Trying to put it all together

[Jayell]

I’ve tried to read through the high-def threads and absorb all the info I can .. but so many of them come at this from different angles, so I’m not sure I have my hands around this high def stuff yet .. and I have a new Canon HV40 camcorder sitting, wondering what I’m waiting for, but I feel like I don’t know where to start (spose I could start by charging the battery).

1. If I record, capture, process (in PRE7) and output a high-definition DVD .. but play it on a REGULAR DVD player on a HIGH def television, do I gain some quality by the work flow I just followed? ..

2. What about the person I give it to after completing the high def work flow, who does NOT have a high def player or television .. do they gain ANY advantage to having a high def video in their hands?

3. Is a Blu-ray disc higher quality .. or just higher capacity? In other words can I output a high definition video to a regular DVD? (assuming I’m burning very small projects)
If I’m burning to a blu-ray disc, do I need a blue-ray burner?

.. and what about all those blu-ray output options?!?

If there’s somewhere I can go to find all this info, please let me know. I’ve done a little searching, but can’t find all the info in one place.

[Bobby]

I love my HV-30 and I sure you will like your '40.

I always capture in HD and have a HD workflow (project). The quality seems better to me to start this way, even if I end up outputting to a standard definition DVD. And, in the future if I wish, I can always re-output as HD.

Blu-Ray is the only way to create a full length (i.e. about an hour or so) HD disc. But there are alternatives. I started a thread recently about buying a Patriot Box Office (PBO) box that will allow you to play HD content on your TV without using Blu-Ray. Blu-Ray is both higher resolution and higher data capacity. But the resultant video playing time is about the same as a DVD.

Yes, you would need a Blu-Ray burner to output to a Blu-Ray disc. You can output HD to a standard DVD in some cases, but your audience would need a Blu-Ray player to play it, and the time is limited.

EDIT: Upon re-reading your original post, the central theme seems to be attempting to put HD content on standard DVDs. I think that is a dead end and not worth pursuing. But again if you start with an HD project, you will generate an excellent quality DVD that can be played on a standard player with a standard TV. But of course it won't be HD.

Does that help?

[Jayell]

I always capture in HD and have a HD workflow (project). The quality seems better to me to start this way, even if I end up outputting to a standard definition DVD ..

But you're saying the quality is still s-l-i-g-h-t-l-y better (than using a standard definition workflow), even though outputting to standard DVD?

Upon re-reading your original post, the central theme seems to be attempting to put HD content on standard DVDs. I think that is a dead end and not worth pursuing. But again if you start with an HD project, you will generate an excellent quality DVD that can be played on a standard player with a standard TV. But of course it won't be HD.

This last paragraph seems like a contradiction, unless I'm not understanding.
Yes, most of the folks I share videos with do NOT have high def players or televisions, nor do I have a blu-ray burner), so I'm trying to understand if using a high-def work flow (when I can't output to blue-ray / assume no media player at this point) has ANY benefits in quality.

Does that help?

Yes .. a bunch! Thanks for taking the time to slog through this, Bobby!

[Chuck Engels]

Using High Definition projects and then exporting to standard definition DVDs works great in Premiere Elements 7 or 8, but not so much before that. If you are using versions 3 or 4 it is best to downconvert in the camera and use a standard definition widescreen project.

For anyone using Premiere Pro CS3 or CS4 it is best to use a high definition project and export to standard DVD with the Adobe Media Encoder.

Using the high definition workflow in both Premiere Elements 7 and 8 or in Premiere Pro does give better results than normal standard definition video in my opinion

[Jayell]

Using the high definition workflow in both Premiere Elements 7 and 8 or in Premiere Pro does give better results than normal standard definition video in my opinion

Even when it's being outputted to standard DVD?

Thanks for the additional input, Chuck. I am using PRE7 .. so guess I better go charge up the battery in that new Camcorder

[Chuck Engels]

Even when it's being outputted to standard DVD?

That's what's so great about the HDV camcorders, they make even standard definition DVDs look better

[Jayell]

Thank you, Chuck! That's the answer I was looking for.

[Bobby]

Yup, I agree. But the additional benefit of using an HD workflow as I said above is that later you CAN output to an HD medium without re-doing your project. If you downconvert in camera you will never get the HD back again unless you re-capture from the camera, and then do a complete new HD project.

[Jayell]

I'd already stored that piece of info away, Bobby, and definately appreciate the reminder that that alone makes it worth not questioning using the high def workflow process.

[Bob D]

Hi,

And not to side track this conversation too much, what about the type of computer you may need for a HD work flow. Does the work flow described here need a fairly new machine with lots of RAM, as opposed to down converting in the camera work flow?

Bob D

[Jayell]

That's a very good question, Bob. I was thinking of a new computer in the next month or so, but currently have:
Dell XPS 410
Intel Core 2 Duo Processor E6400 (2.13 Ghz, 1066 FSB) w/2MB cache
Memory: 2GB DDR2 SDRAM at 667 MHz
Windows XP, SP2
Internal Drive is 250 GB /External drives: 300 GB & a 200 GB

edit: I currently have all video files on the 200 GB external drive, with 73GB currently free

[Ken Jarstad]

I was recently able to produce a high definition project and create an AVCHD disk in Nero, burned on a regular DVD burner on a regular DVD which plays on my Sony Blu-ray player in high definition.

[Jayell]

That's interesting, Ken. That's part of what I'm trying to understand. What parts of high-def processing can you leave out, but still get 'better' than normal results.

[Bobby]

That's interesting, Ken. That's part of what I'm trying to understand. What parts of high-def processing can you leave out, but still get 'better' than normal results.

What Ken left out is the Blu-Ray burning process. You can burn high definition files to a DVD as long as you have the software that creates the correct file structure (Nero in Ken's case). But you need a Blu-Ray player to play it, and ask Ken how long the video was - I would guess 15-20 minutes at the most.

If that short time fits your requirements and your audience has Blu-Ray players, go for it - but if they have the players you might as well buy into Blu-Ray all the way and get a Blu-Ray burner.

[Chuck Engels]

Hi,

And not to side track this conversation too much, what about the type of computer you may need for a HD work flow. Does the work flow described here need a fairly new machine with lots of RAM, as opposed to down converting in the camera work flow?

Bob D

For HDV (from a High Definition MiniDV Camcorder, not AVCHD) you only need a good Core 2 Duo at 2.0ghz or faster and at least 2 gb of RAM. I can do most anything with my laptop and those are its specs except I have 2.5GB of RAM installed. The HDV workflow doesn't take a lot more than the standard definition workflow. I will say that my workstation at home is faster, it has 2 dual core Xeons, but the laptop does a good job and is fast enough for most projects.