Canon HR10 Camcorder Reviewby Michael PerlmanPublished on Oct 25, 2007 10:00 AM
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Compression (7.0)
The Canon HR10 compresses video in AVCHD, a relatively new high definition video format. Up until last year, the only consumer HD format was HDV, which only recorded on MiniDV tapes. But tape was being quickly eclipsed by DVD, flash memory, and hard drive as the media of choice. Blu-Ray and HD DVD were still young, and their implementation in portable devices like camcorders was a technological challenge. Then Panasonic and Sony got together and co-developed AVCHD, a space-efficient codec that would record HD video onto the new media.
AVCHD has a lot of promise, but the first generation (and now the second) have fallen short of the sharpness that HDV provides. Part of the problem is that the codec is so space-efficient that the data is highly compressed, resulting in video artifacts. Some camcorders also have a hard time with motion rendering, often creating a blur.
Editing AVCHD is the hardest part. Again, because the compression is so, well… compressed, it takes a great deal of processing power to decompress and edit. Also, compatibility is still in obstacle for most consumers due to the newness of the format.
The Canon HR10 offers four quality settings in high definition: XP+ (12Mbps), XP (9Mbps), SP (7Mbps), and LP (5Mbps). We recommend always shooting in the highest quality setting. The maximum data speed on the HR10, 12Mbps, is slower than that of its hard drive counterpart, the HG10, which records up to 15Mbps. This is due to the slower speed of the DVD writing process – yet another reason to avoid the DVD format.
The camcorder can also record in standard definition MPEG-2 files in three qualities: XP (9Mbps), SP (6Mbps), and LP (3Mbps).
Media (4.5)
The Canon HR10 captures video to an 8cm DVD, sometimes called a miniDVD. There are multiple types of this DVD, and Canon has you covered. The camcorder accepts –R, – RW, and –R DL (Dual Layer) discs. Other DVD camcorders offer a wider range of compatible disc types, but this should fit the needs of most users.
A 1.4GB single-sided DVD holds only 14 minutes of video in the highest quality setting (XP+). In XP mode, it holds 20 minutes; in SP mode it holds 25 minutes; and in LP mode it holds 33 minutes. Dual layer discs hold a little less than twice that in each setting.
The whole concept of shooting high definition video onto DVD should be explored, however, before plunging into a purchase. DVDs are severely limited in capacity compared to hard disk drives (HDD) and flash memory. They’re also fragile, scratchable items that don’t have a terribly long shelf life (five to 10 years). Once you group all this information in with the fact that data speed is inherently lower on AVCHD DVD camcorders than other media, it’s hard to find a compelling argument to buy one.
Editing (4.0)
Editing video is possibly the most frustrating thing about owning an AVCHD camcorder. Even good computers take a long time to import footage and parse it for editing. In fact, it calls into question the whole point of random access media over tape. If importing AVCHD footage from a DVD takes real time or longer, without offering all the quality benefits of tape, why should we choose AVCHD at all? That’s a question you’ll have to answer yourself. If you plan on shooting video that needs to be edited in the immediate future, AVCHD may not be right for you. If, rather, you have a new baby in the home and you’re simply stocking up on precious moments, you can be reasonably sure the editing solutions will become prevalent over time.
The Canon HR10 ships with two discs: the standard Canon Digital Video Solutions Disk (now up to version 26.0), and the Corel Application Disc ver1.0, which includes Corel GuideMenu, InterVideo WinDVD SE, Ulead DVD Movie Factory SE, and DVD Movie Writer SE. This is a great set of applications that allows you to import, edit, and author finished movies for the Web or DVD. Of course, processing times are painfully slow and the extent to which you can edit is limited.
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