AVCHD Codec Quality
by Bob Birkett
on
Nov 4, 2009 at 12:06:44 am
Hello,
I'm trying to compare some of the new options for recording HD from an HD-SDI output. With Panasonic's introduction of the AG-HMR10 compact recorder, I'm wondering about the quality of the AVCHD codec. Although it has been used mostly in smaller camcorders, how would the images compare to DVCPRO HD when connected to the HD-SDI output of a Panasonic HDX-900 or Varicam? How does it hold up compared to a Nanoflash or the AJA Ki Pro, which is less portable.
Thanks,
Bob
Re: AVCHD Codec Quality by Jeff Mack on Nov 4, 2009 at 2:34:10 pm
How do you think the KI Pro is less portable? HD DSI out? Set it on the table and add 300 feet of cable. How much more portable does it need to be? Add it to the exoskeleton and mount it under your camera. Pro Res HQ is the only way to go. Forget the prosumer codecs!
Re: AVCHD Codec Quality by Bob Birkett on Nov 4, 2009 at 6:08:29 pm
The Ki Pro does look like a great product and offers a superior recording quality. If you break away from the tripod, however, it's too big to mount on the camera (HDX900 in my case). I guess you could carry it in a Portabrace bag. Will it run off a battery?
Panasonic's description of the HMR10 says that it records, "stunning full HD 1920x1080 resolution images." I'm just wondering how good or bad the recording would be when fed out of the HD-SDI of the HDX900. Does a "broadcast" quality camera recording a "prosumer" codec make nice pictures?
Re: AVCHD Codec Quality by Peter DeCrescenzo on Nov 4, 2009 at 9:10:23 pm
Hi Bob: AVCHD is a 4:2:0, 8-bit, MPEG-4, long-GOP codec. The Panasonic HMR10 records this to SDHC cards at a max. data rate of 24 megabits/sec.
Apple's ProRes codec files are typically encoded @ 10-bit and contain much, much more video information (4:2:2 or 4:4:4) and at data rates up to dozens of times higher than the particular AVCHD implementation used in the HMR10.
And, yes, the KiPro can be run from an external battery. Its I/O and specs are described in detail on AJA's website.
AVCHD recordings created from a high quality source can look very good, and certainly are occasionally broadcast. However, AVCHD's technical capabilities/limitations may or may not be appropriate for every application.
ProRes recordings have many fewer technical limitations compared to AVCHD, so ProRes is appropriate when higher quality is desirable.
Re: AVCHD Codec Quality by Bob Birkett on Nov 5, 2009 at 1:18:12 pm
Thanks Peter. It wasn't clear to me that the HMR10 is 4:2:0. When it is available, I will be interested to see how it compares to my Firestore DVCPRO HD recordings. Perhaps a more compact version KiPro will emerge.
Re: AVCHD Codec Quality by Petteri Evilampi on Nov 9, 2009 at 10:36:25 am
Here is an answer to your needs:
http://www.convergent-design.com/CD_Products_nanoFlash.htm NanoFlash is really small, broadcast quality with many different data speeds. They are all full-raster 4:2:2(exept proxy), dataspeed varies from 100 to 220 Mbps, files are 100% compatible with FCP. It has hd-sdi in and out and HDMI in and out, it uses cheap compact flash cards as data storage media. What else you could need?
