The "Official" Sony HDR-SR7/SR8 Owner's Thread [Text View]

LDBecker

10-30-07, 03:52 PM

I'm noticing that the camcorder area of AVSForum doesn't have as much activity as some of the other areas of the forum that I frequent, and I'm concerned that posts pertaining to the Sony SR7/SR8 camcorders are going to get separated and lost in the shuffle. So... I'd like to ask that we consolidate posts about these camcorders under this one thread. It will make research so much easier for people.

To begin with, I'm very impressed with my SR7! I've had it a couple of weeks and am just beginning to explore it. I've made two additional purchases to go with it:
1) The Sony HVL-HL1 light, which uses the active shoe connection for power and control. It performed very nicely in a small, poorly lit living room setting for a birthday party. While it's only 3 watts, it really helped make the footage less grainy, and the lighting didn't look too artificial. The camera's auto white balance seemed to handle it very well. It's very small and not too expensive at all.
and
2) The Sony VCL-HG0737C Wide angle lens. In tight settings I didn't find the stock lens wide enough and this seemed to be a good option. Kind of pricey -- though I got a 15% discount coupon on it for registering my camcorder, it's made for HD camcorders. It just arrived today and in playing with it I can see that the extra wideness will really help. I was concerned that it would affect sharpness and color balance, but it looks really great.

Other areas of interest I'd like to expore in this thread would include what editing software are people using (I've tried Pinnacle Studio 11 Ultimate and have just ordered Sony Vegas Pro 8), how are people making disks to distribute videos, what other attachments are helpful, and so on...

I hope this all helps gather and build interest in these camcorders, and I hope I'm not out of line in starting this thread... :D

Larry Becker

canadiankorean

11-04-07, 04:20 PM

Awesome idea.
I have an SR7 and am pleased with it.
I do find some issues.

It's not as sharp or crisp as the HV20 clips I've seen.
Don't get me wrong, it's sharp.. but not the sharpest out there.

The lowlight noise is noticeable but I've managed to minimize it a lot by adjusting the exposure.
The overall picture is a bit darker (1 exposure setting down) but the noise is reduced a lot.
Lowlight such as 60watt bulb lit room.
Candlelight and other dark settings, the video is great.

I don't like the touchscreen too much. I'd rather have a joystick.

The Picture Browser that the camcorder comes with sucks.
The mt2s files don't look good on it.
I compared it to the PS3 and PowerDVD and the PBrowser makes things a lot more grainy/noisy than it is.

Overall I'm very happy with the SR7.

sync2play

11-04-07, 11:17 PM

The lowlight noise is noticeable but I've managed to minimize it a lot by adjusting the exposure.

This may seem obvious but one thing I noticed was the camera doesn't default to the best quality setting and switching that made a huge difference in the amount of noise in the image.

While I've tried various things, including VirtualDub and Pinnacle Studio, Sony Vegas is currently the best thing I've found for editing AVCHD from all camcorders.

LDBecker

11-05-07, 01:45 PM

This may seem obvious but one thing I noticed was the camera doesn't default to the best quality setting and switching that made a huge difference in the amount of noise in the image.

While I've tried various things, including VirtualDub and Pinnacle Studio, Sony Vegas is currently the best thing I've found for editing AVCHD from all camcorders.

I noticed that also, and switched the camera to its highest setting -- looks absolutely great. I have a 37" 1080p Mitsubishi LCD in my office and it's really nice, but on my home tv -- a Sony 34" XBR 960 TUBE that does 1080i -- wow! I'm very impressed. Maybe it's a Sony camera-TV bonding issue... or maybe the CRT is able to handle the colors better because of the X.V. Color feature on the camera (probably not -- I don't think any tv has really implemented that yet...

I tried Pinnacle Studio Ultimate and it kept crashing on my Vista Ultimate portable pc, so I've just got Sony Vega Pro 8 and am trying to sort it out. It seems fine on both my XP Pro and Vista Ultimate 64-bit pc's.

Larry Becker

canadiankorean

11-05-07, 08:15 PM

I have it on highest setting and I have the 40" 1080p Sony Bravia.

I think my expectations were too high.
I looked at other HD camcorders and they too have noise.
But it's so hard to find lowlight clips.
I find a lot of people post candlelight clips which SR7 does amazing (a little focus issue)..
But it's the 60watt room lighting that generates the noise.

KeolaL

11-07-07, 05:23 AM

sievers

11-07-07, 09:48 AM

I am thinking of purchasing a SR8 soon as my wife is about to give birth. Nothing like video taping the birthing process in HD!!!
you are videotaping the birth? not a good idea!:eek::eek::eek:
besides, you'll probably have to hold a leg!

How easy is it to skip between videos on the camera? If you have 4 hours of video, can you skip from the 1st minute to 3 hours 3 minutes?
very easy. You can see a thumbnail view of all your clips and just scroll thru and touch the one you want to watch. Additionally, if you have a really long clip, you can get a view of it that shows many thumbnails from that clip (you choose the interval, I think it starts at 12 seconds and goes up from there) and again you just scroll and touch the one you want to start at. While viewing clips of course you have rewind/fast forward functions too.

Do you find that the 40, 60 or 100 gig HD are enough space? I am deciding between the SR5, SR5C, SR7 and SR8 and it really comes down to HD space. I don't know if there is much difference on any other aspects of the camera, but if there is, please let me know.
I've got the sr7 @ 60 gigs and to me it's the sweet spot of the sony avchd hdd cams. Personally I thought the price increase (about $400 isn't it?) was too much to swallow to get up to the sr8. So that gives me 8 hours of the highest quality hd. I can't see how that wouldn't be enough in almost any situation. There are features gained too with the sr7/8 that the sr5's don't have, and those aren't much cheaper than the sr7. Of course that is a personal preference.

Has anyone tried to import their videos to the computer, saved it onto a memory stick pro and played it back in the camera via memory stick? I figure this would be an easy way to keep the HD on the camera free of files but if someone wants to have files available to view they can have it on the memory stick.
I don't believe it plays video off the memory stick, only stills. Could be wrong. I really don't think space is going to be such a concern that you need to keep your hdd free. 8 hours is a LOOOOOONG time for home videos! Unless you are planning to wake up, turn it on and tape your whole day, I wouldn't worry about that.

Converting files and transfering it to DVD seems to be a problem right now. I have tried to read up on buring m2ts files to dvd and playing them back but haven't found much information. Today at a Sony Expo they said that you can buy the MC5 and burn it in HD straight to DVD. You can then play it on a Blue Ray player. Is there a program out where you can burn or convert these m2ts files to avi, mpeg, etc on to a DVD and play them in a regular DVD player but in HD? Sounds kind of crazy, but I think Xbox 360 games are burnt onto DVD DL disks and they are in HD, so why couldn't movies be put on DVD's and played on DVD players too? You can put hd content on standard dvd's but it won't play on a standard dvd player. The included software will convert to sd and burn to standard dvd, and I'm sure many other programs will too. Because of the nature of avchd this is a very time consuming process and one of the (temporary) drawbacks of avchd. You might be able to do something with divx but I don't know much about that.

LDBecker

11-07-07, 12:33 PM

I am thinking of purchasing a SR8 soon as my wife is about to give birth. Nothing like video taping the birthing process in HD!!! Some of the questions I have for SR7/SR8 owners are:

How easy is it to skip between videos on the camera? If you have 4 hours of video, can you skip from the 1st minute to 3 hours 3 minutes?

Do you find that the 40, 60 or 100 gig HD are enough space? I am deciding between the SR5, SR5C, SR7 and SR8 and it really comes down to HD space. I don't know if there is much difference on any other aspects of the camera, but if there is, please let me know.

Has anyone tried to import their videos to the computer, saved it onto a memory stick pro and played it back in the camera via memory stick? I figure this would be an easy way to keep the HD on the camera free of files but if someone wants to have files available to view they can have it on the memory stick.

Converting files and transfering it to DVD seems to be a problem right now. I have tried to read up on buring m2ts files to dvd and playing them back but haven't found much information. Today at a Sony Expo they said that you can buy the MC5 and burn it in HD straight to DVD. You can then play it on a Blue Ray player. Is there a program out where you can burn or convert these m2ts files to avi, mpeg, etc on to a DVD and play them in a regular DVD player but in HD? Sounds kind of crazy, but I think Xbox 360 games are burnt onto DVD DL disks and they are in HD, so why couldn't movies be put on DVD's and played on DVD players too?

Thanks for all of the help. I found this site and love all of the information I have found already.

KeolaL,
sievers' answers are right on the money. The SR7 is the same as the SR8 but with a smaller harddrive and is about $200 less (The SR5 is a much inferior camera). I was already spending more than I could imagine for a camera, so... AND the SR8 is only available through the Sony website at this point. I ended up going through a local Sony store (Costa Mesa, CA). I paid list (eek!) for the SR7 AND I bought the accidental damage warranty for 3 years. The price of the extended warranty was cheaper there than most places I'd seen, AND it included accidental damage.

I bought Sony Vegas 8 pro and am just learning how to use it. With programs like this you can edit the footage down and convert it to SD for now and still have the raw footage for later when such things are more easily available.

With HD the files are HUGE and you and your computer would DIE trying to go through 100g of data. If you're on a long trip, I think you'd want to be dumping it to a pc or burning it to something like the Sony MC5 recorder to archive them. If you're archiving regularly (and you shouldn't keep tons of footage on your camcorder alone!), 60 vs 100gb isn't really an issue to me since the camcorders are the same otherwise.

I'm finding that I shoot 2-3 minute snippets of footage and then will blend it together into a project. My dual core 2g RAM high-end laptop is up to the job... my P4 3.4ghz 2gb RAM is hurting a bit so I'm trying to tweak it.

The memory stick is only usable for still photos as sievers said. The still photo quality, by the way, is pretty disappointing on all these camcorders (not just Sony). Don't think it will replace a regular camera. The files are maybe good for up to 4x6 prints but would be a waste to do much more.

The Sony Vegas Pro 8 (only the pro version) and Pinnacle Studio 11 Ultimate can handle the AVCHD files and render them to the different formats. I don't know what else will -- and I haven't actually advanced to that point to try it. The Pinnacle software was crashing on my laptop (which uses Vista Ultimate 64bit) but the Sony Vegas software runs well on it. However, the Sony Vegas Pro 8 costs 3-4x what the Pinnacle software costs.

Hope this helps,

Larry Becker

KeolaL

11-07-07, 04:24 PM

thank you very much for the information! im thinking that the SR7 may be the way to go. better than the SR5, yet cheaper than the SR8.

THANKS AGAIN!

lawilson2

11-08-07, 03:31 AM

LDBecker

11-08-07, 12:10 PM

An issue that I have is that on my Mitsubishi 62" DLP using component, the noise level is horrible even on best HD setting. I plugged it up to my 32" Westinghouse LCD in the bedroom and the difference was shockingly better. Is it that the DLP can't show the video well? The footage was taken in my living room. I started to think that I needed to buy that light accessory, but I'm not sure.

Indoor shots can be a problem, especially blown up to 62" as it will magnify the problem. I was going to suggest using an HDMI cable (mini to regular) but it really won't help the noise in your case. As with regular photography, adequate lighting is key. I did some shooting in my church yesterday and the video is pretty noisey -- doesn't look too good -- but I know that I have the same problems with film and digital cameras in there as well. Gotta have the light.

I DID buy the little 3 watt HVL-HL1 light. I was impressed to see how well it worked out to 8-10 feet. It might be just the thing for a livingroom shot, and it isn't too pricey (under $40 as I recall). There are stronger ones, too, of course.

Also, try the different settings on the SR7/8 to see if they make a difference. Play with it before you get into a situation where you need to use it for something special and will be disappointed if it turns out badly.

Larry Becker

ghassan99

11-09-07, 05:22 AM

Try Ulead Video Studio 11 Plus and install the new Power Pack. You can create AVCHD Disk on regular DVDs with menus. I was able ro run that DVD on PS3.

Cheers,
-Gus

memnoch2

11-14-07, 02:51 PM

LDBecker

11-15-07, 01:54 PM

anybody tried/verified the xvYCC (expanded color)? what settings on camcorder and tv? i thought i recorded with the option on and displayed on a samsung HLT LED and did not notice a difference... what happens when you record with xvYCC and display on a regular HDTV set? will the colors be wrong?

I played with this a little but basically took the manual at its word and left it off. Neither of my displays have deep color -- I kind of took the inclusion of the feature on the camera as helping make it more future-proof, giving us features that WILL be of use, but not yet for most of us.

I didn't see any real difference with my setup -- have you tried additional shots with your camera/video?

I REALLY Like the output on my Sony XBR 960 -- the colors are unreal. On my Mits 1080p 37" they're pretty good. I'd be interested in seeing something on one of the new Sony deep color sets.

Larry Becker

NV5655

11-19-07, 10:09 PM

LDBecker

11-20-07, 12:39 PM

OK, maybe someone can answer me this these questions three...

1- Can I use my Sony HotShoe Wireless mic? It works fine on the SR200, butthe guy at the Sony store said the one on the SR7 might have been changed?

2 - Does it have a USB port on the camera too upload directly too a computer? I noticed something about USB ports for Video, up and down, but don't know if these would work for Data as well. I hate having too bring the stupid docking station for my SR200, data transfer is all I use it for.

3 - Is it worth it too have the 10 hour battery? I will be using it too film future 4 hour radio events, and I'd like too have it on as often as possible so I don't' have too miss anything too conserve battery power.

4 - Anyone hear anything about Adobe Premier Elements supporting AVCHD? I was thinking about getting Sony Vegas 8 after trying it, but I like Elements 4..and the built in youtube uploader is a time saver.

That's all the major ones I can think of at the moment. That and I hope the current Amazon $1000 range price point stays till after the holidays :).

Hi, NV5655,

I'll try...
1) if your wireless mic is the ECM-HW1 from Sony, it's listed on the compatibility list for the SR7 (as well as the SR200. Should work. I've been thinking about getting that myself. How well does it work on your SR200?

2) Oddly (to me) there is no USB port on the camera itself. You have to use a dock. There IS a mini-HDMI port for direct plug in to a tv, but no USB without the dock.

3) If you're going to regularly record parts of a 4 hour anything, you might consider the longer battery, or at least the NP-FH70. The NP-FH100 is about $60 more and is HUGE -- really sticks out. The NP-FH70 isn't so bad. My question is, how are you going to deal with so much data? AVCHD files aren't small.

4) I haven't heard about Adobe Elements support. I'd like that, too, as I'm a long-time Photoshop user. I ended up buying Sony Vegas Pro 8 and am having grief with the steep learning curve, as well as the really choppy AVCHD preview in it (despite the claims of machine compatibility for Vegas). I'm looking into their tech support's suggestions that the AVCHD clips be rendered into an "intermediate format" for processing, or another option seems to be a 3rd party add-on software that lets you edit a "proxy file" and then substitute it for the real data. Sheesh...

The Amazon deal sounds great. I paid list at a Sony store because I wanted their extended warranty WITH accidental damage protection. I didn't see any other options for that.

Let us know how it works out.

Larry Becker

NV5655

11-20-07, 01:19 PM

LDBecker

11-20-07, 02:00 PM

Oh, and the other thing I forgot...

- Hard Drive noise. Is it really so loud that it picks up on camera when tilted a certain way?

Yep, that's my mic. If the other camera makers had something that worked just as well, and took video just as good as the Sony, I might consider them just because that stupid docking station is a pain too have too remember too carry around..

But as far as mic demonstrationss...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjIrjHtf8Y0 - The first 5 seconds in he's holding the mic mid waist. The rest of the video is without the mic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ybcnma8Vigg

I don't notice any hard drive noise at all... certainly less noise than my old camcorder that used HI-8 tapes!

A couple of questions...
- Why didn't you use the wireless mic for the whole recording?
- Is YouTube your main use for the video? If so, you may be able to use the SR7 in standard def mode. That would make editing easier. I'm debating that kind of choice now... HiDef for stuff I want to archive, standard def for stuff I want to have for general use.

NV5655

11-20-07, 02:04 PM

LDBecker

11-20-07, 02:40 PM

Well in this case, I wasn't part of the official operation and didn't really know the guy all that well, so I didn't get the chance too ask.

Yep, YouTube is the main choice for this stuff... but I'd love too have it in HD just for the sake of having it in the best format possible. How much footage in GB's per hour is it? For example, 1GB = 3 hours footage? Too bad you can't record in both simultaneously.

I'm thinking of getting at least one Terra byte Portable hard drive just in preperation for this alone.

I took some clips at a kid's soccer game the other day. Mostly short clips, but a clip that was 59 seconds was 117,120k or 114-ish mb. Times 60 = 6.84 gb -- is the math right? I have just a few minutes of stuff on my SR7 and it shows 485 minutes of space remaining (and 145 minutes left on my pretty much fully charged FH70 battery), so I guess with a 60 gb harddrive, you could get quite a bit on it. Note that this is at highest resolution/quality, and are my estimates only... As always, YMMV...

I'd HATE to try to edit that much stuff at once. You'd want to break the file up and put them together. The rendering time would be HORRIBLE!!! I think I'll be making hard choices about what to put in HD and what can go in SD.

I've got a 750gb eSATA drive to use for videos, and another 500gb firewire 800 drive for backup. This could fill up pretty quickly...

NV5655

11-20-07, 02:45 PM

Agreed. I guess I'd have too save the Nature/Outdoor events for HD and the Indoor events could be HD..especially when it's just 'talking heads' so too speak..

The other thing I may have too get in april for the SR7 would be the waterpack enclosure. But with no viewable Flip screen LCD(since the pack protects it), it'll be tough too film stuff..

Agewon

11-23-07, 11:54 AM

Can someone answer this?
Why does my new 1100$ HD camera shoot terrible video??? I just downloaded my first round of video and the quality is horrible. I have it set on HDHQ and just made a AVCHD movie using the Picture Motion Browser and watched it with the utility viewer that came with the camera. Can someone PLEASE tell me i am doing something wrong, before I shoot myself in the foot for buying this camera.
Otherwise, i love the camera. HAHAHAH.

NV5655

11-23-07, 11:59 AM

Agewon

11-23-07, 04:09 PM

jenngood

11-25-07, 09:09 AM

NV5655

11-25-07, 10:42 AM

Is the SR7 really the best HD camcorder out there? at the recent price of $629?

I actually don't have an HD player or TV at the moment and watch DVD's on my PC (crt monitor).

Can anyone tell me the most useful accessories that an SR7 owner should have right from the start? Do you need a mic because of the "no wind screen"? What battery should I buy? Should I get the battery with the most juice or 2 of the smaller-life batteries?

I am running Win XP 64 bit Pro but only have 1 gig of memory right now. Should I upgrade to 2 gigs before considering editing any of the video? I do have 700 gigs of space for keeping the AVCHD files.

OK, lets start in order here :). First off, where did you find it for $629? The lowest I've spotted is $1039.

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but it should still look pretty good on a CRT monitor, hence why they still sell CRT HDTV's.

SR7 Accessories: I would get a video light. If it takes bad pictures in low light like my SR200 SD camcorder, it will look ten times better. I had taken a picture of our holiday turkey with no light and one with the flash. The non flash looked like a VHS tape in grainy quality.

As for battery, I am seriously kicking myself for not getting the 10 hour one when I had the chance. Not only is it nice too have just in case you need it, but for my purposes I thought 2 2 hour batters would be more than enough for my use. Now I'm finding it's much nicer too keep the camera on for as long as possible so I don't miss anything good and worry about editing it all down later :).

windscreen is a must. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kI1usbSWIfw This was taken on a relatively light wind day with my Sony SR200. It did not feel anywhere near as windy as the audio made it seem. They include a windscreen with the wireless mic, ECM-HW1, but I am currently looking too see if it'll work on the SR7.

More RAM is always good :).

-edit - heh, since all that video minus one was taken on a Sony Sr200, maybe I should getthem too sponsor me and give ma a free SR7 ;).

NV5655

11-25-07, 10:42 AM

Is this reply for me??

Yep, mybad. Forgot the quote button..

LDBecker

11-25-07, 12:47 PM

Wow, my head is spinning trying to figure this out. I am a web designer and a mom-to-be, but a total newbie when it comes to camcorders. I've looked at several reviews of HD camcorders but most of them aren't up to date. This is the only site I've found with ANY new information.

Is the SR7 really the best HD camcorder out there? at the recent price of $629? Has anyone upgraded from Canon HV20? I understand that there are free apps to decode AVCHD to burn to DVD but is the quality the best or should I look to other formats of HD?

I actually don't have an HD player or TV at the moment and watch DVD's on my PC (crt monitor). I am looking toward the future of HD viewing and the future of showing video of my daughter and other retail video on websites and HD players. Can you get both Blu-Ray and HD DVD from AVCHD?

Can anyone tell me the most useful accessories that an SR7 owner should have right from the start? What lighting accessory? Do you need a mic because of the "no wind screen"? What battery should I buy? Should I get the battery with the most juice or 2 of the smaller-life batteries?

I am running Win XP 64 bit Pro but only have 1 gig of memory right now. Should I upgrade to 2 gigs before considering editing any of the video? I do have 700 gigs of space for keeping the AVCHD files.

Thanks for any help!

jenngood,

Just to chime in here a little late... $629 is too low a price -- there's something wrong there. It either "fell off a truck" somewhere, is used, or it is some sucker deal from a low life company that will never deliver it at that price unless you buy their extended warranty (which is likely useless) and a lot of shoddy accessories. That figure is less than half the list price -- buyer beware...

Next... AVCHD files are still pretty new, and they're huge. You need as much RAM, processing power and hard disk space as you can get. I actually bought a second external hard drive for mostly video.

I wouldn't know what to expect from your crt... what resolution are you running it at? The way it looks might have more to do with your graphics card than your monitor. I have an HD CRT TV at home and the images are stunning, but it is a 34" 1080i display. I have a 37" 1080p LCD attached to my computer and it looks pretty good there, too. A standard, older crt pc monitor might be disappointing. How big is it?

An external light will come in handy, Video gets grainy really quick. Haven't picked up an external mic yet so can't answer on that.

Is it the "best" camcorder? Don't know, but it seems a good one at this time. AVCHD is a pain to edit on an underpowered pc, but so is any HD format. Different editing software packages let you make either a blu-ray compatible dvd or an HDDVD compatible dvd, but that sounds like it's more a future feature for you.

Good luck! Let us know what you do. And watch out for deals that are too good to be true...

Larry Becker

sievers

11-25-07, 03:06 PM

Is the SR7 really the best HD camcorder out there? at the recent price of $629?

definitely a scam, for the love of god don't give those guys your credit card #!

Here's a quick summary: that canon hv20 is widely regarded to have the best pq available in an hd cam. So if you must have the best pq, you must buy that cam. If you can sacrifice a small amount of pq for the convenience of a hard drive based cam, then yeah sr7 is probably the best one.

Not because I have one or anything! :p

AVCHD may be a hassle if you plan to do lots of editing, that's the main strike against all AVCHD cams.

MScEE

11-26-07, 11:54 AM

Try Ulead Video Studio 11 Plus and install the new Power Pack. You can create AVCHD Disk on regular DVDs with menus. I was able ro run that DVD on PS3.

Cheers,
-Gus
As a new owner of a HDR-SR7 I could not figure out how to post-process the AVCHD format files (other than buying the Sony Vegas $$$ software), thus decided to try Ulead Video Studio 11 Plus, but wihtout the Power Pack I found out it was going only up to 720p.
Do you need to install the Power Pack and pay extra for it, in order to get 1080i?
Thanks,

LDBecker

11-26-07, 12:30 PM

As a new owner of a HDR-SR7 I could not figure out how to post-process the AVCHD format files (other than buying the Sony Vegas $$$ software), thus decided to try Ulead Video Studio 11 Plus, but wihtout the Power Pack I found out it was going only up to 720p.
Do you need to install the Power Pack and pay extra for it, in order to get 1080i?
Thanks,

I ended up buying the Vegas Pro 8 software (you're right... $$$$$!), but I looked at the Ulead software. On their web page there is a button to press for "Free HD Powerpack." Isn't that what you're asking about? Here's the link: http://www.ulead.com/vs/

How do preview files look with Ulead? With Sony Vegas Pro 8, they're pretty choppy and hard to work with, even on pretty adequate machines. Still looking for solutions.

Larry

Agewon

11-26-07, 08:43 PM

Not having the camera, I've been told that you need too set it too the highest quality setting, XP I think it was. Also, what type of monitor and connection are you viewing it on? I assume being a HTPC person, you're video card is also top notch :).

Yeah, I'm a NooB. HTPC???? And you are right. I was crying about the quality when i watched it on my computer. Once i burned a DVD, it looked OK. I think i may however regret going with AVCHD, but i hope that the support will shorten the gap.

Sam Dotson

11-27-07, 10:25 PM

Anyone know if the microphone can be turned off while recording video. I record video for my daughters basketball games, and I dont want the audio.

Sam

MScEE

11-27-07, 10:53 PM

I ended up buying the Vegas Pro 8 software (you're right... $$$$$!), but I looked at the Ulead software. On their web page there is a button to press for "Free HD Powerpack." Isn't that what you're asking about? Here's the link: http://www.ulead.com/vs/

How do preview files look with Ulead? With Sony Vegas Pro 8, they're pretty choppy and hard to work with, even on pretty adequate machines. Still looking for solutions.

Larry

Thanks Larry. It works now!
One more question the video clips size (originating from a HDR-SR7 in HD XP mode) are displayed as 1440 x 1080. Shouldn't this be 1980 x 1080?

LDBecker

11-28-07, 01:16 AM

Thanks Larry. It works now!
One more question the video clips size (originating from a HDR-SR7 in HD XP mode) are displayed as 1440 x 1080. Shouldn't this be 1980 x 1080?

This was confusing to me as well... The CNET article referenced on the Sony style page for this camcorder says, "... the SR7 uses Sony's 1/2.9-inch, 3.2-megapixel ClearVid CMOS sensor, recording video at 2.3-megapixel (HD) or 1.7-megapixel (SD) resolution before downsampling and encoding to 1080i HD (1,440x1,080) or SD (720x480), respectively."

Note that the sticker on the camera says "Full HD 1080" and doesn't specify 1080i or 1080p (which would be 1920x1080 progressive). Are we confused yet? I sure am...

Perversely, I am kind of glad the camcorder doesn't put out 1080p files... my pc can't even handle editing the 1440x1080 files without stuttering!

How is the editing on the ULEAD software? does it stutter?

Larry

briz

11-28-07, 02:17 PM

LDBecker - what are the specs on the struggling pc? im worried about mine, getting the camera today.

NV5655

11-28-07, 02:30 PM

definitely a scam, for the love of god don't give those guys your credit card #!

Here's a quick summary: that canon hv20 is widely regarded to have the best pq available in an hd cam. So if you must have the best pq, you must buy that cam. If you can sacrifice a small amount of pq for the convenience of a hard drive based cam, then yeah sr7 is probably the best one.

Not because I have one or anything! :p

AVCHD may be a hassle if you plan to do lots of editing, that's the main strike against all AVCHD cams.

Now, let me ask you this. There is at least one Cannon Hard drive model. HG10, I think it is. How does that compare with the HV20 in picture? The Cannon models win for USB connector, but fail for no touch screen and no wireless mic...

edit - So the Sony Sr7 does not transfer Full 1080P too video too the computer and it's all down sized? I pay that much, I better get the best picture quality, even if it blows up my PC :).

I have an EVGA Board,
2.4GHZ Intel Core 2 Duo chip,
2GB GSkill Memory
Geoforce 7 7950 PCI E X16 card

I hope it doesn't slow it down too much....less I need too upgrade too a quad core PC.

LDBecker

11-28-07, 02:46 PM

LDBecker - what are the specs on the struggling pc? im worried about mine, getting the camera today.

Briz,
Just to be clear... my pc's handle the camcorder and files just fine... even the player software that came with the camcorder, Picture Motion Browser (an oddly named piece of software), plays just fine. It's in the editing of the files that I have grief. I think it's because the AVCHD files are compressed and have to be uncompressed to view in the editing software that I have difficulty. ANY HD camcorder is going to have grief here as well. But playing is just fine.

My desk pc is a Pentium 4, 3.4ghz with 2 gb ram and a Raid 0 drive array for the main drives and an external eSATA 750gb drive for the video files. My laptop is an HP 9260 with a Core 2 Duo 7200 processor, 240 gb drive and 2 gb of ram. The preview in the editing software stutters in both of them.

Sony Vegas Pro 8 tech support suggests moving the files to an intermediate file type to edit it. And there is a program called Gearshift from VAAST that creates a "proxy" file that you perform the edits on and then it substitutes the real data in when you put the file together. I'm probably going to go in that direction.

On the Vegas 8 forums, it seems that many are experiencing the stuttering on preview. Welcome to the wonderful world of High Def...

Hope this helps...

Larry

LDBecker

11-28-07, 03:05 PM

Now, let me ask you this. There is at least one Cannon Hard drive model. HG10, I think it is. How does that compare with the HV20 in picture? The Cannon models win for USB connector, but fail for no touch screen and no wireless mic...

edit - So the Sony Sr7 does not transfer Full 1080P too video too the computer and it's all down sized? I pay that much, I better get the best picture quality, even if it blows up my PC :).

I have an EVGA Board,
2.4GHZ Intel Core 2 Duo chip,
2GB GSkill Memory
Geoforce 7 7950 PCI E X16 card

I hope it doesn't slow it down too much....less I need too upgrade too a quad core PC.

I don't know of ANY prosumer camcorder that does 1080p. I looked for a while at the JVC Everio-G GZ-HD7US, which I believe quotes 1920 x 1080 but is still 1080i, but there were so many people complaining about the image stabilization problems with it (weak to none!) and trying to deal with a pretty much proprietary file format that I went with the Sony for about the same money. The JVC looks pretty cool, though. It is a bit bigger/heavier as well.
Hope this helps

Larry

NV5655

11-28-07, 04:21 PM

Whoops, my bad. Should have explained that better.

I saw earlier that you mentioned a lower screen size when it transferred. I know there is no real difference between 1080p and i, but when I read the earlier post, I thought it didn't even transfer it to the PC in even 1080i..

MScEE

11-28-07, 06:20 PM

This was confusing to me as well... The CNET article referenced on the Sony style page for this camcorder says, "... the SR7 uses Sony's 1/2.9-inch, 3.2-megapixel ClearVid CMOS sensor, recording video at 2.3-megapixel (HD) or 1.7-megapixel (SD) resolution before downsampling and encoding to 1080i HD (1,440x1,080) or SD (720x480), respectively."

Note that the sticker on the camera says "Full HD 1080" and doesn't specify 1080i or 1080p (which would be 1920x1080 progressive). Are we confused yet? I sure am...

Perversely, I am kind of glad the camcorder doesn't put out 1080p files... my pc can't even handle editing the 1440x1080 files without stuttering!

How is the editing on the ULEAD software? does it stutter?

Larry

Larry,
The HDR-SR7 camera specs clearly states a resolution of 1080i.
Actually I don't think there are too many consumers’ camcorders -if any- to output 1080p.
I'm unsure how 1080i should have read as video clip format, as I was expecting 1080/2= 530 instead of 1440 but it may be that's how it is.

As for the ULEAD software is stuttering like crazy!

I totally agree with the following remark form the CNET review:
"In Sony's case, it really should drop the feeble Picture Motion Browser software bundle and include the more functional Vegas Video Movie Studio Platinum Edition, at least for the folks who drop over $1,000 on the HD Handycams":p

Honestly we should complain to Sony and see what can be done (maybe you can get even your money back -or portion of it- on the Sony Vegas software).

Nimrod_R

11-28-07, 11:08 PM

briz

11-29-07, 10:42 AM

Briz,
Just to be clear... my pc's handle the camcorder and files just fine... even the player software that came with the camcorder, Picture Motion Brower (an oddly named piece of software), plays just fine. It's in the editing of the files that I have grief. I think it's because the AVCHD files are compressed and have to be uncompressed to view in the editing software that I have difficulty. ANY HD camcorder is going to have grief here as well. But playing is just fine.

My desk pc is a Pentium 4, 3.4ghz with 2 gb ram and a Raid 0 drive array for the main drives and an external eSATA 750gb drive for the video files. My laptop is an HP 9260 with a Core 2 Duo 7200 processor, 240 gb drive and 2 gb of ram. The preview in the editing software stutters in both of them.

Sony Vegas Pro 8 tech support suggests moving the files to an intermediate file type to edit it. And there is a program called Gearshift from VAAST that creates a "proxy" file that you perform the edits on and then it substitutes the real data in when you put the file together. I'm probably going to go in that direction.

On the Vegas 8 forums, it seems that many are experiencing the stuttering on preview. Welcome to the wonderful world of High Def...

Hope this helps...

Larry

Thats some heavy hardware ... I have not purchased Vegas ... yet, so I cant comment on the stuttering but I fully expected to have issues with trying to edit the AVCHD. So, Vegas actually does some decompression of the AVCHD for editing/viewing and the output is what for high def? I am coming from the .avi/edit to render/mpeg2 side of things.

MScEE

11-29-07, 11:36 AM

I'm confused on one thing, I have been comparing the Sony HDR-SR5 and HDR-SR7.

Whats the difference between
SR5=Pixel Gross :2100K
SR5=Video Actual :1430K Pixles (16:9), 1080K Pixels (4:3)
SR5=Still Actual :1490K Pixels (16:9), 1990K Pixels (4:3)

SR7=Pixel Gross :3200K
SR7=Video Actual :2280K Pixels (16:9), 1710K Pixels (4:3)
SR7=Still Actual :2280K Pixels (16:9), 3040K Pixels (4:3)

If they both put video out in 1080i what does it matter if the SR7 higher pixels?
There are 2 main differences aother than the hard drive size:
1. SR7 has Super SteadyShot Optical Image Stabilization, which is very important when shooting from hand. SR5 has none.
2. SR7 has 1/2.9” ClearVid CMOS Sensor vs. SR5 1/3" ClearVid CMOS Sensor (less resolution in the second case as per your own posting).

LDBecker

11-29-07, 12:22 PM

Thats some heavy hardware ... I have not purchased Vegas ... yet, so I cant comment on the stuttering but I fully expected to have issues with trying to edit the AVCHD. So, Vegas actually does some decompression of the AVCHD for editing/viewing and the output is what for high def? I am coming from the .avi/edit to render/mpeg2 side of things.

briz,
Here's a link to a thread I started on the Sony Creative Software forum. It's a pretty helpful place for Vegas users. http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?ForumID=4&MessageID=559326
Some of the posters indicate that there is quite a lot going on for AVCHD to work on a pc. I guess so... Since I was having difficulty with my video card in other areas, I needed to replace it and was hoping that it could help with some of the rendering issues. No difference at all...

One poster on the Sony forum suggested that I render the footage to HD-MPEG2 format and it may help. I'm a little tied up at work lately so haven't had much time to work with it. Wouldn't you lose something going from one format to another?

Larry Becker

Numero1latino

11-29-07, 04:12 PM

LDBecker

11-29-07, 06:46 PM

I have had my SR7 for some time now and I have been enjoying it very much. I havent heard anyone mention this but I use Nero to play the files from the video camera on my PC and it looks great. I connect the camera to my PS3 to view the video on my tv as well as copy files over to the PS3. I havent purchased the mini-HDMI cable but I am curious how the PQ would look from the camcorder to the TV. I have one of those Samsung LED TVs.

I use pinnacle to edit videos but really havent created any large projects. I usually output to a low res avi file to I can send small video clips of my son. I did recently upgrade my PC so that it could handle the video editing and the response is great. My old P4 3.2Ghz with 1GB of RAM just couldnt handle it.

All in all a great camcorder and I am very happy to see an Owners thread.

Numero1latino,
Good to hear from an SR7 user that's had it for a while. Some of us are pretty new, and many are still thinking about it.

What's the resolution on your Samsung? Is it 1080p? If so, it should look pretty good. Sony sells the mini-HDMI cable, but they're also available for under $10 from Monoprice.com (one of the sponsors of this site). I have a couple of those and they work just fine on my 37" 1080p LCD and 34" Sony Tube XBR 960 (1080i).

You say you use Pinnacle to edit -- is the preview choppy for you there? What are the specs of your new pc?

Larry

Numero1latino

11-29-07, 07:43 PM

Numero1latino,
Good to hear from an SR7 user that's had it for a while. Some of us are pretty new, and many are still thinking about it.

What's the resolution on your Samsung? Is it 1080p? If so, it should look pretty good. Sony sells the mini-HDMI cable, but they're also available for under $10 from Monoprice.com (one of the sponsors of this site). I have a couple of those and they work just fine on my 37" 1080p LCD and 34" Sony Tube XBR 960 (1080i).

You say you use Pinnacle to edit -- is the preview choppy for you there? What are the specs of your new pc?

Larry

Larry,
My sammy is 1080p and it looks very good. I have actually been looking at monoprice to get the HDMI but I think when I first looked at it was out of stock and I havent been back to get it.

No choppy preview in Pinnacle. I use Studio plus with the latest patches. I have tried vegas video but I thought it was much more complicated than pinnacle, probably cause I have used pinnacle before. I might give it a shot later. I have ulead also but I havent had a chance to install it.

The specs on my new box are
Abit IP35 Pro Mobo
Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 3.0Ghz
4GB Gskill DDR2800 RAM
2x 500 GB Hard Drives
Nvidia 8800GTS

I was going to go for the quad core but since i do much more gaming that anything else I read that the dual core was a bit better. I havent had a chance to overclock it yet but I figure I can get some more speed out of it.

Has anyone converted AVCHD to Divix HD?
Also is it possible to edit video and have it output back to AVCHD? I havent had any luck find this out.

Let me know if there is anything that I can help with.

Nimrod_R

11-30-07, 12:23 AM

There are 2 main differences aother than the hard drive size:
1. SR7 has Super SteadyShot Optical Image Stabilization, which is very important when shooting from hand. SR5 has none.
2. SR7 has 1/2.9” ClearVid CMOS Sensor vs. SR5 1/3" ClearVid CMOS Sensor (less resolution in the second case as per your own posting).

But my main question is what does it matter if you have extra resolution on one of the cams if they both put out in 1080i? If they both put out 1080i the picture is gonna look the same right?

MScEE

11-30-07, 08:29 AM

But my main question is what does it matter if you have extra resolution on one of the cams if they both put out in 1080i? If they both put out 1080i the picture is gonna look the same right?

The answer is: Negative.
The video format cannot follow up with the sensor's resolution.
As an example the video output file of these 2 camcorders is actually different in size although it's displayed as 1080i.

For comparison:
A. Let's say you compare this scenario for a photo taken by 2 digital cameras one with 2MP and one with 10MP.
You are going to print this on the same size 4x6 photo paper (and probably notice the differences).
Relating this to Video: the 1080i signal is comparable to the 4x6 photo paper.
They can both hold more or less resolution in the same format.

B. Let's say you compare 2 1080i sources:
1. A real good 1080i HD TV signal feed.
2. A 1080i output from an upconverting DVD player (using interpolation).
Even if both signals are considered to be 1080i, which one will produce more detail on the screen? (hint: "1")

BTW: HDR-SR7 has also one more thing, towards HDR-SR75: Manual Focus Dial (in case you need it).

NV5655

11-30-07, 12:48 PM

k20king

11-30-07, 03:12 PM

I'm still leaning towards Sony SR7, if only because my accessories will work with it. But the steep learning curve in learning new software is what's holding me back currently, plus my Current SR200 has great video resolution for an SD camera.

For anyone coming off Adobe premiere Elements 4, how quick of a learning curve was it? Can you do everything you could do in APE 4.0?

Learning Curves depends on the person, but for myself I have been using Adobe Product for over 10 years now.

And I love Premiere, just because of the compatibility with my other adobe apps. BUT!

Adobe Premiere does not Support AVCHD!

But I wouldn't worry, some day they will.

You have a lot of helpful people here so don't worry about editing.

Go for the SR7, you won't regret it.

What Computer do you Run?

Good Luck!

MrReddy

12-06-07, 05:10 PM

LDBecker

12-09-07, 10:04 PM

Hi folks,
I bought a Sony HDR-SR7 camcorder a week back via Amazon.com. I'd like some of your inputs on the accessories that I might need.
1. Carrying case/bag - While I looked for options from SonyStyle, I am beginning to think that almost all of them would look bulky for the SR7. So, I thought I should ask the geeks.
2. Battery - Though I received a battery (I think it was 'Sony NPFH50 H Series'), I was quite surprised that the battery doesnt last a long time (upto 2 hrs?). I'd like to know batteries that might last v. long so I dont have to worry about whether the charge would be available or not all the time...
3. Joystick - Is there a way I can use joystick or something instead of my finger on the touchscreen? If yes, I'd like to know so that I can go ahead and purchase it.

Why I otta -- sorry, went into 3 Stooges mode...
1) Case... I just took an old Lowepro Nova 1 AW case I had lying around and am using it -- it's about the right size for me. It depends on how much stuff you want to carry with it. Wide angle or tele lens? Video light? Dock? Extra Batteries? Sandwich? Get as small a one as you think will work. You're not stuck with just Sony...
2) I added a NP-FH70 to go with the 50 that came with the camera. If you're shooting something really long... get the 100 or figure out how to run off of ac. The Battery charger I got, the Sony AC-VQH10 AC Adaptor/Charger, has an option to run the camcorder off of ac.
3) Joystick -- no joy here... I'd seen some camcorders that use a joystick-type of control, so I know what you mean. I'm getting used to the touchscreen. It seems to work ok - except there are lots of menus to go through.

Hope this helps,

Larry (not too much of a geek)

kraigk

12-10-07, 12:31 PM

Are any of you using your SR7's to record SD? If yes how is the quality and are there any troubles editing the mpeg2 files it produces?

NV5655

12-10-07, 12:53 PM

Are any of you using your SR7's to record SD? If yes how is the quality and are there any troubles editing the mpeg2 files it produces?

Good question. I so wish that it could record simultanious SD and HD. In best case scenario, I would have to bring both cameras with me to events...one for archives one for easy editing

BTW, are there any HD monitr calibrating programs out there? I downloaded some HD shots from the SR7, but it looks to bright and washed out on my monitor. Clear, but not SHARP and eye popping.

LDBecker

12-10-07, 01:07 PM

Are any of you using your SR7's to record SD? If yes how is the quality and are there any troubles editing the mpeg2 files it produces?

kraigk,

I shoot only in AVCHD because I want to have the footage archived in best quality, but when I was trying to sort out why the preview screens were so choppy in Sony Vegas Pro 8 and Pinnacle Ultimate 11, someone suggested that I do some test shooting in SD and try editing it. In both programs it worked just fine -- and VERY quick compared with editing in AVCHD.

As far as quality, I could tell that it wasn't HD but I was really pleased at how good it looked on my pc and 37" 1080p lcd.

Larry

kraigk

12-10-07, 01:30 PM

LDBecker - Thanks much for the response. Can you turn the audio off when recording? What sound adjustments are there? I've been looking thru the manuals and haven't found any clear answers.

LDBecker

12-10-07, 02:01 PM

LDBecker - Thanks much for the response. Can you turn the audio off when recording? What sound adjustments are there? I've been looking thru the manuals and haven't found any clear answers.

kraigk,

You're welcome... Someone else asked about turning it off before and I can't find a way to do it. All I can find is a "Micref level" setting that has Normal and Low as the options.

I've been thinking of buying the Sony ECM-HW1 Wireless Microphone -- the bluetooth microphone. I SUSPECT that if it is on the camera and the mic is turned off (either on the camera unit or the remote unit) that the audio track will be silent. Not sure yet. Another option might be the Sony ECM-HGZ1 Shotgun Microphone. From the pic on the Sony style site I can't tell if it has switches or not.

Even if neither of these works, in editing software the audio track can be whacked pretty easily...

Hope this helps,

Larry

kraigk

12-10-07, 02:09 PM

Larry,

Thanks yet again. I'll start my shopping for an SR7 or SR8. I think your right about using an external mic, that usually turns the built-in off.

Roberto230

12-11-07, 02:06 PM

LDBecker

12-11-07, 03:26 PM

Just purchased the SR7 and I am wondering what accessories and editing software to buy? I have read the posts but no one gives specific models of accessories and why or why not they are better than any others. As for the software, Sony Vegas Pro 8a and Ulead VideoStudio 11 with Powerpack, are these still the best?
I have purchased the Accessory Value Kit ACC-FH70

This comes with the bag and the NP-FH70 battery.

I am also considering:

1. Light, not sure which one yet 3w, or 3w with IR, or 10w cold shoe.
2. Microphone, should I go with the wireless? Also, this will interfere with the light especially if both need the hot shoe. Any suggestions?
3. Wide angle lens, VCL-HG0737C. Seems to be the only one for this camera. Is a bit pricey
4. Any other recommendations please advise?
5. For software, it seems as though Ulead may be easier to use but is it as fast and as versatile as Sony’s? Where, would be the best place to purchase the software?
I really appreciate any advice you can give, I hate purchasing something only to find out I should have purchased a different one. I am mainly shooting family video’s but am of the opinion if I am going to make the effort to record it I want it in the best available (reasonably) quality.

Welcome Roberto230... I think you'll find AVS a good place to get knowledge about the SR7. To take a shot at your questions (others will chime in, I'm sure):
Software: I purchased Pinnacle software and had some grief with it (probably related to my 3 yr old system -3.4ghz P4, 2gb ram), so went with the Sony Vegas Pro 8a and am struggling to get my head around it. Part of my struggle with both of these programs is that the preview and timeline views are too choppy to work with. I may just have to upgrade my pc... Working with AVCHD files takes A LOT of processing power. Probably quadcore, 4 gb ram and a LOT of disk space. This is serious stuff and right on the bleeding edge of pc technology.

Lights: You're right about the hot shoe issue. You can use it either for a light or a mic, but not both. There are options for each that doesn't use the hot shoe, too. I don't have an external mic yet, and am using the little HVL-HL1, which is adequate ONLY for very small group settings. Don't expect to light up a whole room with it. Also, be aware that it runs off of the camcorder battery so it drains quicker. The time remaining estimate changes on the camcorder screen to reflect the higher drain on power.

Wide angle Lens: I have the VCL-HG0737C, which I consider a must have for a dinner table setting or in-house family gathering kind of video. I tried it without it and was disappointed. I was pleasently surprised at the quality of the wide angle lens. It is really a great lens and doesn't seem to negatively affect the quality of the video at all. Highly recommended.

Other Stuff: The only other thing I have is the AC-VQH10 Ac Adaptor/charger. It will charge up two batteries and also let you run the camcorder off of it directly. It seems to work well.

That's about all I know! Good luck with the new camcorder...

Larry

Roberto230

12-11-07, 04:06 PM

Welcome Roberto230... I think you'll find AVS a good place to get knowledge about the SR7. To take a shot at your questions (others will chime in, I'm sure):
Software: I purchased Pinnacle software and had some grief with it (probably related to my 3 yr old system -3.4ghz P4, 2gb ram), so went with the Sony Vegas Pro 8a and am struggling to get my head around it. Part of my struggle with both of these programs is that the preview and timeline views are too choppy to work with. I may just have to upgrade my pc... Working with AVCHD files takes A LOT of processing power. Probably quadcore, 4 gb ram and a LOT of disk space. This is serious stuff and right on the bleeding edge of pc technology.

Lights: You're right about the hot shoe issue. You can use it either for a light or a mic, but not both. There are options for each that doesn't use the hot shoe, too. I don't have an external mic yet, and am using the little HVL-HL1, which is adequate ONLY for very small group settings. Don't expect to light up a whole room with it. Also, be aware that it runs off of the camcorder battery so it drains quicker. The time remaining estimate changes on the camcorder screen to reflect the higher drain on power.

Wide angle Lens: I have the VCL-HG0737C, which I consider a must have for a dinner table setting or in-house family gathering kind of video. I tried it without it and was disappointed. I was pleasently surprised at the quality of the wide angle lens. It is really a great lens and doesn't seem to negatively affect the quality of the video at all. Highly recommended.

Other Stuff: The only other thing I have is the AC-VQH10 Ac Adaptor/charger. It will charge up two batteries and also let you run the camcorder off of it directly. It seems to work well.

That's about all I know! Good luck with the new camcorder...

Larry

I am new to the thread, (to any thread for that matter) so I hope I am doing this all-right.

Thank you very much for your reply. I will definitely get the wide angle lens. Does anyone know where to find one at a good rate? Sony seems to have them back ordered.

You brought up a great question which I was trying to avoid (subconsciously probably) My PC is a Dell laptop core 2 T5500 @ 1.66GHz, with 2 GB ram. It meets the specs listed for Ulead but not sure about Sony Vegas. What do you think?

If I may, what size batteries do you have and how long do they typically last for?

~Roberto

LDBecker

12-11-07, 07:04 PM

I am new to the thread, (to any thread for that matter) so I hope I am doing this all-right.

Thank you very much for your reply. I will definitely get the wide angle lens. Does anyone know where to find one at a good rate? Sony seems to have them back ordered.

You brought up a great question which I was trying to avoid (subconsciously probably) My PC is a Dell laptop core 2 T5500 @ 1.66GHz, with 2 GB ram. It meets the specs listed for Ulead but not sure about Sony Vegas. What do you think?

If I may, what size batteries do you have and how long do they typically last for?

~Roberto

Roberto,

I've been hanging around AVS for a few years and have found it helpful -- more in av stuff, but now with camcorder info as well. It isn't as well-formed yet. That's why I started the thread for the Sony SR7/8.

On where to purchase the WA lens, I got it right from Sony (which, as you say, is backordered). When I registered my SR7 I got an electronic coupon for 15% off so I ordered it from Sony's web site. So, it was about $170 direct from them.

Your pc might be a little iffy. My new-ish laptop is an HP with a T7200 dual core running at 2 ghz with 2 gb ram, and it stutters a bit as well, though not as badly as my desktop. You'll need to try it... I have no info on the Ulead software and how it works -- though I think someone mentioned that that software stuttered as well.

Battery life... With high def files (in my opinion) you generally DON'T want to be shooting one long event, but rather break it up a bit into smaller files that can be edited together. A large file would make your pc choke, I would think. I've shot bits and pieces of soccer games, birthday parties and events at church and not come near to using half a battery up. I have the NP-FH60 that came with the camera as well as an additional FH70. The FH100 would probably be needed to shoot a whole wedding or something like that, but it's huge.

How will you display your files? If your display has an HDMI port, that's the way to go. Sony sells a special mini-HDMI to regular HDMI cable for about $50. Monoprice.com has them for MUCH LESS and they seem to work just fine.

Larry

dood56

12-11-07, 07:21 PM

LDBecker

12-11-07, 07:56 PM

Kind of hoping to get some help from everyone here. I have a five year old Mini-DV camcorder I want to upgrade. I would love to upgrade to an HD, but I really would prefer it to be a Hard drive one. I am trying to figure out if it is worth the extra $300 over the SR-5 or should I just wait until AVCHD is better overall. I just want a camcorder that I am not going to want to replace in a year or so because there is a more stable model. Any help with this and recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

Hi dood56,
I'm not having any grief at all with the SR7 itself -- it's a stable and well-performing unit. And AVCHD as a format is stable -- it's just new and huge and, as is true with any HD files, highly compressed, so the computer horsepower needed is pretty massive. The issue for me right now is pc horsepower and getting my head around how to shoot and edit video.

As far as the SR-5 vss. the SR-7, check posts #43, 44 and 50 in this thread. The main difference seems to be in the optical stabilization on the SR7 vs "electronic stabilization" on the SR5. A bit higher resolution on the SR7, too. And the manual focus dial... AND the SR7/8 are that cool black color case (vs. silver on the SR5). The SR5 has a 40 gb drive vs. the 60 gb on the SR7. The SR5c has a 100 gb drive, but is going for the same $$ as the SR7 right now ($1299).

The SR7 seems a better class of camcorder to me. The optical stabilization was what made the difference for me. It really works well.

Larry

dood56

12-11-07, 08:23 PM

I am running an AMD 64x2 TL-58 with 2GB of RAM and a GeForce Go 6150 on my laptop. Do I have the power needed to run the software if I want to do any kind of editing?

LDBecker

12-11-07, 09:02 PM

I am running an AMD 64x2 TL-58 with 2GB of RAM and a GeForce Go 6150 on my laptop. Do I have the power needed to run the software if I want to do any kind of editing?

dood56,

I can't say for sure, but I know that my laptop is spec'd higher than yours and it struggles. However, YMMV.

The software that comes with the camcorder runs just fine. But it is pretty much only for playback and TRULY minor editing.

It's just that in editing in Vegas Pro 8a and Pinnacle 11 Ultimate, the preview is choppy and, for me, therefore hard to deal with to edit. From what I'm reading in the Sony Vegas forum http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowTopics.asp?ForumID=4 people who get the quadcore desktops are pretty happy. I don't have any direct experience with those.

Larry

sievers

12-11-07, 10:54 PM

The SR5 DOES have a 100 gb drive vs. the 60 gb on the SR7.

that's the SR5c. pretty sure the one people are quoting around 800 bones is the plain SR5 @ 40 gigs.

dood56

12-11-07, 11:02 PM

Can get the SR5 for 700 bones on Amazon right now. That is why I am wondering if the extra cost makes the SR7 worth it.

LDBecker

12-11-07, 11:13 PM

Can get the SR5 for 700 bones on Amazon right now. That is why I am wondering if the extra cost makes the SR7 worth it.

dood56,
Watch out for what sievers is correcting me on... the SR5 ONLY has the 40 gig and the SR5c has the 100 -- my error and I'll correct it on my post. Sorry for the error.

Larry

kraigk

12-12-07, 09:23 AM

Hi dood56,
I'm not having any grief at all with the SR7 itself -- it's a stable and well-performing unit. And AVCHD as a format is stable -- it's just new and huge and, as is true with any HD files, highly compressed, so the computer horsepower needed is pretty massive. The issue for me right now is pc horsepower and getting my head around how to shoot and edit video.

As far as the SR-5 vss. the SR-7, check posts #43, 44 and 50 in this thread. The main difference seems to be in the optical stabilization on the SR7 vs "electronic stabilization" on the SR5. A bit higher resolution on the SR7, too. And the manual focus dial... AND the SR7/8 are that cool black color case (vs. silver on the SR5). The SR5 has a 40 gb drive vs. the 60 gb on the SR7. The SR5c has a 100 gb drive, but is going for the same $$ as the SR7 right now ($1299).

The SR7 seems a better class of camcorder to me. The optical stabilization was what made the difference for me. It really works well.

Larry

The SR7 has a 80x zoom vs. 20x on the SR5. SR7 has headphone jack and SR5 does not.

kraigk

12-12-07, 10:11 AM

Also SR5 has no viewfinder. That's a must have in my book..

kraigk

12-12-07, 10:29 AM

Someone asked about batteries.. this is an attempt to recreate the table you can see on page 19 of the SR5/7/8 Handycam Handbook (not the operating guide). Get it here: http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/model-documents.pl?mdl=HDRSR7&LOC=3

Battery Pack LCD panel opened LCD panel closed
Image Quality HD SD HD SD
NP-FH50 105 120 115 130
NP-FH60 (incl.) 140 160 150 170
NP-FH70 230 255 245 280
NP-FH100 515 580 555 625

LDBecker

12-12-07, 12:41 PM

Also SR5 has no viewfinder. That's a must have in my book..

kraigk,

Wow... and before I answered I poured over the Sony site on the SR5. I thought I had heard that the SR5 had no headphone jack, but I missed that. It does note that on the comparisons on the Sony site. That would be very helpful for monitoring the recording, I guess. What other uses do people have for it?

I haven't seen an SR5 in person (so to speak) so didn't know that it was sans viewfinder. That isn't good -- if you're shooting in bright sunshine the lcd screen washes out pretty badly so the only way to see what's going on is to use a viewfinder. Definately a must have for me...

The Sony comparison on the two cameras indicates the same OPTICAL zoom at 10x (which is where you want to stay for best results), BUT the SR7 is listed at 20x digital zoom while the SR5 has an 80x zoom. 20x seems a good compromise between usefullness and quality. 80x zoom would get pretty grainy and would be REALLY hard to hand-hold without having the resulting video make people seasick!

Larry

kraigk

12-12-07, 03:42 PM

Assuming the headphone jack taps into the audio stream that is being recorded you would hear exactly what is or isn't going to disk. It might also be useful for blocking out peripheral noise. And most importantly it will make you look like a big time director :).

I took the plunge and purchased my SR7 today. Thanks to your great help Larry I am much poorer now. For those looking to purchase B&H has a great price right now. They also have an accidental damage warranty that rivals the one Sony sells.

Can't wait to get this puppy. I got the AC-VQH10 AC Adaptor/Charger and the Accessory Value Kit ACC-FH70. I'm waiting on the mic as I will test out one I have. I want to see if using the mic plug turns off the built-in as expected. The bluetooth mic seems cool but I'm weary of the quality you'd get from a wireless mic. I can't find any specs that tell me whether the sound quality is good or not.

Here are the main reasons why I bought this over competing HD camcorders such as the HG10:

--- Records in MPEG for SD. Must have until editing gets better and computer gets upgraded.
--- Audio control. There are built in level controls which aren't great but at least they are there. Easy external hot shoe or standard mic jack are flexible alternatives.
--- Real 1920x1080 (not 1440)

Roberto230

12-12-07, 04:25 PM

highnndry

12-12-07, 05:29 PM

LDBecker

12-12-07, 07:13 PM

LDBecker

12-12-07, 07:33 PM

Hello folks,

I am also in the market for an HD camcorder and I was just wondering why you guys are going for the SR7 and not the CX7? I think all the 7 series are the same except the medium where it records. The SR series records in hard drive, the UX series records in DVD and CX series records in digital card.

Is there any reason why you are not choosing cx7, I was leaning toward the cx7 because I think digital cards are the way to go as there is no moving parts.

Please help me decide.

highNNdry

highNNdry,

I don't believe the 7 series camcorders across the lines are even close to being the same. The CX7, for example, has no viewfinder. Nor does it have a headphone or remote jack. The UX7 has a HUGE 3.5" screen.

I know the cost of memory cards will go down, but to buy a couple of 8gb cards along with the camera made it too expensive to me -- along with the lack of viewfinder...

The SR7 harddrive is of course a moving part and vulnerable, but it does have a drop sensor that is apparently quite effective. And while hard drives fail, the MTBF rating for hard drives in my pc's, which are running at least 8-10 hours a day, compared to the amount a drive in the camcorder would run (8-10 hours every six months?) means it will last a long, long time... barring any catstrophic mishap.

Also... I like being able to keep stuff on the camera as well as pc. Until I get good at editing, the best way to show/look at video is to plug an hdmi cable into the camera and a tv and watch it that way.

So, that's my thinking on it... Others?

Larry

LDBecker

12-12-07, 07:45 PM

Hello all.

What is the normal process to download the video from the SR7 onto my hard drive. When I attach the cam to my PC all I see is .MTS files. Do I download these and convert later? Or do I have to install sony's software to download it properly? I want to save the files for editing later. I plan on trying out the Ulead software.

Thank you

Also, not sure what the other prices are but I saw the SR7 at Circuit City for 1069.99. The cheapest i have seen it yet. I priced matched it at best buy and was able to use a 12% off coupon from there rewards card which brought the price down to $933. YMMV

Hi, Roberto,

Normally I believe you would let the Sony software download and convert the files before editing.

Let us know how the Ulead software works. I think I'm going to order the Gearshift proxy file utility to help it work with Vegas Pro 8 a little smoother.

Larry

kraigk

12-12-07, 08:37 PM

Hello all.

What is the normal process to download the video from the SR7 onto my hard drive. When I attach the cam to my PC all I see is .MTS files. Do I download these and convert later? Or do I have to install sony's software to download it properly? I want to save the files for editing later. I plan on trying out the Ulead software.

Thank you

Also, not sure what the other prices are but I saw the SR7 at Circuit City for 1069.99. The cheapest i have seen it yet. I priced matched it at best buy and was able to use a 12% off coupon from there rewards card which brought the price down to $933. YMMV

Roberto,

B&H is at $999 with no shipping or tax. They have a better & cheaper warranty than CC, not sure about BB.

kraigk

12-12-07, 08:40 PM

kraigk,

Welcome to the club! Sorry to have cost you so much -- though it seems you got a better deal than I did (grrrr!).

As far as the 1920x1080 vs 1440x1080 issue... that still confuses me. From what I had read, the SR7 - and all Sony HD consumer camcorders - are 1440x1080i. I have been wrong before, and will be wrong again, but I think it's the 1440 spec. That also is what the C-Net review says on the "Learn" tab on the Sony style page says: http://www.sonystyle.com/wcsstore/SonyStyleStorefrontAssetStore/pdf/HDRSR7.pdf

Am I wrong?
Larry

Yep your right on the 1440. not a big deal though. You'd have to go into the pro market and spend 6-10k to get 1920. 1920 probably needs a $5k computer to edit the files.

sievers

12-12-07, 11:17 PM

yeah I agree. the cx7 sure looks nice, sooo small and sleek. I definitely considered it! No viewfinder is a big drawback, virtually a deal breaker in itself. cost of mem (sony mem no less) is not exciting. If I didn't have to buy something (bought for first baby) I woulda waited to see what next year's crop brings. I do like the idea of recording to mem cards like you said, I could see myself selling this in a year or 2 to go to a mem card cam, non-sony to avoid pro duos. but for right now for me, the sr7 is better. The sr7 has more features but depending on what you want to do with the cam, maybe you can live without them? I'm going to Hawaii in a couple weeks and the thought of trying to use a cam in the bright sunlight with no viewfinder gives me visions of bad home movies. I would not second guess anyone buying the cx7 tho, if it works for you go for it.

highnndry

12-14-07, 10:55 AM

I don't believe the 7 series camcorders across the lines are even close to being the same. The CX7, for example, has no viewfinder. Nor does it have a headphone or remote jack. The UX7 has a HUGE 3.5" screen.

What I meant by same is that the CMOS sensor and the still picture capability are the same. Sorry I didn't clearify that earlier.

By the way, how is the still picture capability, is it similar to a 6MP point and shoot camera?

NV5655

12-14-07, 11:15 AM

smack

12-14-07, 11:35 AM

LDBecker

12-14-07, 02:04 PM

By the way, how is the still picture capability, is it similar to a 6MP point and shoot camera?

I was about to say "no" based on what I could see on the view screen, but I decided to print one. I brought it up into Photoshop CS3 and, wait a minute, it looks pretty good. Let's make a 4x6... Quick levels adjustment, slight sharpening (my normal workflow, even for my Canon 1DII and Canon G7), and, well, color's good, detail is good -- VERY acceptable. I'm surprised and pleased with it in that capacity. I'll have to use that feature more often!

Larry

LDBecker

12-14-07, 02:16 PM

Is there anywhere (reputable) to get an SR8 besides Sonystyle?

Is the SR8 the same as an SR7 except with the SR8 has a bigger 100GB HD?

How much HD footage can be recorded on the 60 v 100? I saw the 100 was listed as 38 hours but I was not sure if that was SD or HD footage. I would really like the bigger HD but the $500.00 (about) premium for the extra 40 GB seems a little steep if all other things are equal.

Thanks,

smack

My understanding is that the SR8 is precisely the same camera with a bigger hard drive.

The 38 hours is misleading. It IS for HD, but for the lowest quality HD, which they call LP. The equivalent for the SR7 is 22 hours. Good if you NEED to use it, but I would always just use the highest setting.

Here are the recording times for the two cameras (from the Sony Style website).

SR7: High Definition: XP = up to 8 hours HQ = up to 14 hours, SP = up to 17 hours, LP = up to 22 hours.
Standard Definition: HQ = up to 14 hours, SP = up to 21 hours, LP = up to 41 hours.

SR8: High Definition: XP = up to13 hours HQ = up to 24 hours, SP = up to 30 hours, LP = up to 38 hours.
Standard Definition: HQ = up to 24 hours, SP = up to 36 hours, LP = up to 70 hours.

I couldn't justify the extra $$ for the larger hard drive. And, based on the amount of computer horsepower and sheer space needed for these files, AND my usage patterns, I'm glad I didn't spend the extra money.

Larry

LDBecker

12-14-07, 02:20 PM

This may be a stupid question, but do the cheaper camcorders that shoot in HD from Sony match the picture quality of the SR7? I think some of those actually have a USB port for data on the camera....

Also, I'm searching for camera bags now. I'm hoping to find one big enough to fit the docking station...

I wasn't able to compare footage from different camcorders, so I can't answer that first question. Others?

I'm using a Lowepro Nova1 AW, which has enough room. It has a divider that lets me put stuff on the bottom of the case, layer the divider over it and up the side so that I have the dock on the bottom, insulated from the camera, and space on the side for a spare battery, little light and wide angle lens. It's a little bigger than I would like, but I happened to have it already from something else.

Larry

MScEE

12-14-07, 02:52 PM

This may be a stupid question, but do the cheaper camcorders that shoot in HD from Sony match the picture quality of the SR7? I think some of those actually have a USB port for data on the camera....

What cheaper HD Sony camcorders are you referring at? (As I don't think there are any)
The Sony HD series started with HD-SR1 and none of the models are really cheap (Unless they are outdated).
You will have to decide between a really good HD picture quality (SR7 or SR8), or SD quality with USB connectivity on the camera.
I agree with you: the lack of USB on the camera itself is a matter of nuisance (but you can live with it).

smack

12-14-07, 03:24 PM

I myself didn't realize that the SR8 did not have a USB port.

How / what is the easiest way to tranfer the clips to the PC? must you hook it up to the docking port or is there a shortcut?

smack

LDBecker

12-14-07, 03:30 PM

I myself didn't realize that the SR8 did not have a USB port.

How / what is the easiest way to tranfer the clips to the PC? must you hook it up to the docking port or is there a shortcut?

smack
The dock is the onlt way I know of to get files off of the SR7/8...

Yoy can PLAY files off of the camera directly via the mini-HDMI plug or the component jack, but no data transfer.

Larry

kraigk

12-14-07, 04:29 PM

Maybe Sony will come out with a cable that connects to the camera where the dock plugs in and the other end would be USB. Of course if they did it would be a $99 cable.

coolyota

12-15-07, 10:10 PM

LDBecker

12-16-07, 12:32 AM

Hi i am newcomer to handycam.

Dose anybody have problem opening .MTS or .M2TS file in Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum? In the application explorer, I don't see the file type of .MTS/.M2TS and an attemp to open avchd media get "unsupported format" error..:mad:

What version number of the software do you have? The comparison on the Sony site shows that Studio Platinum should READ the files, but only the Pro 8 version will write them as well: http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/products/product.asp?PID=447&PageID=88

Are you bringing the files into your computer with the software that came with your camera? That does some kind of "analysis" of the file that lets Picture Motion Browser show the files with thumbnails. And are you able to view the files with Picture Motion Browser on your pc?

I wanted to be able to WRITE the files as well as read them, so I went with the Pro version of the software. The Studio Platinum certainly should still be able to read them. You maybe need to upgrade to the current version, which is 8.0c. I'm sure you've tried this, but I don't know what else to suggest.

Larry

coolyota

12-16-07, 01:16 AM

LDBecker

12-16-07, 01:39 AM

It's version 8.
I have since formatted my PC and re-install everything back, ie XP SP2, .NET 2 framework etc. And re-install Sony Vegas, I can import MTS/M2TS files now.

By the way, I am using the trial version of the software for evaluating this program.

I am new to video editing, do you think the PRO version is "overkill" for newby?

I'm afraid I'm not a good one to ask. I'm having a REAL DIFFICULT TIME getting my head around video editing. I am GREAT (blush, blush) at photo editing in Photoshop CS3 (using PS since the mid 80's!), but this... ick. A real problem for me is the stuttering in the preview and editing window. How do you work with that? I'm looking to get a proxy editing solution so I can work with the AVCHD files a little easier on my oldish P4, but haven't had the time to work with it.

How well does the trial version work with the preview window? Is it jittery? Mine jumps 5-20 frames at once. Plays ok in Picture Motion browser, though. Also jumpy in Pinnacle Studio Ultimate 11. Frustrating, and makes me want a Quad core system.

I guess I need to take some time with it -- maybe after Christmas...

Larry

kraigk

12-16-07, 12:27 PM

LDBecker

12-16-07, 03:38 PM

Larry,

I'm relatively new to video editing as well. I helped my son and friend do a few videos for a class assingment (got an A). Anyways we did this with SD files from a Canon DC40 using Windows Movie Maker on Vista. I had to help get the files ripped off the mini-DVD's and ready to use a MPEG files but once that was done these guys produced a few pretty damn good amateur music videos.

My question to you is have you done much editing in SD? I know you want HD as we all do but now with my new SR7 in hand the plan is to master editing in either Pinnacle or some other software before moving on to HD. From all accounts HD is a frustrating exercise right now. What I'd like to know is if you feed the monster (Pinnacle with latest great PC + disk + 4gb memory) will it perform? Will the juddering be gone. Or are the AVHCD decoders being used still no fully developed? Maybe both.

kraigk,

I have done a little editing in SD, but not enought to get comfortable. My time is a little limited until after Christmas, but I plan to spend some quality time with it. It was just so disappointing to see stuttering like that on the preview/editing timeline. It was a cruel joke... To spend that much $$ on a camcorder AND get the "best" software (Sony Vegas Pro 8), and have it perform so poorly was a bit disheartening.

The bigger question for me is, do I really want to create HD movies? For viewing them in my office or at home, the answer is, "Yes I do," because I have the appropriate monitors and even an HD projector to use. But, for example, to shoot video of some friends' kids' soccer game to give them -- they only have SD equipment, so what's the point?

I had been thinking that I'd shoot in AVCHD, edit in AVCHD and render in different resolutions for different purposes. Well, I didn't realize that rendering AVCHD files was such a long process! Nor did I realize that editing in AVCHD would tax my system so badly.

I've mentioned in other posts a "proxy file" solution that VASST has put out called Gearshift. It lets you make a lower res file to edit from, then automatically shifts the Hi def file in place of the low res file when you edit. It's specifically to allow "underpowered machines" to edit AVCHD and other HD files. It ONLY works for Sony Vegas Pro 8 (NOT the lower versions), but it's only $50 or so, so I am planning to get it. http://www.vasst.com/product.aspx?id=5830e4f9-d99b-4d0b-908d-aa4954c324a3

The other solution -- to "feed the monster" as you say, is where I'll end up, but probably next year sometime. My pc is 3+ yrs old and struggles a bit on some things, but this really taxes it. On the Sony Vegas forum site, there is someone who just got a quad-core machine and is pretty happy. Sounds like a direction to head in. I'll post a question there about stuttering to see what they say. Link: http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?MessageID=564058&Replies=21

SD editing is more within my pc's abilities, so I probably need to shoot more in that, but I wanted to be able to shoot AVCHD for archival purposes, then render to whatever I needed... Not quite there yet...

Larry

kraigk

12-16-07, 04:47 PM

Vasst sounds very interesting. Great idea if it works. Please let us know it does.

Having only recently jumped into the camcorder foray (I still have a hi-8 Sony) and editing files I quickly found how much power and space were needed . And then I read all the disappointed owners comments on AVCHD and lowered my expectations regarding HD.

I used Pinnacle years ago and thought it was pretty straight forward. Sony Vegas has a very jumbled, messy interface which probably explains all the reviews saying it has a steep learning curve. When I jump into the editing side of things early next year I'm going to give all the leading programs some time and decide which to use. I will say that while Windows Movie Maker may not be the most full featured program I be hoping to find one that is as easy to use.

smack

12-17-07, 11:12 AM

NV5655

12-17-07, 11:34 AM

Maybe Sony will come out with a cable that connects to the camera where the dock plugs in and the other end would be USB. Of course if they did it would be a $99 cable.

Hmm, maybe there already is one out there? I'm not even sure what that port is called, or else I'd do asearch on it.

Has anyone heard from a Sony rep as to WHY they never include a USB port? It can't be to keep size and weight down, as the Cannon model has one and it's one of the smallest out there.

kraigk

12-17-07, 12:14 PM

Are your expectations lower because of the system required to edit or because the AVCHD video quality that cameras produce?

I have seen excellent AVCHD video quality. I don' think that is the issue. I have not tried to edit AVCHD yet but based on all my reading it is quite challenging.

Video files in general are big. HD files are huge. Regardless of compression method HD files would be a challenge. So the combination of giant files and a fairly new compression algorithm have AVCHD being extra difficult. I think it is still in it's infancy. My crystal ball says editing AVCHD will be a breeze by this time next year :)

Hmm, maybe there already is one out there? I'm not even sure what that port is called, or else I'd do asearch on it.

Has anyone heard from a Sony rep as to WHY they never include a USB port? It can't be to keep size and weight down, as the Cannon model has one and it's one of the smallest out there.

The little base station is pretty portable. For me it isn't a big deal not having a USB cable direct to camera.

On a side note the mini-HDMI cable that is not included with the SRx cameras can be had at monoprice for $5. They are out of stock right now but they do have an adaptor at the same $$. Plug the adaptor into your camera and then a regular hdmi cable into it.

jaronliu

12-18-07, 04:46 PM

I ended up buying the Vegas Pro 8 software (you're right... $$$$$!), but I looked at the Ulead software. On their web page there is a button to press for "Free HD Powerpack." Isn't that what you're asking about? Here's the link: How do preview files look with Ulead? With Sony Vegas Pro 8, they're pretty choppy and hard to work with, even on pretty adequate machines. Still looking for solutions.

Larry

Hi I cant seem to download the free powerpack. Can someone please upload somewhere or send to me please? Its werid!

LDBecker

12-18-07, 05:31 PM

Hi I cant seem to download the free powerpack. Can someone please upload somewhere or send to me please? Its werid!

It looks like Corel is having problems with their server (according to the Ulead forum). Someone on the forum posted a direct link to the download page that seems to work:

http://www.ulead.com/tech/vs/vs_ftp.htm

You have to register to get it, so I can't access it, but the links seem to work. Let us know if this helps!

Larry

jaronliu

12-19-07, 03:46 AM

It looks like Corel is having problems with their server (according to the Ulead forum). Someone on the forum posted a direct link to the download page that seems to work:

You have to register to get it, so I can't access it, but the links seem to work. Let us know if this helps!

Larry

Hi, I have tried registering as a new user but still not possible to download! Strange... Anyone else have this powerpack file and can share?

smack

12-19-07, 10:04 AM

LDBecker

12-19-07, 11:51 AM

Here is my problem. I had made my decision to get a new HDR SR7 for christmas (I know I wait until the last minute). However, I look at BB & CC and they do not have this camera listed on their sites. I could have sworn it was there a week or two ago??

Anyway, it is still listed at Amazon and I can get there, but I was wondering if they are clearing the shelves for a new model at CES '08. And yes, I know the old, if you wait, you willl never have anything rule.

Again, I was just puzzled because I thought it was available on both of these sites a week ago.

smack

I don't know about the CC and BB sites, but I see it ISN'T on the Sony site this morning, and the last time I saw it, it was on sale there. The SR8 is still there. Maybe they are discontinuing that model? Or maybe they are trying to position the SR8 as their AVCHD hard disk camcorder. It CAN'T cost much more to put a 100bg drive (SR8) in than a 60gb drive (SR7).

Larry

kraigk

12-19-07, 01:42 PM

The SonyStyle sale ended a few days ago. I bought my SR7 from B&H Photo last week for $999. The price is now $1099. You might call and whine and get the $999 price. B&H has good prices/warranties as well. I got mine in two days as promised, all worked out just as planned.

smack

12-19-07, 02:28 PM

Yes, thanks I saw it at B&H. I was just curious about a possible replacement being announced soon as BB & CC were not carrying them at this point.

I think I may wait until CES because I am not in a huge hurry.

NV5655

12-19-07, 06:01 PM

I'm not in a hurry, but the $999 price point is an intriguing possibility right now. I'd rather get it at that now, than wait for it to go down from $1299 at the next holiday.

But, if they come out with a new model that actually has a USB connector on it, I'd kick myself for not waiting. When is CES datewise? :)

smack

12-19-07, 06:40 PM

NV5655

12-19-07, 06:55 PM

Thanks,

Quick google search found the official site, but it's a tad confusing to find relevant info..

xradman

12-20-07, 04:30 PM

SR7: High Definition: XP = up to 8 hours HQ = up to 14 hours, SP = up to 17 hours, LP = up to 22 hours.
Standard Definition: HQ = up to 14 hours, SP = up to 21 hours, LP = up to 41 hours.

SR8: High Definition: XP = up to13 hours HQ = up to 24 hours, SP = up to 30 hours, LP = up to 38 hours.
Standard Definition: HQ = up to 24 hours, SP = up to 36 hours, LP = up to 70 hours.

Just got one yesterday from Amazon for Christmas. I think a bigger capacity battery is definitely needed. Can anyone comment on quality differences with these different recording settings? The manual that came with the camera was one of the worst I've read. Are the resolution kept the same with different quality level? Given the large size of HD files, I'd like to go as low as possible while maintaining decent quality.

LDBecker

12-21-07, 04:13 AM

Just got one yesterday from Amazon for Christmas. I think a bigger capacity battery is definitely needed. Can anyone comment on quality differences with these different recording settings? The manual that came with the camera was one of the worst I've read. Are the resolution kept the same with different quality level? Given the large size of HD files, I'd like to go as low as possible while maintaining decent quality.

"Decent quality" would be a matter of personal choice, I guess... I didn't care for it, but I can see the value of it for taping a really LONG event, for example. I was thinking it was kind of like the different recording qualities on a VHS tape. Sometimes ELP was ok, but not usually.

I have mine set at the highest level and will archive that original material. As I'm learning to edit (a WAY TOO SLOW PROCESS for my tired, old brain), I will render the edited material into SD or whatever format is needed for the final product, but I will generally record HD at the highest quality level. If I need more recording time, I'd likely go to SD.

I bought the 70 battery to complement the 60 that came with the camera. The 100's stick out quite a bit but I can see when it would be needed, I guess. I also bought the AC Adaptor/Charger AC-VQH10 which has a cord to run the camcorder off of ac for those REALLY LONG events where you can set up on a tripod (weddings, etc).

Larry

newyorkr

12-21-07, 11:14 AM

LDBecker

12-21-07, 01:51 PM

Hello guys,

I got HDR-SR7 lately, and I'm using iMovie 08 to edit it. This camcorder is the very first camcorder in my life, so I'm very excited about it.

But, I noticed that Right MIC's audio input is higher than Left MIC. I noticed this by looking at the volume level that's in the iMovie 08's interface, and also by listening carefully using stereo headphone) I even tried talking on the left side of camcorder and talking on the right side of camcorder while recording, and still Right MIC's input is higher. Did anyone notice this, or it's just mine? Is this something to do with DOLBY 5.1 by any chance? Is there any way to use regular sound recording?

Also, I've been trying only indoors shooting, and it's pretty grainy and lots of noise, when I downloaded it to my Mac and saw it in iMovie. Honestly, I don't have HDTV yet, so I connected SR7 directly to SONY CRT TV using A/V Connecting Cable, and when I did that, it looked pretty good, and noise is hardly noticeable compared to the noise seen in the Mac's monitor. I used the highest setting HD XP(?), and I played around with exposure setting as well, but didn't touch other settings. If you guys know any good idea how to make this better, please let me know.

Thanks.

Welcome to the forum, newyorkr,

I am a pc user and use Sony Vegas Pro 8 for my editing, but when I checked my camcorder's output levels, it was the same on the right or left.

I don't know of any way to force the camcorder to record in only stereo. I went through the menus and the manual and I don't see anything. It can be done through editing software, but not directly on the camcorder (as far as I can tell...)

Indoor shots are a problem for camcorders. Have you thought about getting a small video light for indoor use? It really helps in small settings, and the small ones aren't too expensive or intrusive. I listed the one I got at the beginning of this thread.

I have a Sony HD CRT set (1080i) and much prefer the look of files from the SR7 on that over my Mitsubishi 1080p LCD. Something about CRT's... I use the HDMI connection and it's pretty slick.

Good luck with the new camcorder!

Larry

DoritoOfDeath

12-21-07, 06:17 PM

Is there any way to use the SR7 as a webcam?

xradman

12-21-07, 07:18 PM

"Decent quality" would be a matter of personal choice, I guess... I didn't care for it, but I can see the value of it for taping a really LONG event, for example. I was thinking it was kind of like the different recording qualities on a VHS tape. Sometimes ELP was ok, but not usually.

I have mine set at the highest level and will archive that original material. As I'm learning to edit (a WAY TOO SLOW PROCESS for my tired, old brain), I will render the edited material into SD or whatever format is needed for the final product, but I will generally record HD at the highest quality level. If I need more recording time, I'd likely go to SD.

I bought the 70 battery to complement the 60 that came with the camera. The 100's stick out quite a bit but I can see when it would be needed, I guess. I also bought the AC Adaptor/Charger AC-VQH10 which has a cord to run the camcorder off of ac for those REALLY LONG events where you can set up on a tripod (weddings, etc).

Larry
I'm not so much concerned about the recording time of the hard drive. Even at maximum quality, I don't think I'll run out of hard drive capacity for any single event. My concern is with transfer and editing. If I could get away with 2GB file instead of 6GB file, it would make everything so much easier and faster. It's a royal pain to work with such big file, not to mention storage problems. I wish they had a 720P option for these cameras. Since my entire home is networked and all my TVs are connected to HTPCs, I like to convert all the home movies to WMV or DivX AVIs. The interlaced contents all suffer from serious combing artifacts that I've not been able to eliminate during these conversions.

newyorkr

12-21-07, 09:11 PM

Hey Larry, thanks for your reply.

I just tested Sony Vegas Pro 8, and, voila, you're right. I saw left and right audio are balanced. Thank you for pointing that out. Great to know!

newyorkr

LDBecker

12-22-07, 04:54 AM

I'm not so much concerned about the recording time of the hard drive. Even at maximum quality, I don't think I'll run out of hard drive capacity for any single event. My concern is with transfer and editing. If I could get away with 2GB file instead of 6GB file, it would make everything so much easier and faster. It's a royal pain to work with such big file, not to mention storage problems. I wish they had a 720P option for these cameras. Since my entire home is networked and all my TVs are connected to HTPCs, I like to convert all the home movies to WMV or DivX AVIs. The interlaced contents all suffer from serious combing artifacts that I've not been able to eliminate during these conversions.

I JUST got the software program from VASST called Gearshift. It seems to be a pretty slick conversion and proxy editing program to deal with these AVCHD files. I'm TOO BUSY during the Christmas weeks here to spend much time with it, but it let me convert a file to an AVI, edit it in Sony Vegas Pro 8, and then automatically shift it back to the original files. or whatever you want. Pretty slick. I plan to keep the original files as archival backups, but use the edited versions to watch and distribute.

Your HTPC setup sounds complicated. How are you getting signal from the HTPC to the screens? HDMI?

Larry

kraigk

12-22-07, 10:31 AM

C'mon Larry drop all your Christmas plans and do some extensive testing for us. :D

Thanks for all the info and stay away from the forums for a few days, if you can.

Merry Christmas!

LDBecker

12-22-07, 01:33 PM

C'mon Larry drop all your Christmas plans and do some extensive testing for us. :D

Thanks for all the info and stay away from the forums for a few days, if you can.

Merry Christmas!

MUST... STOP... CHECKING FORUM... CAN'T STAY AWAY... MUST... FIGURE... OUT... WHAT... AVCHD... STANDS... FOR... AND... CONQUER IT...

Ha, ha... Merry Christmas to you all, too... Happy videoing!,

Larry

tank146

12-23-07, 10:30 PM

Just bought a HRD-SR7 and I am not happy. The video in doors is very grainy, especially in low light conditions. Any ideas for how to set the camera up properly? I am ready to take it back.

Thanks

NV5655

12-23-07, 11:05 PM

I remember reading early on that you need to adjust it to the higher recording level, xp, to improve that, if memory serves... I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong.

But if it helps any, the Low light video on the Sony SR200 isn't that great either.. NightVision improves it allot, however :).

zigouris

12-24-07, 01:01 AM

To eliminate noise when shooting in low light conditions:
1. set the EXPOSURE manually to a lower value OR
2. set the SLOW SHUTTER SPEED to OFF!!!!!
In both cases the image gets a little darker so it's up
to you to decide whether you need an extra light or not.

LDBecker

12-24-07, 12:41 PM

Just bought a HRD-SR7 and I am not happy. The video in doors is very grainy, especially in low light conditions. Any ideas for how to set the camera up properly? I am ready to take it back.

Thanks

Yeah, I couldn't stay completely away...

Have you tried the "Scene Selection" menu? It has options for different settings that seem effective. Take the camcorder off of AUTO and try, maybe, the Candlelight setting to see what it does. Experiment! Auto isn't always the best, though it's pretty good. Some may slow the shutter speed down, so a tripod would be helpful, too...

I'm into digital photography and "it's all about the light" is true here as well as with slr digital cameras. As you probably know, the word photography comes from two greek words meaning "writing with light." I always liked that. Nice metaphor for life, too. Sorry, the preacher in me came out for a second...

Anyway, you will have to provide some light one way or another to get decent shots from ANY of these consumer camcorders. Even pros have to get light... I've found that the tiny, inexpensive ($30-ish) Sony HVL-HL1 helps A LOT in close, indoor situations.

I also found for indoor use that the stock lens isn't wide enough, so I got the add-on lens (see 1st post in this thread). VERY high quality and nice focal length for the camcorder.

Hope this helps,

Larry

carlaw

12-27-07, 06:07 PM

Hi
i'm a complete newbie in camcorders, I bought an SR7 and I'm waiting the delivery.
Just a question? i see an interesting case, the lowe pro slingshot 100 aw, in the specifications seems that is room enough for the camcorder and some accessories: 7.5W x 5.1D x 9.8H in. / 19 x 13 x 25 cm. Not pricey, 47.5 $ at BH.
What is your opinion? Could be a good choice?
Thanks
Carlo

zigouris

12-28-07, 03:27 AM

My opinion is that you may need something bigger.
Get the camcorder first,have a look at the accessories you
need to carry (extra battery,cables,lights etc) and then buy
a case!!!

Queue

12-29-07, 07:56 PM

LDBecker

12-30-07, 01:40 AM

I purchased the HDR-SR7 and am rather pleased with it overall. However, I ran into a slight dilemma when copying the raw footage to my computer. I do not run Windows, nor do I want to install the provided software. Thus, I tried mounting the camcorder as a drive to copy what I want off of it. I'm assuming that the important files are in "AVCHD/BDMV/STREAM," but I want to make sure that I'm not neglecting anything of value in the other folders.

Also, after copying off those .mts files, what codecs should I need to play them? The video seems to work fine, but not the audio. Any suggestions?

Queue,
Since you're not running Windows, are you on a Mac? or Linux? Or???

AVCHD is a fairly new-ish codec and not THAT well supported yet. In Post # 117 in this thread someone talks about editing in iMovie on his Mac. And I know that Finalcut on the Mac works for it.

As far as which files need to be brought over... not sure... The software that came with the camcorder brings the mts files over and changes them to m2ts. It may have something to do with why you don't have audio coming over.

What software are you playing the files through? And what OS?

Larry

xradman

12-31-07, 04:55 PM

Your HTPC setup sounds complicated. How are you getting signal from the HTPC to the screens? HDMI?

Larry

It's real simple. I have 3 HD displays, 1360x1024 Front projector, 1080P DLP Microdisplay, and 1080P LCD. They are all connected to 3 separate HTPC using either VGA or DVI inputs and displaying native resolution. All 3 HTPCs are networked through 1GBps switches. I transfer all home videos to networked external 1TB hard drive. I can play any files from any HTPC seamlessly. Even though, the external drive can be upgraded as needed, transferring several GB of data is still a pain. All my SD home videos average around 6-700 MB per hour when compressed to 720x480 WMV at high resolution. At that compression rate, the WMV files are indistinguishable from the original DV files. I'm hoping to do something similar with the HD home movies.

Queue

12-31-07, 05:49 PM

Since you're not running Windows, are you on a Mac? or Linux? Or???

I primarily run Linux, though I use Macs as well.

As far as which files need to be brought over... not sure... The software that came with the camcorder brings the mts files over and changes them to m2ts. It may have something to do with why you don't have audio coming over.

Hm...that very well could be the reason. I wonder what I need to do to generate those .m2ts files myself.

What software are you playing the files through? And what OS?

I'm playing the .mts files in mplayer (Linux).

PerfnRestore

01-02-08, 06:17 PM

I know that this is not news to all, but can someone tell me if I can output from an AVCHD camera directly to a dvd recorder? I know that it will only be SD. Will the upvert to 1080 be decent. I really don't want to process thru my pc as it takes too much time. I would do the direct recording in anticipation of an eventual AVCHD DVD recorder.

Thanks

Bob

LDBecker

01-02-08, 07:54 PM

blackhwk1214

01-04-08, 12:55 AM

LDBecker

01-04-08, 02:53 AM

Hi, I was wondering if my pc can handle avchd playback and mostly editing...
with these specs:

AMD Athlon 64 Processor
3700+
2.21 GHz, 1 GB Ram

And a NVIDIA Geforce 6100 video adapter

I really need to know...
Is more info needed to know if I can edit and playback avchd?

Thanks so much!

Hi, Blackhwk1214,
You MAY be able to play AVCHD files with the Sony Picture Motion Browser software, but so far as I can tell, you won't be able to edit it effectively on your pc. Too little RAM, too slow a processor, too old a video card... I'd recommend a Quad duo processor and as much ram as you can stuff in it (4gb plus!). My 3.2 ghz Pentium 4 and Core 2 duo at 2 ghz can BARELY edit AVCHD files and even at that the preview is too choppy to be of use.

Sorry...

Larry

blackhwk1214

01-04-08, 11:30 AM

Patrish

01-05-08, 03:04 AM

Hi,

This is my first time posting... I hope it goes to the right spot...

I am considering buying a Sony HDR-SR7 but don't know whether it will do what I want or not... can someone who owns this camera help me out please? I am wondering if the quality is so good that it will allow you to capture still shots "directly" from the video while editing (without taking the still snapshots).

You are probably wondering why I want to do this when I can just take the still shots and save it to the card. The reason is that I love taking pictures TOO much, especially of the grandbabies... family members get very irritated when I snap too many pictures :( They don't seem to mind, though, if the camcorder is running in the background, so I usually just let the camcorder run, edit the video later, and capture all the still shots I want this way. However, the quality is very bad... like 1 or 2 megapixels! I'm using a 13 year old sharp camcorder that uses 8mm tapes, which I edit on my computer with Pinnacle 9.3 software on my laptop. This software allows me to capture snapshots from any frame in the video, and save it as a still shot.

Will the quality of the Sony HDR-SR7 be significantly better if I capture snapshots using this method? The ad says that it is able to "simultaneously capture video and 4.6-megapixel still images while recording" but, what is the quality like if I want to save still shots from the video... is it as good?

Has anyone ever tried this? Are the pictures decent quality? I don't expect them to be great, but I would be VERY happy with 3 megapixel quality.

If anyone has tried this, would you send me a link to the picture please?
I would love to see how the quality compares before buying the camera.
It would be especially great to see still shots taking using all three ways.

1. still shot taken directly from video while editing.
2. still shot taken with camera while recording a video (4.6 megapixel).
3. still shot taken with camera in camera mode (6.1 megapixel).

Thanks!

Patrish

NV5655

01-05-08, 01:45 PM

Not while editing, but this is one taken while the camera was recording video. This is a SR200 model which is only a year old, so I assume the SR7 will be higher quality being next gen....

http://www.shreddersdojo.com/webposts/Softball1.jpg
http://www.shreddersdojo.com/webposts/Softball2.jpg

addon -
This is one taken during a video edit. It's a tad tougher to get a good still shot if it's between frames, so it might be safer just to take pictures while recording video.
http://www.shreddersdojo.com/webposts/edit.jpg

All taken using the SR200 SD camera

BTW, does anyone know if the Sony SR7 is a SLR camera?

Patrish

01-06-08, 12:37 AM

Thanks NV5655! That helps a lot... the picture during the edit with the SR200 doesn't look so great... not much better than my camera now.

I heard the sr7 has an advanced sensor... maybe that will make the difference. If not, it's probably worth waiting a little longer.

I did ask a sales guy the other day whether the SR7 is a SLR... he said no. I was questioning him about lag time on this camera (I was under the impression that only the SLR's were good in terms of lag time) but he said no.

Thanks again for your help!

Patrish

LDBecker

01-06-08, 02:26 AM

Thanks,
so for my pc, would it be better to buy a whole new computer or just some extra stuff in there. Like ram and a processor.
Also, can't you lower the preview quality to make it less choppy in vegas?

I'd invest in a new pc, I guess...

I tried EVERY setting in the preview box, as well as the editing menus, and it makes no difference... it still jumps by 5-25 or so frames. When I edit SD material, it's fine...

Larry

blackhwk1214

01-06-08, 02:41 AM

I'd invest in a new pc, I guess...

I tried EVERY setting in the preview box, as well as the editing menus, and it makes no difference... it still jumps by 5-25 or so frames. When I edit SD material, it's fine...

Larry
Really? Cause I took some sample mt2s files and change the setting to lower quality for the preview and it worked perfect, like any video. It's when I put a lot higher is starts to jitter. So does that mean I should be able to edit fine?

LDBecker

01-06-08, 03:59 AM

Really? Cause I took some sample mt2s files and change the setting to lower quality for the preview and it worked perfect, like any video. It's when I put a lot higher is starts to jitter. So does that mean I should be able to edit fine?

Well, You've got me there... All I know is that in either one of my pcs, I get jitter in Sony Vegas Pro 8a and in Pinnacle Studio Ultimate 11. Which program are you using?

Larry

blackhwk1214

01-06-08, 11:43 AM

Well, You've got me there... All I know is that in either one of my pcs, I get jitter in Sony Vegas Pro 8a and in Pinnacle Studio Ultimate 11. Which program are you using?

Larry
Sony Vegas 7.0e\
But, Actually i just noticed frames skip by a few like 5-7 frames.
Sorry for confusing you.

zigouris

01-08-08, 01:01 AM

is there anybody editing m2ts files in Vegas???
and using FX and previewing more than 15 fps???
and what PC is this????

LDBecker

01-08-08, 01:06 AM

Sony Vegas 7.0e\
But, Actually i just noticed frames skip by a few like 5-7 frames.
Sorry for confusing you.

blackhwk1214,

Not to worry... I'm easily confused! The 5-7 frame skipping is pretty much what I get but it is constant and makes the video look and sound really jumpy. How do you actually do any editing like this? Do you do much editing with Vegas 7e?

Larry

blackhwk1214

01-08-08, 04:43 PM

blackhwk1214,

Not to worry... I'm easily confused! The 5-7 frame skipping is pretty much what I get but it is constant and makes the video look and sound really jumpy. How do you actually do any editing like this? Do you do much editing with Vegas 7e?

Larry
I haven't really edited anything in avchd (since i don't have a avchd camcorder) only playback of avchd samples in vegas. I only edit sd video and works perfectly. I do plan to switch to a hd camcorder.

NV5655

01-08-08, 09:42 PM

http://www.ces-show.com/0157/sony/hdcamcorder/sr12/

The article did not mention a docking station. Has Sony finally included a USB connection on their camcorders? Just curious if anyone at CES managed to see one..

smack

01-08-08, 09:55 PM

The product spec sheet on sony style lists usb(2.0 compliant) for the SR12. I didn't check the other cams.

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&productId=8198552921665291496&langId=-1

Here is the first look from camcorderinfo.comhttp://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/Sony-HDR-SR12-First-Impressions-Camcorder-Review-34178.htm

blackhwk1214

01-08-08, 09:58 PM

According to these pictures, it is on the camcorder and the dock.
Naughty Sony wants you to buy the more expensive camera now.

Here is the Link:http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/Sony-HDR-SR12-News-Photo-Gallery&pic=0.htm

NV5655

01-08-08, 10:09 PM

Actually, it seems the SR11 which also has the usb port, is the same price as the sr7 is now :).

Which hopefully means it will be had for the same $1099 sale price too :)

-edit didn't look at the SR11 pics, but they claim it has the same specs as the SR12

TonyW79SFV

01-08-08, 10:44 PM

SR11 and SR12 share the same specs, only difference is in the hard drive capacity, 60GB and 120GB respectively. The SR10 has a 40GB hard drive. This year, there are two CMOS imagers: the 1/3.15" 5.6MP CMOS and 1/5" 2.3MP CMOS. In HD video recording, the actual pixels used are 3.8MP and 1.4MP respectively; only the former resolves the full 1920x1080 recording of the newly redefined AVCHD format. It's like the difference between the SR5 and SR7/SR8 (or HC5 vs HC7 or UX5 vs UX7). Also note that the latter CMOS is smaller at 1/5", most Sony CMOS's up to this time were 1/3". Only one HDV followup is the HC9, which has it's own CMOS sensor at 1/3" with 3.2 MP CMOS using 2.2MP for HDV recording (which is still confined to 1440x1080i resolution). For me, I find the happy medium of the SR11 to be the best choice as it uses the higher resolution chip (you need at least 2MP for full 1920x1080 recording) and adequate hard drive space. The new cams also records to Memory Stick DUO. The followup AVCHD DVD cams sadly will not have one that followed the UX7, both UX10 and UX20 uses the latter's 1/5" 2.3MP CMOS (which uses 1.4MP for recording).

TonyW79SFV

01-08-08, 10:47 PM

Sony HDR-SR11 & HDR-SR12 Operation Manual (http://www.docs.sony.com/release/HDRSR11_EN_ES.pdf)

eerdemir

01-09-08, 01:10 AM

Hi.

I'm planning to buy an sr7. I am chosing it over hv20 only because it is hard drive based. I am prefering a hard drive over miniDV cassettes based on the following information:

Transfer from cassette to computer is much slower than transfer from hard disc to computer.

Could anyone please verify that? Numbers would be appreciated. e.g. how long will it take to transfer 30 min video at full resolution with sr7 / hv20?

For sometime I will be viewing the videos only on the LCD display (1280x800) of my laptop (amd athlon64 3400+ 1 GB RAM). Is there any problem with this configuration?

Thanks.

xradman

01-09-08, 01:26 AM

Patrish

01-10-08, 01:51 AM

I am considering buying a Sony HDR-SR7 but don't know whether it will do what I want or not... can someone who owns this camera help me out please? I am wondering if the quality is so good that it will allow you to capture still shots "directly" from the video while editing (without taking the still snapshots).

You are probably wondering why I want to do this when I can just take the still shots and save it to the card. The reason is that I love taking pictures TOO much, especially of the grandbabies... family members get very irritated when I snap too many pictures :( They don't seem to mind, though, if the camcorder is running in the background, so I usually just let the camcorder run, edit the video later, and capture all the still shots I want this way. However, the quality is very bad... like 1 or 2 megapixels! I'm using a 13 year old sharp camcorder that uses 8mm tapes, which I edit on my computer with Pinnacle 9.3 software on my laptop. This software allows me to capture snapshots from any frame in the video, and save it as a still shot.

Will the quality of the Sony HDR-SR7 be significantly better if I capture snapshots using this method? The ad says that it is able to "simultaneously capture video and 4.6-megapixel still images while recording" but, what is the quality like if I want to save still shots from the video... is it as good?

Has anyone ever tried this? Are the pictures decent quality? I don't expect them to be great, but I would be VERY happy with 3 megapixel quality.

If anyone has tried this, would you send me a link to the picture please?
I would love to see how the quality compares before buying the camera.
It would be especially great to see still shots taking using all three ways.

1. still shot taken directly from video while editing.
2. still shot taken with camera while recording a video (4.6 megapixel).
3. still shot taken with camera in camera mode (6.1 megapixel).

Thanks!

Patrish

After checking out the new SR12 CES report, it looks like I WILL be able to use software to get decent quality photos from the video :-)

This is what it says: " pull 2.1 Megapixel photos from video footage while in playback mode, and 3 Megapixel photos from footage using the bundled Picture Motion Browser software on a compatible PC."

Has anyone ever used the Picture Motion Browser software? Is this similar to Pinnacle software?

Thanks!

Patrish

xradman

01-11-08, 07:49 PM

blackhwk1214

01-18-08, 03:53 PM

Does anyone know if I can still upgrade my Gateway GT4016 to work with avchd editing...if I can, what parts should i get and about how much would it cost?
By the way, this is an AMD computer.
Thanks!

haz

01-19-08, 03:29 PM

Greetings. I am pondering the sr7 or sr12 purchase and understand that my ONLY options for editing are imovie8. Is this true? I have been a long time user of DV tape and would be relieved to be done w/them. Can any mac users offer some testimonials about these cameras? If there are threads that have already covered this, please refer.

Thanks in advance.

R

Hoppy

01-19-08, 10:15 PM

Anyone want to take a whack at this? I'm looking at these three cameras, trying to keep cost down is a VERY important part of the equation. The HG10 is sibling to last year's camcorder of year HV20, so I guess in general I'm considering that, too, though I hate the linear "tape" thing, and would probably choose the HG10 over the HV20 even though the 20 is said to be a little better in IQ.

But why is everyone buying the SR7 at $200 more than the SR5? For the extra HD space? For the viewfinder? Can't figure that.

Anyway, appreciate any help.

zigouris

01-20-08, 02:24 AM

sr5 2100 pixels sr7 3200 pixels

Hoppy

01-20-08, 03:07 AM

What is the pixel count of true HD? Isn't it something just over 2 million pixels? ANd that's 1080p, 1080i being significntly less? So are the extra pixels in the SR7 a big deal for the video?

zigouris

01-21-08, 03:14 AM

more pixels-more detail ?????:-)
the only way to be sure is to compare the pictures!!!!

JlMMY

01-28-08, 12:26 AM

Hi, Blackhwk1214,
You MAY be able to play AVCHD files with the Sony Picture Motion Browser software, but so far as I can tell, you won't be able to edit it effectively on your pc. Too little RAM, too slow a processor, too old a video card... I'd recommend a Quad duo processor and as much ram as you can stuff in it (4gb plus!). My 3.2 ghz Pentium 4 and Core 2 duo at 2 ghz can BARELY edit AVCHD files and even at that the preview is too choppy to be of use.

Sorry...

Larry

I am considering a new Sony camcorder so this thread has been very helpful. I also notice a lot of posts regarding how fast a computer needs to be to use editing software. Generally, I have seen good advise in this thread.

While using any video editing software program requires the best processor and most ram, it is also important to consider hard drive throughput. Regarding hard drives, SATA is better than IDE and 7200 rpm is a minimum requirement to avoid video dropout.

As of the date of this writing only a small handful of notebook PC's ship, from the factory, with 7200rpm drives so if you are trying to use a notebook PC for editing you will, most likely, have to change your hard drive to something like the Hitachi Travelstar 7K200. If you are using a desktop, a raid hard drive setup is best but not required. What is required is 7200rpm spindle speed and 8mb write cache as a minimum. A good website to research for hard drive specs is www.storagereview.com.

Some hard drives are also marketed as A/V drives because they use 16mb buffers. Having good CPU and RAM specs are only half the story.

I am replacing a Sony TRV10 miniDV (740 x 480) camcorder and haven't found much on the new HDR-SR11 / 12 series. I think that is the one I want. Canon's HV20 for $650 is tempting though. And I digress. :)

Massiso

01-28-08, 04:42 PM

Kess

01-28-08, 11:13 PM

Hi never posted here but I had the SR7 since the second week it came, but noe my HD is full now and when downloading all my HD files to my PC I noticed that alot of the pictures are missing, the files are there but I can't transfer them to my PC. As if the files are corrupted any info would be greafully recived.

The program allows you to dump video and pictures only once. If they've been dumped to your computer already, and I'll assume you've been dumping things as you've gone along, you can't dump them a second time just by plugging your camera in. Or at least that's how it works with a quick burn to disc. The program will only burn new video or pictures. To get around this, create another log-in account on your computer, and your computer will think everything from your camera is new again. And everything will transfer over. I think! :p That's how I've had to burn back-up copies of my HD videos, quick disc burn fashion, anyway.

Massiso

01-29-08, 02:09 PM

Wow hmm.. why did they do it this way??? okay, man thats a hassle :(

Otagolad

01-29-08, 10:19 PM

I can't seem to be able to play any of my videos that are on the SR8 hard drive on my Panasonic Plasma - I have tried both HDMI and component and no image is showing up on the screen. I am missing something completely?

Any help would be most appreciated.

sievers

01-30-08, 10:10 AM

do you see the video playing on the camera's lcd? did you double check the tv has the right input selected?

Kess

01-30-08, 10:10 AM

Wow hmm.. why did they do it this way??? okay, man thats a hassle :(

Well, I think the idea is quick convenience and reducing duplicate/triplicate files from stacking up on your computer. If every time you plugged your camera in it kept downloading the same files over and over, before you knew it, you'd have 20 copies of the same pictures and videos, and your hard drive would be jammed full. Doing it this way, the software will only copy new files onto your hard drive. Makes sense, I think.

I don't know if you're using the SR7's included DVD burning software, but the one thing NO ONE has been able to answer for me is why does the program put 1/2 second pauses between files when you do anything but a quick DVD burn straight from the camera!! What possible reason could Sony have had to do it this way!!!!!!! Basically, if you do anything with the program...and by program, I mean "program"...all it lets you do is pick which files you'd like to put on disc, delete certain scenes, create a DVD menu...and if you do any of that, your video will pause 1/2 second between EVERY scene.

MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE. If someone could answer me this one, I'd really love to hear it. :cool:

matnick2127

02-03-08, 10:56 AM

Hi,

This might sound like a stupid question, but how does this lens install onto the SDR7? Just it just screw into the front of the lens? Thinking of buying it!

Matnick

LDBecker

02-03-08, 12:29 PM

Hi,

This might sound like a stupid question, but how does this lens install onto the SDR7? Just it just screw into the front of the lens? Thinking of buying it!

Matnick

Drywall screws...

No, wait, duct tape...

OK, it's threaded. Really works well, GREAT for small family gatherings. REALLY clear, sharp image.

Larry Becker

matnick2127

02-03-08, 01:42 PM

I thought so but wasn't sure. I am glad you were just joking about the drywall screws because I just ran out and hate to go out and buy more.

~Ohdee~

02-04-08, 03:41 PM

I just picked up an SR7 on the weekend. I’m literally just getting my feet wet. I wanted to confirm it’s ok to leave the Camera on the docking station 24-7. My wife and I just had our first child. I really like the idea of always having the camcorder handy and ready to shoot. Will always having the camcorder fully charged (docking bay plugged in) hurt it at all? Should I leave the SR7 off the docking bay except for when the battery is low or dead?

TheDaywalker

02-06-08, 02:58 PM

ok i might buy one this week.
where did you get the VCL-HG0737C wide angle lens tho?

Thanks.

TheDaywalker

02-07-08, 11:46 PM

ordered it..and waiting....

outlander

02-12-08, 09:21 AM

I am a web developer and designer. I have a Sony SR7 that I will use for creating video clips on the web and for creating DVD presentations for clients. I have a few hours of footage on my hard drive, ready for editing but they are useless to me in their native format. I have experienced the poor quality of my first experimental conversion attempts of my Sony SR7 clips to .avi or .wmv formats. I want to invest in new equipment and software and a new computer to produce the best quality video clip presentations possible to present on the web and to use to produce DVD presentations that will play on regular home computer DVD drives using a larger presentation format like 1024 x 768 pixels. I have gone over many of the threads of this forum so I have a fair idea of what is being said however I don't know what the latest and best ideas are. I already know how to convert regular video clips in regular formats to .swf Flash streaming video for the web and I am experienced at presenting large clips that stream nicely on the web. I am not too concerned about creating large files for the web. My one hope is that I can produce web video clips that are crisp and clear in 600 x 400 pixel and 400 x 300 pixel presentation sizes.

I would like the latest recommendations for:

1. The best conversion software to use to convert my Sony clips to a format that I can edit on my desktop to give me the best quality conversion possible, one that equals the original quality of the hard drive version of the clip if such a thing exists.
2. Video editing software that is user friendly and not too hard to master. I like using sophisticated software if the basic functions can be mastered quickly. The rest can be learned later and then become an asset.
3. Basic computer specs for a powerful desktop so I can use to do a lot of editing efficiently without bogging down the CPU or the hard drive.
4. What kind of video card should I get?
5. Did I forget anything?

As this is a full time project for me, I would be glad to share my successes and failures here, from time to time, if this kind of information is of interest to the forum.

Thanks
An Outlander From Ontario's North

TheDaywalker

02-12-08, 10:20 PM

got here yesterday, with the 100 battery and the light.
Small, really cool looking 60 gig..

NV5655

02-12-08, 10:38 PM

Is that the 10 hour battery, you mean? I'd be interested in seeing how long it really lasts. I will be investing in one for my SR11

zigouris

02-12-08, 11:13 PM

I would like the latest recommendations for:

1. The best conversion software to use to convert my Sony clips to a format that I can edit on my desktop to give me the best quality conversion possible, one that equals the original quality of the hard drive version of the clip if such a thing exists.
2. Video editing software that is user friendly and not too hard to master. I like using sophisticated software if the basic functions can be mastered quickly. The rest can be learned later and then become an asset.
3. Basic computer specs for a powerful desktop so I can use to do a lot of editing efficiently without bogging down the CPU or the hard drive.
4. What kind of video card should I get?
5. Did I forget anything?

sony vegas is the best choice ,editing and converting to other formats
is really easy!!!
you don't need a video card to transfer files from the camcorder to the
PC,just use the USB
wait a few days for the PC specs,i'm testing new PCs that my friends
just bought!!!!!!!

TheDaywalker

02-13-08, 11:09 AM

Ok so i got the camera, ACVQH10 AC Adaptor, NPFH100 battery, HVL-HL1 Video Light, and the camera, of course.

So what type of carry cases are you guys using as i need to get one myself.

P_W

02-16-08, 10:12 AM

I just got an SR7 a few weeks ago and I have been pleased with it. I have been using the Sony Movie Studio Platinum software, since I'm a student I got it for around 80 bucks or so but it lists for 115 I think. I have had good success coverting the files into wmv, it comes out pretty well, so long as you export it with 30 fps.

As for computers, I had a 3200+ athlon and 512mb of ram, then upgraded to a athlon 4800+ (85 bucks) and 2gb of ram (100 bucks), and it made a world of difference. The video playback now is smooth, but now I am bottlenecked by my monitors refresh rate. I don't own an HD TV yet but I plugged the camera into one and the playback was much better than on the computer. I will be getting a new videocard and monitor and I'll see if that makes any difference.

Just my 2 cents on the video quality, it does GREAT outdoors in the sunlight, it looked like watching and HD channel on the TV. Indoors it does get a little grainy, unless you are right under a light or the room is very well lit. So far I have been very pleased with this little camera and I definitely think it is worth the money.

briz

02-19-08, 09:16 AM

I am having a rough go at finding specs for a laptop to run vegas/AVCHD rendering.

If anyone is editing and rendering in 1080i with ease please post specs. I am leaning quadcore/desktop.

sievers

02-19-08, 10:56 AM

I went from having issues (choppy playback) on a 2.8 GHz P4 to no issues with the Q6600 2.4GHz Quad core. Reviews of dual cores have been mixed. I'd say don't mess around, get the quad. It's not that much more $ than a dual core anyway.

edit: I guess I should mention I have it overclocked to 3.0 GHz. Using a gigabyte ds3r with 2 gigs ram on xp (will get more ram if I ever decide to go to vista) and a 8600GT (ddr3) video card. The Q6600 overclocks very easily, I got it to 3.0 with almost no effort, just had to bump vcore one notch, stock cooling. Very stable running prime95.

briz

02-19-08, 11:14 AM

Nice setup sievers...

I would rather have a laptop if I had a choice.

I would like to hear some real world user experiences with a high end 2+ GHz mobile core 2 duo.

I should mention specifically the new Penryn lapys which Im sure few people have, so basically I should me the guy to get one and report....

bernhtp

02-21-08, 07:53 PM

Like most people, I have a bunch of PCs, but I use my media/gaming PC for video editing. It is a quadcore Q6700, overclocked to 3ghz, 4GB RAM, dual SLI GTS 8800 video, Vista 64, and connected to my Samsung 1080p 63" plasma. My dual core laptops work for video editing, but life is too short. The gaming system really is way, way faster.

NV5655

02-21-08, 08:05 PM

Well, I just upgraded to 4GB's of Ram. First time ever in 15 years of computing. I hope it'll be enough to handle the SR11 as the only thing I can upgrade now is the core 2 duo

mtkrem

02-27-08, 11:00 PM

Is there anything out there yet to edit AVCHD? I want to leave the clips in native avchd (.m2ts) and write an avchd disc with menus???:confused:

mindcm

03-01-08, 02:29 AM

Hi everyone, I'm new here, I found this forum and thought I'd make an account to post about the SR12. I just received my SR12 today (I live in Canada) and already I'm tempted to return it but am not sure yet. It's almost like it's two different cameras, in bright light the quality is absolutely amazing, on my 52" Viera it's really incredible, but in lower light situations I find it to ridiculously grainy. I don't know if I'm just being picky or what, but for the price I paid I expected much better. I had been researching cameras for a long time and I knew I wanted an HDD camcorder, the SR7 seemed like a good choice but the low light issues kept me from buying right away, then the SR12 was announced and I assumed the new CMOS with BIONZ and Exmor would surely rid the problems in low light of the SR7. But in a review I read, they said the fact that they are putting more pixels onto a smaller chip would probably end up being just as noisy. Being the impatient person I am, as soon as I found out it was available in Canada through my local Sony store, I ordered it and now I'm not sure what to do. At least I have a few weeks to play with it and I'll return it if the low light issue keeps bothering me.

I should say however, that I tried adjusting the exposure and other settings (and I am on the highest HD setting) as some others have said in this forum and it does reduce noise, but I personally don't think that this is a reasonable thing to have to do on a camera like this. I guess I just assumed that Sony might've taken the bad reviews of low light on the SR7 and tried to fix them for the SR11/12 but it seems they just threw some fancy words at it (BIONZ/Exmor). I haven't used an SR7 so I can't say definitively that the SR12 is as bad in low light, but for me personally it's pretty bad.

The 10.2MP still-shot though is excellent! That was the other deciding factor in purchasing this camera, I wanted a good still camera, and the SR12 definately delivers in this area.

There is, by the way, a USB port on the actual camera, and a dock is also included. The mini-HDMI is still there and that's troublesome, the Sony Store didn't even carry them.

Anyways, thought I'd just let some of you know what I think of the SR12 so far but I still have a lot of experimenting to do. I suppose it's my fault for being impatient, I really should've waited for some of the big reviewers to get their hands on this cam before I sprung for it but at least I can still return it if I want!

Ken Ross

03-01-08, 08:57 AM

TheDaywalker

03-01-08, 10:50 AM

grr...damn..i was going to get that camera but i didnt think id be able to order it..as i too was impatient and "settled" on the "7".

Ah well..ive just got the widescreen lens.

NV5655

03-01-08, 01:36 PM

So happy to hear the USB port is for data transfer and confirmed. Who uses a docking station these days anyway? Sort of like Docking stations for laptops, ugh..

Well, the Best Buy on Route 17 in Paramus didn't have the cam on display. We might try Circuit City tonight..

Oh, and my SR200 is terrible in low light too. Too bad night vision can't do color, because that fixes the problem of grain :).

mindcm

03-01-08, 02:53 PM

Mindcm, virtually all HD cams are terrible in poor light. Everyone's definition of 'low light' is a bit different, but I've yet to find an HD cam that looks good in low light. The nature of HD is that it needs plenty of light. This is even true of professional, megabuck HD cams. You can watch some shows recorded with these cams and see many of them producing tons of grain in low light.

Yes, some are worse than others, but in general once you've seen how good they look in good light, it's natural to be disappointed with how they look in low light. Some companies take different approaches to this issue. Some will dramatically soften the picture to hide some of the noise (Sony has done this in the past with some of their HD cams). Others will retain the sharpness and let you live with the grain. Still others will allow you to switch to a 24p mode or automatically engage a 'slow shutter speed' which takes in more light.

The bottom line? They all suck in low light to varying degree. The answer you don't want to hear is that you MUST light your subject in low light to get really good video...there's no way around it.

Hi Kenross, I completely understand what you're saying and I agree. Like I said I am probably just being too picky and also, I don't have other HD cams to compare this one too. I'm not trying to steer anyone away from considering this camera as it does offer a great many things (amazing steadyshot and still-shot, clear vivid video with amazing color in good light, USB on cam, good sound, etc.) Everything I've read seems too corroborate what you say about no HD cam being great in low light but just going by my own opinion on what would be reasonable, this camera is grainy in even what I'd consider moderate light, I mean, in a small room with 4 compact fluorescent lights on, it is still too grainy for my taste. I know that's not that much light but the ratio of grain to light I think is pretty high. (Is there a proper term for that haha).

I personally think the AVCHD compression is contributing, something else I've begun to notice is in a room which is unevenly lit, meaning the five halogen lights on track on one side of our living room, and the other side with less light, when panning the camera across this room the motion is very smooth, with no artifacts or trailing, and very clear. But as you move towards an area of less light the video not only becomes grainy very rapidly but also becomes extremely choppy and then often loses focus and will not even try to adjust itself, like it thinks it is in focus already, it won't catch on until you move the camera back and forth. When it does try to focus it happens extremely slowly. Like you said everyone's definition of low light is different, I know that by actual definition, anything less than full sunlight is considered low light, but the amount of grain in a given light situation for me seems unreasonable. I really believe the extra pixels on a smaller chip must be the main culprit, I just wish I had an SR7 to compare this camera too, I just want to know if this camera really does have worse low light performance than the SR7 as has been suggested in the "first impressions" of one of the major reviewers (not sure If I'm allowed to post the name).

These are just my own opinions so far, and my knowledge and experience with HD is very limited so I appreciate your experience. I just think this cam may not be right for me and am considering perhaps an HDV cam such as the HV30 because as I understand, the video quality is much better, even in low light. But of course I will lose the convenience of HDD and also the amazing 10.2 MP still-shot. Which were the two main things I wanted in a camera, so I'm kind of at a loss of what to do. I've seen low light video from the Canon XH A1 and it's amazing, but that's sllightly out of my range hahaha. Thank you, and any help or recommendations would be great! Perhaps the HC9? Just not sure if I'm ready to abandon the idea of HDD :(

Sorry I've gone on so long haha, I don't usually post in forums, I guess that's why, I tend to go on and on.

zigouris

03-02-08, 03:30 PM

AUTO SLOW SHUTTER set to OFF-no noise ,no grain at all!!!

mindcm

03-02-08, 05:07 PM

AUTO SLOW SHUTTER set to OFF-no noise ,no grain at all!!!

Wow, that certainly makes a big difference. My inexperience is quite apparant haha, it reduced the grain a fair amount but completely got rid of the choppiness which was very annoying, I should have known, shutter speed makes sense. I wonder why "ON" would be the default setting, it clearly looks much worse.

Do you have the SR11/12? Or is this a setting from the SR7/8 cam as well?

zigouris

03-03-08, 11:57 AM

i have the SR8!!!!

jasoraso

03-03-08, 12:16 PM

mindcm

03-04-08, 01:36 AM

Are the still pictures really that good? Can you upload some still pics from the camera. The still capabilities of this camera may be the deciding factor for me between this camera and the Panasonic SD9 and Canon HF100.

Thanks!

Hi, there. Unfortunately I returned the camera yesterday, I couldn't bring myself to jump all the hurdles that the AVCHD codec poses. Too much of a headache to edit. That's not to say it's impossible, just too much for me to want to deal with, I have enough to deal with with my music studio already haha. After trying a few short editing experiments, I realized that editing hours of footage from a trip would be just way to much for me.

But about the stills, like I said they are very nice. That's in my own opinion, I used to shoot a lot of film way back and was quite heavily into photography but now I'm not so in to it, and I'm quite happy with just a decent point and shoot digital camera. I don't make prints of my pictures either, and that's where quality issues will really become apparent. But I do think the SR12's pictures are very clear, have great color, and the fact that they are coming from a video camera is pretty amazing. The one thing that did bother me is the off centre flash can make objects cast some pretty noticeable shadows to one side. I've heard people talking about the SR7 flash being too bright but in the menu of the SR12 you can adjust the flash to 3 different brightness settings, so I'm not sure if the SR7 had that, but the SR12 does. I don't have any pictures on my computer from the camera so I can't send any sorry. Like I said I'm no pro, but in my opinion I think the stills are great and I'd imagine they would make wonderful prints.

Hope this helped a little, I don't have the cam anymore but if there are any more questions I'll do my best to answer them from my few days of experience using it LOL.

tgenius

03-04-08, 07:14 AM

mindcm..what kind of computer were you trying to edit with? That also factors into the time it would take to edit.

I am building a Quad Core PC with 4GB RAM to do my editing just for that reason :)

mindcm

03-05-08, 07:10 PM

mindcm..what kind of computer were you trying to edit with? That also factors into the time it would take to edit.

I am building a Quad Core PC with 4GB RAM to do my editing just for that reason :)

There is tons of info out there on editing AVCHD so I wouldn't be the best to ask about it, but I do build computers and have a pretty powerful music production computer, although I only like to use it for my music projects so I attempted editing on my Macbook Pro which is a pretty quick computer but mebbe not the best for AVCHD. I would've recommended a quad core for sure and as much RAM and HD space as possible, I might even consider a RAID setup. I have very limited experience with AVCHD but as far as my knowledge of computers serves me I'd say the system your lookin at putting together would do the trick, and considering it a desktop then you can always upgrade, just be sure to build your computer with upgrading in mind just in case (extra ports for a second video card and things like that). Perhaps even get a dual CPU motherboard and you could always upgrade to a second processor hehehe.

My macbook did handle the editing, but very slow to render out and I resorted to using Vegas Pro 8 which isn't a program I prefer. Not sure if Premiere supports AVCHD yet but that's the program I like. From everything I've read, and everyone I've talked to (and surprisingly even the guys at the Sony store) all say that if you're serious about editing, go HDV. But if you get yourself a pimped powerhouse computer I'm sure the SR12 will serve you well.

Also don't forget you can always network render files too, share the load between a few computers over a network, which is always an option.

Also just in case anyone is wondering, I ran Vegas Pro 8 because I only run Windows XP on my Mac via Bootcamp, and contrary to popular belief, it does run natively and extremely fast and actually performs better than a PC with the same specs.

matnick2127

03-24-08, 04:23 PM

What is a good battery replacement with longer battery power. I've read on this thread about the NPFH100, however it doesn't look like it is compatible with the HDR-SR7's.

Matnick

TheDaywalker

03-31-08, 08:13 PM

has anyone connected it to the ps3?
If so..how did u do it?(having issues)

blackhwk1214

03-31-08, 11:16 PM

When you plug it in, press triangle and press view all, then go to the correct folder.
Hoped that Helped!

TheDaywalker

04-01-08, 12:31 AM

what cable did u use?
the usb?

blackhwk1214

04-01-08, 04:19 PM

Yeah I used the USB and it will show up on the screen.

Quatre

05-27-08, 02:30 AM

I got an SR7 about 9 months ago for the birth of our first child. Its been decent enough to capture the moments but I basically just take video and then now and then connect the cam via usb to my ps3 and copy the clips over to my ps3 hdd (took out the 2.5" 60gb hdd in my ps3 and put a 320gb one in) and we watch the videos on the tv from the ps3. Works great looks nice.

I have yet to bother making any sd dvds or avchd dvds or doing any editing but I can't get software to do that. For her first bday party at the end of the summer we are thinking of doing a pic and video montage set to music of some of the best pics and video clips but I may just want to have a professional put it together (possibly same guy who did our wedding video).

I got a nice sony carrying case for it which has worked well enough, the mini hdmi cable which I end up not using since I connect it to the ps3 via usb and when we take to our parents houses we end up using component or even rca cus they dont have hdmi easily accesible. I did get a larger second battery (not the largest so it wouldn't be too bulky) and not sure if the wall plug charger came with cam , the battery or i got it separately but that works well enough to have a spare and then charge the one that was low. I got the lower end light attachment which i've used like once and works well enough for a smaller cheaper light. I think thats it for extras/accessories which is good as you can get carried away and haven't really needed anything else.

As everyone knows the low light pq is not the best and shame about that for ppl getting these hd cams for new babies is that I guess it sounds like all hd cams (though i guess the avchd hdd ones are worse) are all bad in low light? And obviously when you are filming a baby you are indoors usually and in dimmer lighting so as not to blind the kid.

But outdoor pq is great and when I first got it was recording stutff outside in nature from horses to closeups of berries to trees like it was discovery hd theatre and the hd pq was amazing but it got boring after awhile, heh.

Anyway when i saw the sr11/sr12 come out and that he sr7 is basically discontinued I was concerned the new ones were way better and one review (which I know closed the browser window for so forget it) really made it seem like the sr11/sr12 are way better and improved over the sr7/sr8 so i was thinkinga bout seeling my sr7 for a sr12 for the improvements of the next gen and the larger hdd but now seeing that the sr12 has the same low light issues its probably not worth it and we have yet to fill up the 60gb hdd so no real need to get the 120gb cus at some point you probably should back up your content to one or 2 other places and start to delete off the cam where as with the 120gb you may just end up keeping it all on there and never for a long long time need to transfer any video off which could almost be a bad thing.

I was aware of the acclaimed Canon HV20 but did not want to deal with mini dv tapes even if it was better then the sr7. Now Canon has an avchd hdd camcorder that is supposedly just as good or better then its HV20 min dv tape camcorder but is avchd hdd and is supposedly kind of impressive being that avchd is a diff video format then hdv or whatever the hv20 min dv tape based cam uses. But alas the Canon HG10 is only 40gb so I can't do it. As much as I dont think I need 120gb, I need at least 60gb and something in between 60 and 120gb would be ideal though bigger is always usually better for me with hdd so maybe I would end up loving 120gb (even though i just previously said it would be too big, i guess i'm prob just making excuses not to pay more for double the hdd)

Anyway when Canon makes an HG20 (as i'm sure they will) with a larger hdd (60gb or larger) then i might think about selling the Sr7 to get one but till then the SR7 has been great for our needs.

For babies first summer I just want to get the waterproof case Sony SPK-HCD (previous version whose model# i forget now was discontinued) for some underwater shots but also mostly just to protect from water at teh pool and sand at the beach.

Does anyone use the Sony SPK-HCD waterproof case for their SR7/SR8 and what do you think?

any other suggestions on how to enhance use of the SR7? And what do you think of the Canon HG10 and if there will be a model with larger hdd then that current 40gb (HG20 with 80gb maybe?) and if so would that be worth selling the SR7 to get?

Clearly Robert

07-05-08, 03:43 PM

I just got the SR7 and still learning how to use it for more than vanilla.

One thing I can see that this does is live video as in using it as a webcam equivalent. My old Sony TRV20 had firewire that could be recognized for live video feed...while I understand that High Def might not be available for this due to the data load, is there any way to use the SR7 in SD for live video without using a digital frame grab card?

Robert

jkbarley

07-10-08, 07:03 PM

Hey everyone, I am having a hard time downloading the HD video onto my macbook pro intel through Imovie 08. Im trying to delete all the SD video that I have on the camera and have done it a few times on the camera but when I hook the camera up to my computer and open Imovie is is still showing a 4 sec clip of SD video that I shot a long time ago that has never shown up on the camera in Imovie import before. Any ideas on how I can get this off with out losing the HD video I have on my camera now. Is there a way to get it off the hard drive through my computer. Help please!

TheDaywalker

07-10-08, 08:30 PM

B1g Mike

09-14-08, 06:02 PM

Great forum, thank you all for your information...

I am having a problem with my SR7. I had a computer crash, so I copied (and then deleted) the files from the SR7 hard drive to another computer to make space on the camera. Then I finally rebuilt my computer and then reinstalled the Picture Motion Browser software (with update). When I try importing all the new videos from the camera to PMB, it only shows place holders for all the videos, including what I have copied off the camera before, and will not process the import. Am I forever stuck in having to physically move the video files from the camera to the computer? When copied directly they are in the format .MTS. When imported using PMB they are in the format .M2TS.

Any suggestions? These formats are so difficult to work with.

B1g Mike

matti2476

01-26-09, 10:43 PM

Does anyone know of a way to backup the SR7 to an external HDD without the use of a PC?

I have been looking at USB OTG (On The Go) but it appears as though the SR7 does not support this? Does anyone have experience with this. I am also concerned that I would have the issues others have described regarding the .MTS and MT2S conversion that appears to be done when transferring to the PC.

Reason for this is I am about to go on a long holiday and dont want to have to lug my computer around with me to save the footage. Also the Sony VDR-MC5 does not support blue-ray media so would have to lug a heap of DVD's around with me as well.

Roberto230

01-27-09, 01:56 PM

[QUOTE=B1g Mike;14662517]Great forum, thank you all for your information...

I am having a problem with my SR7. I had a computer crash

B1gMike,
To get your video files back in PMB, you need to import them from there current location. Even if they are in the same folder. To get rid of the empty files in PMB you can go to tools/update database and that will do the trick. If you replaced your files in the same folder then just doing the update database may work. I hope that helps. Enjoy Roberto

TheDaywalker

01-27-09, 02:46 PM

is there any other media out there that can show thumbnails other than sony picture motion browser?
also, how can you get backed up files imported to sony motion picture browser. from an external hard drive using either motion picture browser or even the player for AVHCD?

Im working without my camera..but with backups of everything and the hardware.

I do have sony vegas pro..but would like to ease the search of my video (about 18gb of avhcd media to sift through).

Any help would be great from anyone.

It seems both software (excluding sony vegas pro) requires the hard camcorder hard drive..using the software.

kevmac48327

02-13-09, 09:07 AM

I have a Sony HDR-SR7 and an HDR-SR5. I recently tried to record a very loud rock band in a smaller room I set the volume setting to low but the sound recorded was very distorted and I got a couple of error massages and the cameras stopped recording. I'm sure it was because it was to loud and vibrating the hard drives. I'm just wondering if there's anything I can do or buy to be able to record in this situation

Ecksharisis

03-23-09, 10:44 PM

TheDaywalker

05-18-09, 11:57 PM

Havent tried yet...ive got the ps3 using the media center but havent streamed movies and such yet.

Will let u know if/when i do!

TheDaywalker

06-11-09, 02:39 PM

;) Hola,

Have anyone try to do live video streaming using the Sony HDR SR7 / Sony camcorder SF7E. Do reply asap. Advance thanks

The device is can be detected but i could not do live streaming to sayatv.com. It shows blank screen. :confused:

Have you tried the ps3 media server software?
I do and it even streams my avhcd files.

In short, tho, it might be your software.

fromcanada

07-03-09, 10:56 AM

I have hdr sr 7 but my viewfinder lst no cost me problems this camcorder is so sensitive please move around carefully is not strong camcorder

TheDaywalker

07-07-09, 12:43 AM

I have hdr sr 7 but my viewfinder lst no cost me problems this camcorder is so sensitive please move around carefully is not strong camcorder

Huh?
Not sure i understand your statement.
You have an hdr sr7, but what are you saying about the viewfinder and it being so sensitive?

tiion1

07-08-09, 07:20 PM

B1g Mike

07-09-09, 04:07 AM

Hi, I purchased my SR7 in January last year and it has been great however I noticed that if I use it for a continous shot for longer than 10 mins it starts to get this jittering effect where the video shakes vertically. Audio is unaffected. It only seems to go away when I switched the camera off for a couple of mins. I tried to turn off the stabilisation and other things but I stll get it so now the only way to avoid is to manage my shots to shorter times and switch the camera off rather than have it on standby. I've googled for this fault to no avail so I'm hoping someone here has an answer.

Thanks!

I am having the exact same problem, it started about a month ago. I checked out Sony's repair costs and they have a flat repair fee for out of warranty units of $465 bucks!!! I think I am better off buying something cheaper from say... Canon and then just plan on replacing it every 3 years... :(

B1g Mike