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(MPG4) Sanyo Xacti (all models)
A compact 720p MPEG4 digital media camera recording to SD Card.

 
 
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Old March 26th, 2006, 08:45 AM   #391
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Well, I was out of topic for my monthly magazine column, so

Here is my first test.

For some reason, I could not paste the raw MPEG4 file in the linked article, so I will provide that later.

Inspite of what I experienced at Bic Camera, HD1 is exceptible for web H.264 providing and displaying on SD monitor. The compression is obvious so might not be so nice on SD-DVD.

It probably will serve as a cam which can be taken around any time.
The battery does not last that long tho.
Also, the blank after pushing the record button is annoying.
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Old March 26th, 2006, 12:26 PM   #392
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Hi Kaku, thanx for the files but i can't read them through VLC Media player, the video won't play , only the sound

then i tried to convert them in .avi with the new beta version of MP4CAM2AVI but then i can't play the .avi neither : it says codec error code H264

i guess it has to do wih the codec H264 (which i migh not have in my system)

what did you do with your .MP4 original fles, i see that the ones you posted are .mov files

before i never had any problem to read .mp4 files from HD1 and even .mov files converted through HD1 files...but i can't read your files
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Old March 26th, 2006, 05:48 PM   #393
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Sorry, Marc, I was out of this for awhile and forgot to mention this is QuickTime 7. You need QuickTime 7 to playback.
For some reason, I could not post the original mpeg4 in my Joomla! site, but I will ask my admin about it and post it too.
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Old March 26th, 2006, 07:00 PM   #394
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ok thanx i have Quictime 7 and yes the 480 format are played greatly !!

for some reason my quick time 7 wn't read the two 720 files...is it a conversion you did from the original mp4 files or you just change the extension ?

the picture quality of the 480 format video i viewed is really good, was the HD1 was on auto mode or did u play with the set up to have best render ?
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Old March 26th, 2006, 07:13 PM   #395
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H.264 does rely heavily on CPU performance. I maybe able to compress more, this was done simply using QuickTime conversion, so I did not play around with settings too much. I do have good settings in my compressor 2 but I did not have access to the preset with the acount I logged in that time.

The files were converted directly from mpeg4 to H.264, no other processing involved.

The setting on the HD1 was auto everything and stabilizer off. I noticed that HD1 shoots the superwhite too bright, so I will drop brightness a bit next time.

Now original mp4 file is added.
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Old March 26th, 2006, 09:05 PM   #396
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ok great i can watch them now

great footage, i needed to see some more fast action footage so thank you for that !
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Old March 30th, 2006, 04:05 AM   #397
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Anybody can answer to my question
about max framerate output from component?
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Old April 2nd, 2006, 02:07 AM   #398
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"If bypass mpeg4 compression and get component output from cmos sensor,
what is max fps? Only 30fps or possible ingest 720p60 using BM or AJA capture card?"

I don't know, sorry. But you certainly couldn't output from the camera uncompressed if the footage had already been recorded. It must be compressed when it hits the memory card, that's how it fits.

If it is possible to get uncompressed component output of some kind, it would obviously have to happen live!
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Old April 2nd, 2006, 02:33 AM   #399
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Ok see thiks /\ thats my 2 fingers and thats how close I am to buying this camera.

I am coming from a pair of Hitachi MPEG-10w's after being sourly dissapointed in MINI DV solutions (download my butt I have yet to see ONE unit that lets you download over firewire or any other way)

anyway I am really interested in this camera. So far every single clip posted here has blown my mind ?? what am I missing here. I must be missing something.

so far every clip I have seen that has had "noise" issues has had NOTHING remotely of the sort to my eyes. in fact the LOW LIGHT footage is what is REALLY impressing me :-) (this might just be because the low light abilities of my mpeg-10w's are for all intents and purposes non existant :-)

I see VERY little noise (I define noise as artifacts or other grain issues that are distracting or annoying to me) none so far has come even CLOSE to being annoying to me.

I AM very concerned about motion issues as I intend to shoot a lot of Rocketry Video (inside and outside the rocket :-) hehe

I want to shove this thing inside a rocket (the not being able to record with the screen closed is a REAL big issue I do have with this unit) and light it up.

720p video from angels 10 sounds REALLY FRAKING cool to me !!!

I had absolutely zero interest in anything high def until I found this camera and this forum !! ($2500 for a tv over my dead body)

the idea that I can create my OWN high def content for under a grand is REALLY intriguing me.

these are the first videos that I have watch full screen on my computer and they looked immaculant !!! (I work in 1880x1400)

I am breathless watching these !!

The only time I saw a problem was with the murky water looked like compression artifacts were appearing and going away but I only saw it because I was looking for it !!

So I have some questions that I am hoping you guys can help me with.

can someone shoot some ACTION footage ! airplanes cars models baseball. Small fast moving objects ??

Can I lock the focus to infinity ? this is critical. 99% of the time what I am shooting is more than 50 feet away so focus is nothing but a hinderance to me. And a rocket against a blue sky is a nightmare for any autofocus :-)

Wrap it in foam and strap it to an RC Car and have at it ? (yeah its risky so if you dont already want to do something like this I dont expect it :-)

IS the 60fps mode for 640x480 truly 60fps ?

One oddity I noticed (in the PAN shot with the NIB building) my eyes had difficulty focusing when you panned ?? any idea what this is ? is it just the scenary or conditions ? (I did not notice this in the other shots I saw including the one with the mountain bikers.)

To see some of the type of video I shoot goto

http://www.nerys.com/video

They are uploading now at 0410 EST give it at least an hour to finish uploading.

This is from a camera about as big as your thumb (hold a little over 5 minutes of video) I would very willingly spend the money on parts and engines to loft a camera that can record this kind of HD video !

Suggestions on the best way to DISPLAY this video from a disc on a Television ?

Right now I will just make a DVD Out of it but I would like to watch it on a HD screen if they ever get affordable enough without having to use the camera to do so ?

Any camera can handle static shots I need motion shots. full zoom travel etc.. anyone willing to make some samples of this kind of video ?

I am really blown away at some of the replies I see here. So it must be me (when this many have an opinion different than mine it usually means I am the one missing something)

So I will ask a specific questions.

How does the video in your opinions compare to that of the normal $500 DV Camcorder you can buy in Best Buy ?

Comparison to $2000-$5000 cameras means nothing to me as I will never own such critters :-) If I ever spend Thousands on a camera it will be a Canon 1DS Mark II or better :-) hehe

I converted these videos to 9mb mpegII 16:9 and tmpgenc converts them just fine with no fuss (a little slow at 6:1 time ratio but tolerable)

The result is stunning. I have to look hard to see the difference on a PC monitor between the DVD conversion and the original mpeg2 (Very Impressive)

I am Simply blown away at the quality.

Here is some stuff I would LOVE to see shot with this camera (at least 30 seconds each if possible)

Inside a restaurant ? Theme Park ? rides ? Parks ? Some airport footage zooming in on airlanes taking off etc..

Some Driving footage in a car ? cars going by a busy intersections ? heck any rocketeers here ? shoot a local launch ! would love to see a rocket launching from this camera ?

I am looking around right now to see what I can sell so I can aquire one of these camera's !

Any assistance answering these questions would be GREATLY appreciated !!

also with some of the oddly "not thrilled" reviews of this camera's output WHAT ARE you guys comparing this too ? clearly not to consumer camcorder output since most of those just plain suck.

Any Sample videos from something you consider superior ?

The output from this thing looks better than many of the professional dvd's I have purchased !!

Also is there a 2x adaptor so I can extend the zoom to 20x ?

Anyway to force the camera to stay on with the LCD closed ? I really dont need to see the LCD most times and would prefer it not be exposed! the way I shoot is I I have a bracket I mount my nikon too and my video camera too and I shoot still and pretend I am shooting video (I pre align the video and the still) so what I see in the still cameras viewfinder should be what I see in the LCD.

also when I strap this thing to "gadgets" I would prefer the LCD not be exposed to damage !

I am really stocked out this camera but I dont want to make a rash decision !

Chris Taylor
http://www.nerys.com/
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Old April 2nd, 2006, 03:33 AM   #400
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Hi Chris, I'll help you where I can.

Quote:
in fact the LOW LIGHT footage is what is REALLY impressing me :-) (this might just be because the low light abilities of my mpeg-10w's are for all intents and purposes non existant :-)
I've seen better low-light performers, in fact my 11 year old Sony Handycam is a better low light performer. It doesn't hold a candle to this when lighting is sufficient however. You'll see the most significant artifacts when recording odd colors in low light... I have a ski jacket that's metallic blue. When recorded in low light, it comes out as blue with purple blotches. Quite ugly really. I don't have problems with natural colors in low light though.

Quote:
I want to shove this thing inside a rocket (the not being able to record with the screen closed is a REAL big issue I do have with this unit) and light it up.
The can't record with the screen closed is decieving. You can open it, flip it, and fold it back. Your display is out and it records fine. You'll need a way to cover the panel if it could be exposed to elements or projectiles/pressure.

Quote:
the idea that I can create my OWN high def content for under a grand is REALLY intriguing me.
Ummm... I'd say it's High def in adequate light... certainly isn't high def in low light. High def is all about image quality, and we don't really get that in low light... not when 400 scan lines from a Handycam look better.

Quote:
The only time I saw a problem was with the murky water looked like compression artifacts were appearing and going away but I only saw it because I was looking for it !!
I see artifacts, especially now that I know what to look for. Sometimes knowledge isn't so great ;) I will say that these are of little significance. When played back at proper speed, only the jaggies show... those are barely apparent on HDTV by the way.

Quote:
can someone shoot some ACTION footage ! airplanes cars models baseball. Small fast moving objects ??
You'll need to specifiy lighting conditions for this. If you lighting is poor, you'll get immense blurr. Distance from your subject, zoom, ISO settings, and subject speed will also play a part in quality.

Quote:
Can I lock the focus to infinity ?
Yup.

Quote:
Wrap it in foam and strap it to an RC Car and have at it ? (yeah its risky so if you dont already want to do something like this I dont expect it :-)
Did this with my old handycam on an Kyosho MP6 (50Mph R/C car) The results were horrific. I won't be doing this again. The stablization on my handycam was better than on this (much lower resolution) but even it bounced too much. Glad I didn't toast it.

Quote:
Is the 60fps mode for 640x480 truly 60fps ?
Yes, and I use it regularly. Good option to reduce blurr. Very pleased with this. Captured frames make good pics at 3.5X5.0

Quote:
One oddity I noticed (in the PAN shot with the NIB building) my eyes had difficulty focusing when you panned ?? any idea what this is ? is it just the scenary or conditions ? (I did not notice this in the other shots I saw including the one with the mountain bikers.)
Probably frame rate and blurr. I use 640X 60fps and don't notice it... I do get it on 720p sometimes.

Quote:
This is from a camera about as big as your thumb (hold a little over 5 minutes of video) I would very willingly spend the money on parts and engines to loft a camera that can record this kind of HD video !
Hope you are into replacing the unit if you have a slip up... don't know that the warrantee covers what you're planning. ;)

Quote:
Suggestions on the best way to DISPLAY this video from a disc on a Television ?
Transcode to DVD format if it's a standard TV. If HDTV, you'll want to match it to what your hardware. I use a 720p projector ($900) and suggest this over a HDTV unit any day.

Quote:
How does the video in your opinions compare to that of the normal $500 DV Camcorder you can buy in Best Buy ?
Bought one, $1199 list. Returned it due to image quality. Bought this and love it. I don't record much in the dark.

I converted these videos to 9mb mpegII 16:9 and tmpgenc converts them just fine with no fuss (a little slow at 6:1 time ratio but tolerable)

Quote:
The output from this thing looks better than many of the professional dvd's I have purchased !!
If the lighting is sufficient, I fully agree. Outdoors on cloudy days produces the best video (regardless of unit). For this cam and your purposes, you should be quite pleased.

Quote:
Also is there a 2x adaptor so I can extend the zoom to 20x ?
I think it's a 1.5X, but don't waste your time. Use the digital if you really need it. I find the digital zoom only degrades quality to a significant level if I'm zoomed more than 3X digital (30X total). More than this is useless... the stablization just won't handle it.

Quote:
Anyway to force the camera to stay on with the LCD closed ?
Probably. There is a small plastic nub on the screen that seems to control the auto-suspend mode. shave it off and you should be able to record with the door closed, or simply flip it over and cover the screen.
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Old April 2nd, 2006, 03:46 AM   #401
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A couple other notes...

When I refer to blurr as an explination to your problems focusing, it's because you don't have enough, not because you have too much. Your eyes are having to adjust to a rapidly moving scene and the images contain enough change that your eyes actually see distinct pictures. This, at 30fps, makes it hard to focus.

With blurr, your brain processes what it gets differently, and you perceive more fluid motion. The reason 60fps seems clear is that the change between frames is lessened.

Also, this is a great solid-state device, but seriously, if you are uncomfortable putting out $2-$3G for a TV, don't start launching a grand up in a model rocket. If the rapid acceleration doesn't blow your OLED, the impact from the chute charge likely will. And since there isn't any viewfinder, blowing the display is a critical issue.
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Old April 2nd, 2006, 07:12 AM   #402
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Marc Louis
as you can notice the image is not sharp (at least with windows media player)....with VLC player it's ok
I've accidentally got the wrong month and seen this. Media Player Codec has a "feature" that blurs the footage to hide macro blocking edges etc, I imagine (like h264). I think it is turned on as standard, find it and turn it off. There are also a few rendering options, I forget which, but I switched one, and it got rid of the over saturation and got a more natural toning.
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Old April 2nd, 2006, 07:15 AM   #403
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Chris T,

I think people are comparing to HDV cameras (starting at around $1300) which blow this away, but not for size. The new HC3, is close to pocketable, but again, I think this is much smaller.

For DVD, and SD, I think it is probably pretty good, and compared to many of those wireless cams. I think people have certain expectations for HD. Try getting an half an eyeful of a screen (it looks like a full eyeful, because you don't take notice of the peripheral vision) this is about the max you would expect from HD in a good Imax theatre, on a 1280 wide full screen mode and the problems become more obvious. But for what you want, no problems. You might try to check out the video latitude and what happens to the codec when it vibrates, that is probably of more concern for rocketry (though different ND/s might help depending on the day).


Thanks

Wayne.
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Old April 2nd, 2006, 08:32 AM   #404
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Thanks much for the replies so far greatly appreciated !

SO far my only concern is the motion issue as thats the only thing my current camcorders dont have much of a problem with.

as for the price tag and risking it. Here is the problem. I dont see any BENIFIT gained by me between a $500 camcorder and a $2000 camcorder

and I definately dont see any advantage in a $2500 TV when a 36" Normal TV has MORE physical area and is under $1000

The ideal of recording my OWN HD content lessons this a little but not enough to justify a $2500 TV :-)

The LCD is the least of my issues as far as G-Loads go unless it had to be left sticking out in the breeze :-)

I would also heavily pad a $600 camcorder. but I am thinking the resolution is so great that it might be WORTH the risk for if I succeed the resulting video will be nothing short of spectacular.

I have a set of very nice miniature mic's with a preamp and bass cutoff. I plan to mount this in there and mount the mics on the end of a set of carbon rods to get FULL stereo seperation and effect !

I am literally drooling in anticipation of what this thing could do !

as for conditions and ISO - I dont care any settings any conditions. set it for full auto and lock focus to infinity. thats it. see how well the camera can do things on its own and that should give me a "baseline" of what I can expect from it. ie any "glaring" issues that would make it unusable to me should appear and make themselves known.

I especially want to see the full auto results in a restaurent and fast moving action shots.

So far all the videos posted have been "very" controlled and "static"

Here are some of the kinds of things I shoot (stills)

http://www.naramlive.com/

Chris Taylor
http://www.nerys.com/
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Old April 2nd, 2006, 11:22 AM   #405
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One more test if someone is willing.

start up the camera and start recording (anything)

now do one of 2 things. yank the SD card or yank the battery (without stopping the recording)

is the "halted" recording salvageable ? IE can you extract the video even though it was not terminated properly ?

If I drop it or bump it hard enough to jar the SD or BATT loose I want to know if I will loose the video I was in the process or recording.

if you can't yank the battery or sd while running try running on AC with no battery inside and then interupt the AC power.

Chris Taylor
http://www.nerys.com/
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