i am looking at the basics here for HD; to be able to view the .m2t files at full resolution on my pc, to be able edit them and down-convert to another high quality file that keeps all of the quality of the .m2t file, and to burn my videos on to dvd via the standrad dvd format (480i/p?) and to have HD-DVD burning support for when the burners come out.

i toyed with sony vegas 7 and it does not do any of these very well or at all! i can view .m2t files but only in a tiny little preview window. i can edit them just fine but down-converting them to another file format looks like junk and plays choppy as well compared to the original .m2t format that i view through my plasma with a direct connection to my hd cam. i don't believe it can even down-convert to an mpeg2 1440x1080i. it does not seem to have a dvd burn feature and instead has a cdr burn feature which is useless.

it seems like i have to spend $1,000 dollars for basic editing software. this is so freaking confusing i sometimes question why i purchased an hd cam :mad:

I recently purchased the Sony HDR-SR1 camera which records in the AVCHD format. Sony is supposed to be releasing an update to Vegas 7 "this spring" which will edit this HD format. I assume that the update may handle other issues with HD editing better as well.

Did you download the trial for Vegas, or purchase it? When you purchase it , you also get DVD Architect 4 for the actual burning of DVD's once your project is edited and rendered.

i am looking at the basics here for HD; to be able to view the .m2t files at full resolution on my pc, to be able edit them and down-convert to another high quality file that keeps all of the quality of the .m2t file, and to burn my videos on to dvd via the standrad dvd format (480i/p?) and to have HD-DVD burning support for when the burners come out.

i toyed with sony vegas 7 and it does not do any of these very well or at all! i can view .m2t files but only in a tiny little preview window. i can edit them just fine but down-converting them to another file format looks like junk and plays choppy as well compared to the original .m2t format that i view through my plasma with a direct connection to my hd cam. i don't believe it can even down-convert to an mpeg2 1440x1080i. it does not seem to have a dvd burn feature and instead has a cdr burn feature which is useless.

it seems like i have to spend $1,000 dollars for basic editing software. this is so freaking confusing i sometimes question why i purchased an hd cam :mad:

First... Vegas is an editor... not a viewer. If you want to WATCH your M2t files then you need a viewer. The newest version of nero show time works well.


Second..... if you are having problems with Vegas, then I would suggest operator error (sorry... don't mean to offend). Vegas does an outstanding job at downconverting. You may want to read this blog from Mike Jones (an editor that works for ABC... among other things.)

http://blogs.digitalmediaonlineinc.com/digitalbasin/entry/20070411

(Mike talks about Vegas about half way down)

i have the hdr-hc3 that i forgot to mention.

and by down-converting the .m2t files...well i tried every method that vegas offered and the best one was the highest .wmv format. but still, it does not come close to this example of someone that appearantly down-converted the original .m2t to a quicktime movie file and looks as good as the original....and it is even in a lower resolution as well. http://www.cinevate.com/images/hv20_brevis.mov

if you right-click and download that file you will see how great the picture looks. you may have seen this footage before. yes i know it was shot with the new canon hv20 cam which is supposedly better than the hc3 but thats not the point as i cannot get my outdoor high def videos i shot with the hc3 (which are as clear and high-def as the this vid, pretty much) to look even decent if i down-convert them.

Too funny... the keyword in your link is "BREVIS".... which is a very large lens added to the cam for increased DofF.... You will NOT get the same quality as the link you provided... unless you spend some big bucks on lenses.