I have been super impressed with high definition video since I got my Sony HDTV last year.  So when I got a chance to upgrade my camcorder to a new high definition camcorder, I jumped at the chance.

This is Sony's new HDR-HC7 camcorder. This was introduced during the Consumer Electronics Show Jan '07.  Sony has had HDV camcorders out for about 2+ years now and I finally decided to take the plunge and update my camcorder.  Why now?  Sony has been playing with different high definition formats.  This camera uses the HDV format and records to mini DV.  The HDV format is supported by my mac software (iMovie and Final Cut Express).  Sony has put out other camcorders that are using a new format called AVCHD and record them to DVD or a hard drive.  This format is what I call "bleeding edge".  Currently, there is no computer editing software to directly handle that video format.  I am sure that the software folks will come up with additional software options soon, but I wanted to handle HD now....

Additionally, I considered the following when I bought this camcorder:

• It is a Sony and it integrates directly with my Sony HDTV.
• It is a nice size for cockpit use and it is a nice form factor for holding by hand.
• It uses standard mini DV tapes.  Maybe not as convenient as hard drive based camcorders, but it is using a proven storage medium.   Using tapes, I won't have to worry about getting to a computer and dumping the camcorders hard drive so I can capture more video.  Tapes are small, and it is easy to carry a bunch of them.
• It has an HDMI output jack.  If I am trying to watch the HDV tape on a non-Sony HDTV, the HDMI makes that simple.
• It has a new CMOS sensor for claimed better colors and less power consumption.  My Canon DSLR uses a CMOS sensor and the colors are outstanding.
• The camera has a microphone input jack.  This will allow me to tie the camcorder audio into the airplane intercom.  This way, I can capture conversation occurring in the cockpit between Tami and I any controlling center/tower.
• It takes a 6 MP still image.  (As far as I know, that is the largest still of any camcorder I know of)  I haven't really tried that function yet, but it will probably be a good backup to my other camera options.

Below is a still I captured from the sample video that I have links to below.  It really doesn't do the quality of the video alot of justice.  I can tell you, however, that the quality of the video (even after downsizing) is VERY PLEASING.  I have been comparing the HD video against the SD (standard definition) video I got on my last camcorder and it is amazing at how much better the HD stuff looks. 

I know that talking about HD video doesn't do anyone any good unless you can see for yourself what it looks like. Below, are some links to download the actual flying video sample I put together.  I did not put the actual video on this page so that it didn't try to download it unless you actually wanted to see it.

For the video clip, I just placed the camcorder on the glare shield and tried to hold it.  During the low approach portion of the video, it was bouncing around quit a bit (but the video still looks really good with the optical stabilization).  It looks like I I have some yaw in the plane, but I think that it was just because the camera was sitting crooked on the glare shield.  I thought it was more prudent to pay attention to how far off the ground I  was.  Anyway, I am working on a better way to secure the camcorder in the airplane to get better video....

In order to watch the video, you will need Quicktime 7 or later.  The video is encoded in H.264 and the audio is in AAC format  If you download the 1440 x 1080, you better have a good (fast computer with a strong video card).  My new MAC Pro (Quad 2.66 GHZ Intel Xenon Processors with 2 GB of RAM) I am using works great, but my 1 year old laptop (Intel Centrino 1.73 GHZ, 512 MB RAM) has a hard time keeping up with the video.  I recommend you take a look at Apple's recommended hardware requirements prior to downloading these big files.

See the Apple's link below to see what kind of computer hardware you need to view this HD content:

http://www.apple.com/quicktime/guide/hd/recommendations.html

The following links will download the HD Camcorder sample flying clip (at different resolutions):

HD Flying Video (iPod) 640x360, 4:00, 44 MB

HD Flying Video (720I) 1280 x 720, 4:00, 87 MB

HD Flying Video (1080i) 1440 x 1080, 4:00, 128 MB (This is the actual size the camcorder captures)

Personally, I like the iPod or the 720i sizes for  viewing on a computer (keep in mind I have a 23" Apple cinema display).  The 1440 x 1080 size is just too big for a computer screen (looks great on a 50" HDTV though).

Here is a summary of the Hardware and Software I am using to put video's (and this site) together:

HARDWARE:

• MAC Pro, Quad Intel Xenon Processors running at 2.66 GHZ, 2 GB of RAM, 2 Terabyte of hard drives.
• Apple 23" Cinema Display
• Sony HDR-HC7 High Definition Camcorder (Video)
• Canon EOS 5D (for some limited still picture inserts)

SOFTWARE:

• iMovie HD (Part of iLife '08)
• iDVD (Part of iLife '08)
• Final Cut Express HD Ver. 3.5
• QuickTime Pro 7.1
• HandBrake 0.7.1 (free shareware, great at compression of SD video from a DVD image file considering its free)

The real trick here is to encode video thathas the balance of small file sizes and good video resolution.  I will probably have to keep working at that to find the correct balance.  When I  started this, I didn't realize that there were so many variables when encoding video.

Now all I have to do is get the RV done so that I can get some really cool video...