Sony Handycam HDR-UX20 Camcorder Reviewby Michael PerlmanPublished on May 5, 2008 8:33 AM
|
Advertisement
|
|||||||||||
Compression (7.25)
No matter which of the three media you choose on the Sony HDR-UX20, the camcorder compresses video in the AVCHD format. This is one of the two major high definition formats in the consumer realm, the other being tape-based HDV. Since its inception, AVCHD was promised to be the HD format of the future, but the initial product left a lot to be desired. The video on first and second generation models showed a lot of compression artifacts and motion blurring. HDV remained the recommended format. 2008 saw the release of the third generation of AVCHD camcorders, and the first time that we were able to strongly support it as a viable choice over tape (in select models).
The Sony HDR-UX20 is an odd one in terms of compression. Though it records to three media types, not all are equal. The internal flash memory and MemoryStick Duo cards have a maximum bitrate of 16Mbps (HD FH quality). When recording to DVD, the maximum bitrate is only 14Mbps (HD FS quality), due to the limited write-speeds onto a spinning DVD. Right off the bat, you can see that you probably don’t want to be recording to DVD. There’s even better reasons in the next section, when you see the limited record times.
All of the media share three other quality settings (corresponding to bitrate). The other settings include HD HQ (9Mbps), HD SP (7Mbps), and HD LP (5Mbps).
The HDR-UX20 also allows for standard definition recording in the MPEG-2 format. Quality settings include SD HQ (9Mbps), SD SP (6Mb), and SD LP (3Mbps). This are the same settings and quality you’d find on a standard definition Sony DVD or HDD camcorder.
Media (10.0)
The Sony HDR-UX20 is among a unique few camcorders from the manufacturer this year categorized as “Hybrid Plus,” meaning it can record video to three separate media: 8cm DVD (sometimes called miniDVD), 8GB of internal flash memory, or removable MemoryStick Duo cards (not included).
As you might expect, there are costs and benefits to each media. Though the camcorder could nominally be considered a “DVD camcorder” first and foremost, there’s a pretty clear argument against even using DVD, which makes you wonder why it was even offered in the first place.
First of all, the maximum bitrate (quality setting) is lower when recording to DVD than it is to either of the flash memory option. This is described in detail in the previous section. Right off the bat, you’re video will look marginally worse. Secondly, the average DVD recording capacity is about 11 minutes in the highest quality. ELEVEN MINUTES. That means you’ll be swapping out large, easily scratchable discs at the rate of five per hour. Does that sound like the kind of technology you want to be using?
 |
 |
|
| The slow-to-open DVD disc hatch | The MemoeyStick slot in the LCD cavity |
Alternatively, you can record to the internal flash memory. The capacity is somewhat limited compared to 60 and 120GB hard drives, but with 55 minutes of recording time in the highest quality, it sure beats the DVD option. To boot, the video is of a higher quality. And because it’s solid state – no moving parts – recording, it’s more battery efficient. You may want to use the internal memory as you’re primary recording medium, then pick up one or two MemorySticks to tide you over until you can dump the video onto a hard drive. In an emergency, you can always fall back on the DVD.
| HD FH (16Mbps) |
HD FS (14Mbps) |
HD HQ (9Mbps) |
HD SP (7Mbps) |
HD LP (5Mbps) |
|
| 2GB MemoryStick | 10 min | x | 20 min | 30 min | 40 min |
| 4GB MemoryStick | 25 min | x | 55 min | 65 min | 85 min |
| 8GB Internal Memory | 55 min | x | 115 min | 140 min | 180 min |
| Single-Sided DVD (1.4GB) | x | 11 min | not stated | not stated | not stated |
| Double-Sided DVD (2.6GB) | x | 20 min | not stated | not stated | not stated |
Editing (4.0)
The Sony HDR-UX20's AVCHD files, or any AVCHD files, can still be a frustrating experience, even after nearly two years on the market. Support is spotty because there is no unified AVCHD format. Sony, Panasonic, and Canon all use slightly different flavors and it's difficult to recommend a dual-platform catch-all. On the PC side, consumer friendly solutions include Ulead VideoStudio 11 and Sony Vegas. On the Mac side, iMovie '08 is supposed to work with AVCHD, but we saw some problems reading files copied onto the desktop. However, an iMovie support page insists that it is compatible.
To edit straight out of the box, Sony includes a CD in with the Handycam Application Software and Picture Motion Browser software, a PC-only basic edit suite that lets you import, piece together, and export movies. For anything more advanced than the ultra-simple editing, you'll want to step up to a more powerful edit program.
|
Advertisement
|