AVCHD with a Sony HDR-SR1 so far
 

I wasn't sure if this is the right place to post this but here it goes. Please feel free to critique my system and advise if there is anything better I should have or look into.
I thought I would share my experiences so far with the equipment I have.
A Sony HDR-SR1 with the 30 gig hard drive, a PC with XP Media Edition, Pentium 4 @3.2 GHz, 1 GB of RAM, not sure about my graphics card but it’s supposed to be a decent one. A 16 x DVD-CD combo reader and writer with a separate DVD player. I’m using both Nero 7 (ver 6) or Showbiz 2 depending on which one works at the time I need it. Along with that I have a 22” Wide Screen LCD monitor.
So far the Sony Camera works fine. I find that even when saving the files as Mpegs, they still do not write to a DVD for some reason when I try using Nero or Showbiz. Other Mpegs not from the camera write just fine to DVD. When using the software Sony provided with the camera it is a 50-50 bet trying to write short test videos to a DVD. Short as in about a 3-minute test video. It seems to have difficulty at the writing stage. I slowed the write speed down to 4 which allows writing but only half the time. It gets to the write stage and spits the disc out saying an error has occurred, no further explanation. It seems finicky at best. When viewing the HD video using the Sony Browser supplied with the camera, it is jerky at times and lacks impressive playback quality. The reduced quality or mpeg playback looks better in my opinion. Due to my equipment no doubt.
When the Sony Software does write to a DVD it plays back only on a cheapo player not the expensive new player I have on my HD TV. It also plays using the recorder drive on my PC but not in the DVD player on the PC. Why is that?
I don’t know anything about compression rates or bits. I think I represent a typical consumer. I just want to take, edit, record to DVD’s and watch HD Video with as little hassles as possible. I expect the camera I just shelled out $1200.00 for to work flawlessly. I learned of the AVCHD situation after bringing the camera home rather than before buying it. I know, but what’s done is done.
On a side note? I’m an amateur astronomer. I do astrophotography using a telescope, a laptop, and a CCD device in the eyepiece of the telescope. Even with absolutely no prior astronomy, computer, or photography experience I was able to take brilliant photos of planets, starts, and nebulae my first night out. This Sony Camera is not as user friendly but with the help of all of you and some trial and error I will overcome and conquer it (I Hope)
The manual that came with the camera seems a little cluttered. I’m sure to some of you with the knowledge of cameras and computers you have it is pretty cut and dry. To me it is a little lacking in troubleshooting. This is the reason I joined this forum, to learn and share what I have learned so far. By the way? I do not intend to use the Sony HDR for astronomy.
I use the camera for family and other functions. I just want to be able to get the most from it as possible considering the current technology available (to which I am ignorant) . I never intend to use it for still photography, I have a nice digital camera for that.
I would appreciate any and all comments, advice, and input. Also if any of you can suggest software or hardware that would make life easier for me over what I currently have I would be most appreciative. If any of you plan to get into astrophotography, let me know I may be able to help you out some in return.
Thanks for the time,
Tim Cee

You can use the Black Magic Intensity PCI card, then load your video through the HDMI port to your computer. You will need Cineform to convert the files for your chosen NLE.

Then edit the Cineform intermediary files and you should be good to go.

Familiar Issues
 

Dear Tim,
Like you, I bought the HDR-SR1E (european model ) before realising that there were going to be issues editing .m2ts files. All the web sources say solution will be available by the Spring 2007 ( well that was 9 days ago ).

I bought a Playstation 3 the other day ( launched in UK on March 23rd ) solely for playing blu-ray and watching my home movies in 1080i so, I set about recording some footage via the Sony Software onto a DVD-R like you.

Pressing the Disc Burn button on the camera failed a few times, resulting in a wasted disc each time. Eventually I used the Picture Motion Software itself to select the files and then burn to DVD. I thought I would record to a Dual Layer disc to make things easier but that failed, also making the disc unusable. Next was to a DVD -R which after deselecting many files to get it to fit, worked a treat. As you say, a slight pause between each "track" on the PS3.

There is a workaround on the web ( which I confess, I never tried ) for editing avchd files ( http://www.jakeludington.com/camcord...amcorders.html ).

I too would be interested in any help as I have a video project which will need editing in May/June and I would prefer to do it all in HD rather than convert it all to MPEG2 and do it that way.

I realise I have not added anything significant to the thread except maybe "You are not alone".

best wishes,

Col.

Tim,

I'm in EXACTLY the same spot as you. I bought my HDR-SR1 for personal use, namely a five week trip to Greece this August/September. And also tooting around in my MINI Cooper...
I too am trying to find a good, simple way to take the video I capture with the camera, save it on a laptop or PC hard drive and then burn it to a DVD which will play on an HD DVD player. I do not have BluRay... I have an XBOX360 player which I could quickly add an HD player for a mere $200.00 - IF I find a player that will recognize the AVCHD or .m2ts format files.
From what I've read around here, the newest Toshiba HD player might be compatible with these files. I've tried to find a store around the NY area (BEST BUY, CIRCUIT CITY - no FRY'S here, damnit) where I can just bring in a burned DVD-R and put it in the player to see if it PLAYS. Nothing yet.
I'm close to buying the Sony Vegas Studio 7 to at least start buring discs that will play in an HD player.
Aside from all of this transfer stuff, the SR1 is absolutley superb! Playing HD video back on our 38" 16:9 tube HDTV is really astonishing. Fantastic video clarity.
I too am an amateur astronomer... (8" Celestron Dobsonian and a 900mm Bushnell starter scope) last night I was checking out Saturn. Beautiful.

See if this latest update helps any of you.
http://www.nero.com/nero7/enu/nero7-up.php

Colin and Dave.......
 

I have not found anything yet but I am still looking. Nero is not an option for me since it is not all that great and has too many gliches.
I am trying to look at the bright side. We can at least save our HD footage in it's original AVCHD format until something comes up. We can also convert it to jpeg an use it that way while still saving th eoriginal AVCHD footage in it's AVCHD HD format.
If you guys would keep me posted to anything you find out I will do the same.
Thanks,
Tim

Tim,

The latest Nero version worked flawlessly for me.

Download Nero's LATEST version from their web page. 7.8.5.0

Use your serial number on the jewel case when it comes time to install and it prompts you. The serial number that they put in is only for temporary use.
You can burn the .mt2s files right to DVD and it'll play on the XBOX360 DVD player and in your PC.

Good luck!

Dave