New HD Camera = MPG2 Record?

kentwolf wrote on 10/19/2007, 11:29 PM
Considering a new camera, actually my first “good one.” Feedback here greatly affects my choice seeing I don’t have a lot of experience with this level of camera.

Regarding possibly a Sony HDR-FX7:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/459129-REG/Sony_HDRFX7_HDR_FX7_3CMOS_HDV_1080i.html#Audio

I am getting the impression that something having to do with HD recording is recorded in MPG2 format.

Is this right? I have to think I am misunderstanding something.

Right now, I am only interested in SD, recorded to DV tape.

I do, however, want to be able to do HD, if required, thus my question.

Where would MPG2 come into play on a pro/semi-pro caliber camera, if at all?

Would you not also need a hard drive for doing MPG2 on the fly? (something which I am not interested in doing (camera hard drives), if given the choice.)

This is not intended to be another "What's the best camera" thread (I do gladly read those though). I am specifically seeking an answer to the MPG2 record question(s).

Thanks guys for your feedback.

Comments

farss wrote on 10/20/2007, 12:49 AM
HDV is a long GOP mpeg-2 stream and it's recorded to tape.
Several other tape formats also use mpeg-2 but they're a shorter GOP and are only used in professional cameras. So there's nothing unusual about recording mpeg-2 to tape.

Bob.
John_Cline wrote on 10/20/2007, 7:24 AM
Yes, HDV is recorded to tape as MPEG2. The FX7 records SD to tape as standard DV, just like all other DV camcorders.
kentwolf wrote on 10/20/2007, 10:01 AM
>>...HDV is recorded to tape as MPEG2..

Ok. Glad I asked.

Does this present a problem with editing? Would it be like trying to edit a regular MPG2 file, which is typically not good?

Is that one of the reasons I read of everyone having to jump through all sorts of hoops to edit HD? Issues such as Cineform, intermediate media, etc.?

Thanks. I'm listening and learning.
Chienworks wrote on 10/20/2007, 10:48 AM
'Zactly.

Supposedly Vegas Pro 8 has been rebuilt somewhat to handle MPEG editing much better than it's predecessors, hence it's being billed as an HD editor now.
Spot|DSE wrote on 10/20/2007, 2:55 PM
hence it's being billed as an HD editor now.
Not quite understanding this comment, Kelly? Vegas has always been able to edit 2K pixels on the timeline.
It's also true Vegas 8 is even more optimized than Vegas 6 or 7 for mpg2 on the timeline.
MPEG and HD aren't really relevant in the grand scheme of things pertaining to Vegas. Vegas has always been able to edit HD, and always able to edit MPEG 2. Just that the MPEG 2 was a little kludgy due to always recompressing. Vegas 8 differs from previous versions in that it doesn't recompress 19, 25, or 50 Mbps mp2 streams.
Chienworks wrote on 10/20/2007, 3:14 PM
Quite true Doug. But then again, i was doing digital signage with Video Factory 1. What i was getting at is that SONY's pushing the HD capabilities with this version much more than ever before. Version 8 also has the ability to edit MPEG without recompression for the first time, which is usually considered an essential component of an MPEG editor.
farss wrote on 10/20/2007, 4:13 PM
"Is that one of the reasons I read of everyone having to jump through all sorts of hoops to edit HD?"

Sure there are hoops, how high those hoops are depends on how you see them. You can shoot HDV to tape and have the camera / VCR downconvert to SD as you capture so that you'd never really know you'd not shot SD DV to start with. You've got the advantage that you can go back to your tapes and capture without the conversion and have 4 times the resolution when you need it.

Or else, most of the HDV cameras still record good old SD DV if you ask them to, so you don't have to jump through any hoops at all.

Bob.