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This tape based HDV camera has a HDMI output which plays superb HDV quality when plugged into a HDV TV. But, every time I download through VS10+ via the ilink cable I get no other option than to import as an MPEG-2 file. I do not want compression, I want the raw HD video, like I used to get when importing raw .avi video from previous low def digital cameras. I have contacted Sony and they say it is the fault of the program, ie VS10+. The downloaded MPEG-2 files are about 14GB per hour, which is about the same size and quality as low def camera .avi downloads. Has anyone else had this problem with HDV cameras? Many Thanks for your input.

HDV is MPEG-2. Right click on one of the imported clips and check the properties.

You have to set up the camera to output HD or auto and turn off the iLink conversion.
The camera should show up in the device manager under Sound, video and game controllers as a AV/C device.

HDV is MPEG program stream. You can't capture .avi with your camera unless it is set to SD video.

If it shows up directly under the device manager as a Sony Camera it is setup as SD video.

HDV is MPEG program stream.

And if the properties in VS show that it is Upper Field First, mpeg-2, 1440 x 1080, bitrate of 25 mbps, and mpeg layer 2 audio, it *is* the original HDV filmed in your camera...

I now understand. I am convinced though that the HDMI to TV picture quality is much better than the played back MPEG-2 file, using either VS or Windows media player.
Thanks for your kind input.

Well, comparing camera-to-HDTV via HDMI to playback on a computer is a bit like comparing apples and oranges. First, your monitor, even if it is a good quality LCD one, will not give you the same quality as a high definition TV. (I am assuming that is what you are using).

Next, forget about the preview window in VS -- it is quite simply very poor, and should NEVER be used to judge final picture quality. It is merely a preview and meant to give you only a general idea of how things look.

WMP will give you better quality but again you get back to the fact that a computer monitor is not a HDTV...

I play my edited HDV back on my 46 inch HDTV two ways: the first is that I burn them to an AVCHD hybrid disc (high def but on a standard disc). These will only play on a Blu-Ray player rated to play hybrid discs -- the Sony PlayStation 3 is such a player and I have one. The playback quality is superb, and when I use the highest quality setting for the HDV > AVCHD conversion, I cannot tell any difference with when I play the original back in the camera via HDMI.

But the PlayStation is a very versatile little beast, and I have it networked to my computer, and connected to my HDTV via HDMI. Using WMP or Nero Media Home as a server, it will detect the media in designated folders on my computer and play it back in full HD glory on the HDTV. Again, superb. And you can also transfer the edited HDV to (a) a USB drive; (b) an external hard drive) or (c) a data DVD, and plug or put these in the PlayStation and they will again play back in superb quality. (With (a) and (b) the drives have to be formatted with FAT32 and not NTFS; and the media must be in a folder labelled 'VIDEO' in upper case -- as it must be on the data DVD.)

Thanks Ken. Sounds like you have a great setup. I just have HDV TV acting as the monitor to my computer. The proof will be to buy a blueray burner. Thanks for you great input. I think I know where to go now.

tyamada wrote:
HDV is MPEG program stream. You can't capture .avi with your camera unless it is set to SD video.


HDV is MPEG program stream.

Actually HDV originates as a transport stream (M2T). Some programs convert to a program stream (mpg) on capture.

neonbob wrote:

tyamada wrote:
Actually HDV originates as a transport stream (M2T). Some programs convert to a program stream (mpg) on capture.

Video Studio captures HDV as program stream. It converts the program stream to transport stream only when recording back to the camera.
IIRC Video Studio will convert m2t transport stream to program stream when you load it to the time line.

You can capture m2t transport stream using HDVSplit.
http://strony.aster.pl/paviko/hdvsplit.htm

Thanks guys, when I capture using Sony's own Motion Picture Browser software it captures straight to .m2t files, which nobody seems to be able to handle. VS10 captures to MPEG-2. Is there any difference in the quality of these 2 file formats or are they just different file extensions for the same video data? I am now a bit confused.

There are two (2) HDV mpeg formats one is Transport stream(m2t) and the other is Program stream. From what I've captured in Video Studio (Program Stream) and Transport Stream(m2t) I haven't seen any difference. If I'm not mistaken Transport stream has some coding information that's not included in Program Stream.