I'd like to get an HD Camcorder for typical family use, but I'm confused by the different formats and the media choices within the formats.

I happen to like Sony and Canon, and the following appear to be well respected cameras:

* Sony HDR-SR12 -- uses AVCHD and records to a hard drive.
* Canon HF10 -- uses AVCHD and records to memory cards and an internal 16GB of flash memory.
* Canon HF100 -- uses AVCHD and records exclusively to SDHC memory cards.
* Canon HV30 -- uses HDV and records to tapes.

I'm stumped. What is the best way to decide which format to go with, and which media type to use?

Any tips? Suggestions? Considerations?

Thanks! :)

To me, the HF10 with its built-in flash memory has no sense at all. All other types of media have their own pros and cons. Everyone chooses for himself. I chose memory cards as tapes and HDDs is too much hassle for me.

I just ordered a Canon HF100 to replace my Sony HDV/miniDV HDR-HC3. Nothing wrong w/miniDV, but wanted ease of hard drive or Flash memory based recording instead of tape. HDV/miniDV uses MPEG2, which is very easy for editing and does not need a powerful PC. Footage is recorded at 1440x1080i, which is HD DVD and Blu-ray compliant. But, AVC is a newer, more efficient codec. Harder to edit, but I'll be using freeware tools like TSSplitter and TSMuxer to cut out parts I don't want out of m2ts files, then use the same tools to merge edited files together to create a Blu-ray structure to burn onto cheap DVD-Rs. I like jumping to a non-tape format and going to full 1920x1080i resolution.

HDV/miniDV uses MPEG2, which is very easy for editing and does not need a powerful PC... AVC is a newer, more efficient codec. Harder to edit...
What are minimum specs required for a laptop PC to edit HDV?

Likewise, what are minimum specs required for a laptop PC to edit AVCHD?

I have an older 3GHz P4. It edits HDV fine and AVCHD using the cuts-only Panasonic software that came with my camera. Pinnacle Studio Plus 11 won't even show a smooth picture on that machine. A new Q6600 quad core does the trick.

For me, REMOVEABLE flash cards are the only way to go. No moving parts, and if the camera dies, I plug the card into an adapter and go.

Dave

For AVCHD cuts only, not real-time editing, my P4-3GHz Dell laptop w/2GB RAM is plenty. It more than plenty for MPEG2 real-time editing w/mpeg2vcr or VideoRedo. For AVCHD, I use my Core2Duo 2.33GHz desktop w/4GB RAM. Even w/this, real-time editing is a little choppy. Doing cuts only is fine w/me as you can join your edited m2ts files as I said w/either TSMuxer or TSSplitter. Then, create a Blu-ray structure on plain ol' DVD media using either TSMuxer or the slightly older TSRemux, also free.

I just ordered a Canon HF100 to replace my Sony HDV/miniDV HDR-HC3. Nothing wrong w/miniDV, but wanted ease of hard drive or Flash memory based recording instead of tape. HDV/miniDV uses MPEG2, which is very easy for editing and does not need a powerful PC. Footage is recorded at 1440x1080i, which is HD DVD and Blu-ray compliant. But, AVC is a newer, more efficient codec. Harder to edit, but I'll be using freeware tools like TSSplitter and TSMuxer to cut out parts I don't want out of m2ts files, then use the same tools to merge edited files together to create a Blu-ray structure to burn onto cheap DVD-Rs. I like jumping to a non-tape format and going to full 1920x1080i resolution.

So, am I reading this right that ALL HDV tape camcorders are only recording at 1440x1080 and none record at 1920x1080? I've been trying to figure out what my HDR-HC3 is actually recording at, but none of the specs in the manual or online that I could fine will show that particular detail to me. If my HDR-HC3 is NOT recording at 1920x1080, then that means I may be looking for a new camcorder that does.....

So, am I reading this right that ALL HDV tape camcorders are only recording at 1440x1080 and none record at 1920x1080? I've been trying to figure out what my HDR-HC3 is actually recording at, but none of the specs in the manual or online that I could fine will show that particular detail to me.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDV
If my HDR-HC3 is NOT recording at 1920x1080, then that means I may be looking for a new camcorder that does.....
Why?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDV

Why?

Because I am losing 480 vertical lines of image in every video I take that I would like to have available.