Excellent analysis, Larry. Thanks! I will definitely try to author an AVCHD disk and play both versions of the file on my friend's PS3.

I never would have imagined that lower quality video can look better on a slow system than higher quality video! I also thought that a slow system would show the same pristine quality in a video, but would merely stutter a bit on playback (ie. a slide-show affect, but where I assumed each "slide" would be of perfect quality).

Actually, I guess it would be easier to write the AVCHD back to the HF100, then I can see it for myself on my own tv.

Peter,

Seeing the results on a good 1920 by 1080 HDTV or monitor using a PS3 or a BluRay player will clearly and decisively show the differences. While I was in an earlier stage of HD disk authoring making HD DVDs, I would go to the local BestBuy store armed with disks to check them out.

Writing back to the HF100 is a bit trickier. I have had no problems using Nero Vision, which creates .MTS files, to make compatible files which my HF100 recognizes and plays exactly as if they were recorded on the HF100. The .m2ts files from Power Director, Video Studio X2 Pro, ArcSoft, and Vegas don't work. The "container" used in .m2ts is apparently different enough that the HF100 does not know how to read it. Perhaps the Power Director .m2ts file can be merely renamed to .mts and the HF100 will accept it. I have not fooled with this yet. NONE of the programs have a "write to camcorder" feature for AVCHD so the file needs to be dragged onto the SD card into the STREAM folder of an already created card.

The player and codec you are using for AVCHD/h.264 gracefully degrades, and therefore appears to trade resolution for frame rate, a perfectly reasonable design. The remaining mystery to me is why original .mts files straight from your HF100 apparently play without this "pixellation" effect whereas those output by Power Director do. If your system were truly unable to handle this format, then both should have what you are calling pixellation problems.

There is absolutely no doubt that your "Nero then VX2" video is dramatically lower in resolution than the PD7 output, but perhaps the PD7 file has some difference in its header or packet structure which your computer cannot process as easily versus the original footage. Not entirely sure.

By the way, the images I attached showing the house number were apparently downsampled by this forum's software, making the clarity of both of them suffer.

In the original images, the PD7 output appears to show either a "941" or "961" for the house number while the Nero to VX2 essentially shows nothing. It is remarkable to be that a 26 pixel wide crop from your original PD7 frame grab seems to reveal this absolutely miniscule detail rather well......

Larry

I've attached your two cropped frame captures as a zip file so that this forum software does not degrade the jpegs. The differences are a bit more obvious and striking when you see these jpegs.

Larry

Well, my screen looks different:

What would you like to do?

Make DVD
Make CD
Record Directly to Disc
Make Movie
Make Slide Show
Capture Video to Hard Drive
Disc Tools
Open Saved Project or Disc Image

I just downloaded the latest download and everything is the same. So where is the screen like the one you showed?

Thanks
Mike

Mike,
When Nero is started / launched, the first screen allows you to chose Make DVD-->AVCHD.

When the next screen appears, I see the following image as shown in the first attached jpeg. At this screen, the Make Chapter item at the bottom of the list is present but grayed out.

If I then select and open a video file, the Add Chapters item is no longer grayed out and allows chaptering.

Have you purchased and installed the optional $20 HD pack for Nero. If so, it does not appear to be activated.

If it were activated, the menu you provided to me should look like the 2nd attached file below.

Larry

Larry, is this after the initial screen; the welcome to Nero screen, where I would normally choose "create and edit" ?

OK I went ahead through the next two screens and selected Make DVD/AVCHD. When the next screen appeared, all the selections beneath the preview window were greyed out. I guess that means I need to get the HD pack. Can I get that through Nero online?

Mike

See:

Nero - Support - Nero 8 - Plug-ins

Mike,

This is my very first initial screen of Nero Vision 5. Is yours different?

Mike,

I am not sure how you can purchase the HD pack presently. I routinely buy and upgrade most programs when new releases come out, and bought this plugin a couple years ago for Nero 7. It continued to work for Nero 8, which I am now using.

I went to their website but it does not appear to be for sale presently. Perhaps it is and I just cannot find it. It is my impression that the latest Nero 9 may possibly include this HD stuff at no extra chrage but not entirely sure.

Are you using Nero 8 or Nero 9? I assume you have the Ultimate version.

Larry

I have the Nero 9 version. I just purchased the Blu-ray Authoring Plug-in. Maybe this is what I needed. Too late now if it isn't.

Mike

Yes. It does not have Make Blu-ray Disc, Make HD DVD Disc.
Mike

You should be all set now Mike!

Thanks Larry for your time and your efforts.

MIke

Glad to help you Mike!