an HDMI output socket. The Panasonic SD1, in particular, works very well with Panasonic Viera screens, and I couldn't understand why there should be any difficulty playing edited AVCHD as well. On the Panasonic forum we have established that this is because the SD1 records files other than the raw MTS files, which then inhibit edited playback. I'll be damned if I can see why I need to spend more of my hard-earned cash buying some sort of HD burner and player if I don't need to, especially as I'm probably going to need to upgrade my computer plus a bit of software as well.

ray

[Leon Chen]

Thanks guys, that's a lot of information. I just got SR7 so I will be very glad if the AVCHD can be transfer back to the camcorder.

Just as Ron said, there is some minDV player but impractical to get one. Actually, it explained why the AVCHD is quite 'unfriendly' to us.

I think this is something beyond technology - we want to save money, but sony (or any company) they want the exact opposite things i.e. making money from us.

I can understand the idea from Ray: we really don't need an 'extra' BD burner or player and disc to create the media to watch them on TV, simply use our camcorder. But I seriously doubt if sony will be happy to see this... and that is one reason why they don't put the AVCHD encoder in the NLE now. Well, maybe in the future, but not now. Of course another factor is some technical stuff needs to be solved.

I would make another suggestion: if you also like gaming, it is a good idea to get a PS3. It can handle AVCHD video perfectly and it has a huge HDD, where you can dump all your AVCHD clips on it. :) And it is a blu-ray disc player at the same time. You can even put the AVCHD files on a DVD via DVD writer instead of BD writer now, and a total 20 minutes HD video can be played in this way on a single layer DVD. Currently a BD player is even more expensive than PS3, not mentioning a BD burner. So with a PS3 you can watch your HD clips on HDD or, on DVD disc(single layer or double layer), and play fantastic game off-line or online!

[Ron Evans]

Ray. The NLE's will import and edit but as far as I know will not output AVCHD( Nero looks like it might). Vegas and Edius will also edit too but they all assume output will be to MPEG2 HD to BluRay or SD DVD or HDV etc. I have yet to see a reference to encoding AVCHD from any of these NLE's. Sony Browser will assemble clips for export back to the camera but this means that there is no colour correction etc , just cuts editing. Sony's latest BluRay player is out about the same price as a PS3 and LG has a new multi drive that will burn BluRay etc too so that is the way I will go and will allow me to mix my FX1 video with SR7 too.

Ron Evans

[Guy Bruner]

Ron,
Dvico makes a media player called the M4100SH that will play back just about all video files including M2TS (MPEG2) and AVCHD (H.264). It can work with a LAN (wired or wireless) to play back video from a server or other shared computer directories. It has provision for an internal SATA drive and will read files from a USB drive. It also has provision for an HDTV tuner. I find it very convenient to just copy my SD1's AVCHD MTS files over to the USB drive and play them back on my 65" Mitsubishi. I haven't tried just connecting an SDHC card reader to it, but I'm sure that would work. And, I don't have to hassle with powering the SD1 from the AC supply and connecting component cables. I think this is a good alternative to a deck since the video is on SDHC cards. You might want to check it out.

[Ron Evans]

That looks like a really interesting product.
Thanks
Ron

[Bruce Foreman]

Originally Posted by Ray Hopper

Ron

As I understand it, Nero7, Pinnacle11 and Ulead11 can all now read and edit AVCHD files. I have assumed that all 3 output an edited AVCHD file,

As of the free patch to 11.1, Pinnacle Studio 11.1 can now output edited AVCHD to EITHER Blu Ray format or HDV.

I know the Blu Ray format file can be written to a standard DVD media which can be played in the PS3, but am unclear on whether the same is true of the HDV file format.