will HDV cams be popular with consumers? why or why not? at DVinfo.net

Yi Fong Yu · December 28th, 2004, 08:43 PM

there was a discussion a while back about how HDV is simply an extension based on DV codec with higher res. the discussion was saying that it would be better if future HD cams were recording based on mp4 or later codecs.

do you really think HDV will be "big" thing just as JVC's and the Sony's is?

Kevin Shaw · December 29th, 2004, 12:57 AM

<<< there was a discussion a while back about how HDV is simply an extension based on DV codec with higher res. the discussion was saying that it would be better if future HD cams were recording based on mp4 or later codecs.

do you really think HDV will be "big" thing just as JVC's and the Sony's is? -->>>

HDV uses MPEG2 instead of DV compression and is arguably as good as we can expect at this data rate for now. (I don't see anything based on MPEG4 in the works, perhaps due to encoding cost issues.) A more likely alternative is Panasonic's proposal to offer a low-cost video camera using the DVCProHD codec at a data rate four times that of HDV, offering professional HD quality at a modest price. In any case, it makes sense for HDV to become a widespread consumer format, because it's the easiest way for the camera manufacturers to sell another generation of equipment to amateur videographers. As I've commented before, I'll know it's time to buy an HDV camera when I show up to videotape a wedding and one of the guests has one.

Yi Fong Yu · December 29th, 2004, 07:45 AM

but what about editing and storage? yesh DVDs are popular now but HD-DVD and BluRay both have specs for mp4 & .wmv codecs.

Kevin Shaw · December 29th, 2004, 07:57 AM

<<< but what about editing and storage? yesh DVDs are popular now but HD-DVD and BluRay both have specs for mp4 & .wmv codecs. -->>>

It will be interesting to see what happens in terms of distribution options, but it doesn't look like that's going to affect capture formats in the near future. I don't know if it's realistic to think we could ever capture, edit and output in one HD codec due to the complexities of doing that. So it looks like we're facing very long rendering times to make HD DVDs, unless someone can come up with an affordable real-time output encoder.

Yi Fong Yu · December 29th, 2004, 03:25 PM

so it looks like we'll forever be in codec limbo from one medium to another? *sigh*. it's confusing as it is... now it's only going to climb in number exponentially.

capture HDV in mp2-based format then converting that to mp4 or wmv can take quite a while! =).

December 28th, 2004, 08:43 PM	#1
Yi Fong Yu Trustee Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Vulcan Posts: 1,564	will HDV cams be popular with consumers? why or why not? there was a discussion a while back about how HDV is simply an extension based on DV codec with higher res. the discussion was saying that it would be better if future HD cams were recording based on mp4 or later codecs. do you really think HDV will be "big" thing just as JVC's and the Sony's is? __________________ bow wow wow

December 29th, 2004, 12:57 AM	#2
Kevin Shaw Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 2,488	Re: will HDV cams be popular with consumers? why or why not? <<< there was a discussion a while back about how HDV is simply an extension based on DV codec with higher res. the discussion was saying that it would be better if future HD cams were recording based on mp4 or later codecs. do you really think HDV will be "big" thing just as JVC's and the Sony's is? -->>> HDV uses MPEG2 instead of DV compression and is arguably as good as we can expect at this data rate for now. (I don't see anything based on MPEG4 in the works, perhaps due to encoding cost issues.) A more likely alternative is Panasonic's proposal to offer a low-cost video camera using the DVCProHD codec at a data rate four times that of HDV, offering professional HD quality at a modest price. In any case, it makes sense for HDV to become a widespread consumer format, because it's the easiest way for the camera manufacturers to sell another generation of equipment to amateur videographers. As I've commented before, I'll know it's time to buy an HDV camera when I show up to videotape a wedding and one of the guests has one.

December 29th, 2004, 07:45 AM	#3
Yi Fong Yu Trustee Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Vulcan Posts: 1,564	but what about editing and storage? yesh DVDs are popular now but HD-DVD and BluRay both have specs for mp4 & .wmv codecs. __________________ bow wow wow

December 29th, 2004, 03:25 PM	#5
Yi Fong Yu Trustee Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Vulcan Posts: 1,564	so it looks like we'll forever be in codec limbo from one medium to another? sigh. it's confusing as it is... now it's only going to climb in number exponentially. capture HDV in mp2-based format then converting that to mp4 or wmv can take quite a while! =). __________________ bow wow wow

December 29th, 2004, 07:57 AM	#4
Kevin Shaw Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 2,488	<<< but what about editing and storage? yesh DVDs are popular now but HD-DVD and BluRay both have specs for mp4 & .wmv codecs. -->>> It will be interesting to see what happens in terms of distribution options, but it doesn't look like that's going to affect capture formats in the near future. I don't know if it's realistic to think we could ever capture, edit and output in one HD codec due to the complexities of doing that. So it looks like we're facing very long rendering times to make HD DVDs, unless someone can come up with an affordable real-time output encoder.