Various questions Sony HC1

[Graham Hickling]

I think Premiere is detecting that you have a Hyperthreading-capable processor.

[Dan Chosich]

I'm in the market for a HDV camcorder and at first I was just going to buy the HDR-HC1. Then I found the 'pro' version of that camera and it has been interesting me since. Clearly the audio feature is very nice, and I like that it can record onto DVCAM.

So honestly, which has better image quality? If the A1 looks better is it easily noticable?

I am definitely swaying towards the A1, I'm just curious as to what you guys think. The Black stretch is looking appealing, so does the CineGamma. I wish I could see the 24p setting in motion. I haven't been able to find a clip of that. Does anyone have a clip? (I'll take it in any format, but if you have it in Quicktime that runs best on my G5.)

Thanks so much for your time. I appreciate any response.

[Steve Mullen]

Originally Posted by Dan Chosich

The Black stretch is looking appealing, so does the CineGamma. I wish I could see the 24p setting in motion.

Of these, Black Stretch may be the most valuable. All the Sony HDV camcorders are "biased" (not in a bad sense of the word) to not overexpose the highlights in very high-contrast situations.

Unfortunately, if the details in the shadow areas are important -- they may or may not be -- they will go nearly full black. BS lightens these areas and restores the content of the shadows -- before they are lost forever.

CG and "24fps" are of dubious value -- see the thread on CinemaMode to learn about what the HC1 offers.

Also, consider the price difference between an A1 and an FX1. Maybe its worth it to YOU to go the FX1.

[Dan Chosich]

It would be worth it to me, but I really don't feel like spending that much more for the FX1. I can't find one from a reliable place for less than $3,200. It's too big a price jump when I factor in the $500 mail-in-rebate.

How is it editing HD? I've only ever edited in standard definition. I'm aware that you need a fast hard drive for HD. I have a Dual 2 Ghz G5, 2.5Gbs of Ram, and 2 X 160 HDD's. I'd be using FCP 5. Would editing be somewhat smooth with this system?

Thank you for your response. It does help me out. Thanks again.

[Bill McMullen]

I bought the A1U, but I think the innards are very similiar on the two cams. You get the XLR audio inputs and some other things, black-stretch as explained above. Plus, it's in bad-ass BLACK!

I use FCP5 on my G5, dual 2.7, 3.5 gigs ram, standard hard drive, it seems fine - all through late January I've been messing with HDV footage, in HD projects as well as using HD shots in SD projects. The images look great, and the HD shots dragged into SD sequences allow you to crop your shot a little or pan-and-scan if you want, or you can letterbox it. You need to render those shots in your timeline, of course, as they won't play otherwise unless your whole project is HD.

And you can always transfer the shots in as SD DV if you want, the camera will convert the HDV to a DV stream and output it over firewire.

I think I've typed that same paragraph three times today!

[Jung Kyu]

i found that stablization off was better pic quality.
any tired canopus hq codec? is it better than cineform?

i shot this few days ago in seoul...

http://citv.dip.jp/hd06/light.wmv

[Alexander Karol]

Wow, really impressed. Footage pans definetely seem a lot smoother without stabilization turned ON; especially when using such low bitrates like you did.

I have some questions though:

1. What settings did you use? Was the camcorder using full AUTO? Somehow noise looks incredibly low.

2. Was this footage handheld? I know that some parts obviously weren't, but the beginning downward pan on the statue, was that handheld? I'm trying to get a feel of how shaky footage will be with stabilization set to OFF.

Thanks for another great video. :)

[Jeff DeMaagd]

That video is very nice, I'm sorry I missed your previous video.

I too would like to know how you shot those, I didn't like the low light footage that I had taken.

I can't comment on the codec choices, because I don't know much about either.

[Dan Jeffery]

About a month ago I bought a Sony HDR HC1E. I captured HDV footage from it via firewire (I-link) to my Win XP sp2 PC via Adobe Premiere and Aspect HD with no problems initially.

However, I am now unable to capture any HDV footage at all. If I set the i.link CONV to ON HDV->DV then I can capture in mini DV format with no problem. However, reverting to i.link CONV OFF tehn I cannot capture the HDV footage.

The touchscreen is showing HDV1080i in the top left hand corner.

I have tried rebooting the PC. I have tried turning off and on the camcorder. I have tried restoring the factory default settings using "reset" with a paper clip in the hole beneath the autolock switch.

The camcorder is in PLAY/EDIT mode.

One thing that confuses me is that on the upper right of the screen it says "HDVin iLINK". I would have thought that should say "HDVout" if I want to capture. But the only way I can change it to saying HDVout is by setting the camcorder mode to "camera - tape" and if I try and capture in that mode, HDLink (a part of Aspect HD) tells me that the camcorder is in camera mode.

In HDLink, on the computer, clicking on the PLAY, FORWARD and REVERSE buttons does cause the tape in the camcorder to play forward and reverse.

So the Firewire/iLink connection seems to be OK.

I womder if I am missing a setting somewhere or whether I need to be returning my HC1 to the Sony Centre from where it was bought?

Any suggestions/help gratefully received.

Thank you.

(oh yes - I am in the UK and it is a PAL version)

[John Jay]

You read correctly;

Dial up the Flash Motion effect and you have variable frame rates from standard to very low 1fps (or maybe smaller I haven't counted) , ok you loose some vertical rez but it looks great at '1080P'

what is more - you can choose any shutter speed from 1/50s upwards (HC1E)
---
Fed up with not being able to control sharpness and exposure with CineFrame?

Easy - just dial up Flash Motion and you have '25P' (HC1E), (first click from the left) - but the great thing is you can change exposure; sharpness and shutter speed etc at a vertical rez which is the same as CineFrame - but you loose the gamma change that CF gives you. Nevertheless a lot more useful huh?


I wonder if folks with the NTSC version can choose a Flash Motion speed close to '24P' - try it and report back here

[Graham Hickling]

It looks like the HC1 gives 30P at 1/60th (or faster) at the first notch on the bar.

I admit I havent actually looked at footage shot with it set to the next notch down in an NLE, but my guess is it will still be 30P, but with some frames being repeats. Likely pairs of such frames, giving a pseudo 15P?

[R.P. Cuenco]

i did a side by side comparison of 1/30th shutter and one-click flash motion. 1/30th is definetly smoother, whereas one-click has this sort of ghosting motion to it. really weird.

[Dan Jeffery]

I wonder if people with an HDR HC1 could check something for me please. On mine when I connect the i-Link cable to it and a PC, in PLAY/EDIT mode, in the top right side of the screen it says for just a fraction of a second, HDVout but this then changes to HDVin, and I am unable to capture HDV footage.

Do other people's say HDVin or HDVout in this scenario?

Thank you.

[Thomas Smet]

yes the flash mode does create an odd ghosting effect like both fields are being blended together as a single progressive frame.

[David Tyler]

I think mine says HDV in (can't be certain though) but it still captures