hi , guys got a new sony hdr cx7. im pretty new at this. got a killer deal on it. started looking and they dont make it anymore? im assuming its 2007 model? i was looking at geting the hdr sr11, but at almost double the price i wonder if i would actually see the differance.
anyway.
oh, i am purely a point and shoot, dont want to edit, ect. ect. just to catch all the big events..

i liked the feature of the memory stick instead of the hard drive. what do i need to succesfully burn dvds with this thing?


thanks for any help.

There is normally not any problem with 2007 models. Sometimes they are more desired.
If you look on the ratings page here:
http://www.camcorderinfo.com/ratings.php
you will see the Sony HDR-CX7 and the Sony HDR-SR12 were both rated. I think the SR11 is the same as the SR12, just different drive capacities.

You should be aware that both camcorders record in the AVCHD format. I am not sure what the best way to successfully burn dvd's, and are you talking about High Definition DVD's or standard definition DVD's?


Rich

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FireWire Survey

thanks poncho, yeah, i looked at the ratings. looked pretty good. but wanted to get some "real" feedback from you guys. im pretty sure its more than enough for what i need it for, but you never know. i fig. it out, it would cost me an additional $400ish to get the sr11!! im thinking if the mermory stick format is good for recording and possibly the "future" it might be my best bet.

i was mainly refering to sd dvd's. since to my knowledge an affordable blu ray burner isnt out yet?

lenz,

The CX7 is an excellent camcorder and should serve your purpose well. Know though that it can only handle up to a 4 gig MS. So if 1 hr. of recording (at the highest quality) is long enough for you before having to change media, I'd say you're all set.

You will need a core duo PC if you want to do anything with the files. And especially so if you want to convert your HD files to SD so you can play them in a standard DVD player. It doesn't require a super fast core duo. I use a 1.66 GHz with 2 GB of Ram and get along just fine with AVCHD. It's a good idea to archive your videos on HDD as well as DVD's. They add up fast, so at least a 250 gig would be recommended. An external HDD works well and they are pretty cheap now.

You can use the "Burn Disc" button on the CX7 and burn your footage directly to a standard DVD using the DVD burner in your computer. This method creates an AVCHD DVD that will play in full HD in a Blu-ray Disc Player (BDP). IMO, if you buy an AVCHD camcorder, you need to buy a BDP to play your discs on. (unless of course you don't have a HDTV yet to view HD on.) You don't need a Blu-ray burner to burn discs that play in HD. All you need is a DVD burner. The HD image quality is exactly the same whether the files are burned to a Blu-ray Disc (BD) or a DVD. The only difference is the amount of footage you can fit on them. About 35 min. of HD footage at the highest quality on a 4.7 gig DVD as opposed to over 3 hrs. on a 25 gig BD. The software that comes with your CX7 ( be sure to install all of it) will allow you to make AVCHD DVD's either directly from your CX7 or from the Picture Motion Browser (PMB) software included. Also PMB will allow you to convert your HD footage to SD easily if that is what you want to do.

If your computer is lacking (ie-not a core duo) and you don't want to upgrade right now, I would recommend just getting a Sony DVDirect VRD-MC5 stand alone DVD burner (about $190.00 at Costco). With that you could burn AVCHD Dvds without the need for a PC. You could also burn SD DVDs with it that will play in any DVD player as well. If you want to get a relativeily inexpensive BD Player, you can get a Sony BDP S301 complete with a HDMI cable at Costco for around $370.00.

You said you are not into editing at all. With either method, included software or MC5, you can cut out unwanted scenes. But that's about it unless you want to get third party software.

Just a heads up regarding the AVCHD DVD's. If you choose to create them with the included software whether directly from the camcorder or using PMB, you will have a 1 sec. black gap between each scene (camcorder start/stop). But if you burn discs using the MC5, the footage will be seamless. No gaps at all.

Hope this helps.

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Ernie
Sony HDR-SR1 AVCHD HDD User

you mean 8 gig, right?

after a very nice discussion with ernie. im officially up to speed!lol .

although very,very nice. the hdr cx7 is going back and getting exchanged for a hdr sr11!!!

thanks everyone for their help...

Yes, you are correct. 8 gigs is the max size. However, it still translates to 1 hr. of recording at the highest quality. 4 gigs would only give you a half hour. Sorry about the misinformation.

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Ernie
Sony HDR-SR1 AVCHD HDD User

dont let it happen again!!

I'll try to be better, LOL!

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Ernie
Sony HDR-SR1 AVCHD HDD User

I have a Sony Hdr Sr5 and Vegas Platinum 8, a duo core on my laptop but not my desktop. Should I use the same method laid out by EScheidl for the CX7 or is there a different method I should use pertaining to my camera. As I’m sure you’re aware, my camera uses AVCHD but an internal hard drive instead of the memory stick. It does have a memory stick, but I’m not sure what it is used for. Still photos I think. I plan on doing some editing after I get the hang of things. I have an HDTV and will soon purchase a Blu-ray player. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks in advance.