16:9 Wide-screen Capability Camcorder

[flanajb]

Evening. Can anyone explain to me whether I can work out what resolution a camcorder films at if it just says 16:9 ?

ie is it 1280 * 720 or full hd ?

 

[Hudson Carpentry]

If they are full HD they normally boost just them words. If you have the camera just get a file to your computer and look at the meta data, this will tell you the res if your filming in best quality of cause or just look in the manual.

If you don't have the camera and wish to be sure first then download the manual or try another retailer that gives more info.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Normal PAL widescreen is 720*576, which, you will quickly realise is not a ratio of 16:9. So how come it displays as 16:9? Well the pixels themselves are not square, they are rectangular, unlike a traditional 4:3 computer screen, where the pixels are square.

If it is HD it will say so. If it an older camera, it's unlikely to be HD. My camera is only 6 years old. But that is prehistoric. Ah, progress, eh?

S

 

[flanajb]

Thanks for the post, but the manual does not state the resolution. Clear as mud

 

[cambournepete]

Presumably you've googled it?

 

[flanajb]

Presumably you've googled it?

Yep. Even went to the panasonic web site and was unable to deduce the resolution.

 

[Steve Maskery]

What is the model number?

 

[flanajb]

What is the model number?

It is a PANASONIC NV-GS500 3CCD. All the literature says it records at 16:9 resolution?

Given it is not a new camcorder I suspect it is not 1080p

 

[Steve Maskery]

No it is not. It's in the same series as mine, I think. If it was 1080p it would be shouting it from the rooftops.
Still a good camera, though. 3CCD rather than just one. You should get decent standard quality images out of it. All my videos are shot at that resolution, and if you are outputting to DVD anyway, standard DVDs do not support the HD resolution. you would need to go to Bluray.

HTH
S

 

[flanajb]

No it is not. It's in the same series as mine, I think. If it was 1080p it would be shouting it from the rooftops.
Still a good camera, though. 3CCD rather than just one. You should get decent standard quality images out of it. All my videos are shot at that resolution, and if you are outputting to DVD anyway, standard DVDs do not support the HD resolution. you would need to go to Bluray.

HTH
S

Thanks Steve. I am replacing my cmos camcorder as a result of the terrible jello effect you get with cmos camcroders when filming from inside a moving vehicle. The CCD camcorders do not suffer from that.

 

[cambournepete]

According to the specs on thePanasonic website, it uses 3 CCD each at 710000 resolution at 16:9.
I reckon that works out at roughly 1120 x 630 resolution.
As Steve say, not HD.

 

[Steve Maskery]

I don't think that's right, Pete. Standard PAL Widescreen is 720*576 and I'm pretty sure that's all it does.
I admit I don't know, therefore, where the 710000 comes from or how that converts.