MPEG4 Camcorders - ASP vs. AVC, SD vs. HD

MPEG4 ASP HD camcorders

They appeared on the market much later than the previous group. There are currently only several Sanyo Xacti HD devices and some Kodak cameras of this type.

"What?" Video definition is up to the mark here. But problems with video quality are actually the same. If you try to compare it to miniDV camcorders, much depends on shooting and playback conditions. A good MPEG4 ASP HD record on an HD TV will look better than SD video captured with a miniDV camcorder owing to higher resolution. If you watch it on a usual TV set, miniDV will certainly look better - it uses SD features hundred-per-cent, and the advantage of MPEG4 ASP HD will be lost, but MPEG artifacts will remain. If shooting environments are far from perfect (insufficient light, dynamic scenes), typical MPEG4 ASP artifacts will spoil your impression of such a camcorder even on the HD TV.

"Where?" To view video recorded with such a device, you will need at least an HD Ready TV set connected via HD interface to a DVD with HD support. You can also connect a computer to an HD TV set via the HD interface, or play video on a good monitor, which is less comfortable.

"When?" If you have an HD TV set, it will be "today". What concerns "tomorrow", it's a complex issue. It all depends on whether most AVC HD players will support ASP HD as well. Of course, ASP HD video can always be converted to AVC HD. But it's not the best option... So we can say the following - if you really want it, ASP HD is "HD for today". ASP HD camcorders record good HD video, and they require less expenses on equipment and hardware.

"How much?" If you have an HD TV set, you will have to buy only a camcorder (it's approximately 1.5 times as expensive as ASP SD products) and a DVD-MPEG4 player with HD video support. There are not many players of this kind so far, but their price is similar to that of top DVD players without HD support. Thus, such a solution will be cheaper now than the most advanced MPEG4 AVC HD camcorders.

However, if you are only planning on buying an HD TV set, your expenses will be much higher, and you should think twice whether you should buy such a camcorder now or content yourself with an SD camcorder (ASP or AVC - we'll speak about this choice below). In this case you may put off your purchase of an HD camcorder until you buy such a TV set - better MPEG4 AVC HD devices may become affordable by that time.

MPEG4 AVC SD camcorders

The first camcorders of that type have just appeared. There are only several products of this kind from Casio and Sanyo, plus a few product announcements.

"What?" The answer is simple again. Video quality is similar to a Mid-End miniDV camcorder. Video is recorded in a compressed format, so there is no need to transcode as you edit your video. Advantages of these devices include no need for tapes, compact dimensions, as well as higher video quality compared to ASP.
Some of these camcorders can capture 848x480 video that plays nicely on wide SD TV sets.

"Where?" Any TV set will do for this video. What concerns a player, the situation is much more complex. However, if you plan on transcoding your video into usual DVDs, there will be no problems with a player. But you will lose the above mentioned advantage over miniDV camcorders. Theoretically, you can cut a movie without transcoding, for your future player, so to speak, and transcode the movie into MPEG2 or MPEG4 ASP for a "temporary" disc.

"When?" "Today". But you will have to solve problems with playback and transcoding. If you are not going to buy an HD TV set in the nearest future, the answer is "tomorrow". At least if you plan on buying a miniDV camcorder now, pay closer attention to MPEG4 AVC SD products. They may be a better choice for your needs.

"How much?" MPEG4 AVC SD camcorders are not much more expensive than MPEG4 ASP SD devices of the same class. There are no special requirements to a TV set. If it were not for a player... However, if you are not discouraged by transcoding video, the price of this solution will be actually on the level of MPEG4 ASP SD. It will take much time to transcode video, of course. But video quality will be higher than in the first case, even despite transcoding losses.

There will soon appear DVD players for MPEG4 AVC SD video, but they will most likely support MPEG4 AVC HD as well. If you still have an SD TV set, the difference from HD video will not be large. However, if you have an HD TV set, this type of camcorders is certainly outscored.

MPEG4 AVC HD camcorders

It's the latest most interesting and promising type of all camcorder groups we review today. However, there are reefs here as well. Firstly, there's just a few players that support this video format. Secondly, there were very few devices of this type available in stores, when I wrote this article, even though there were a lot of announcements.

"What?" Video quality and definition are the highest among all camcorder groups reviewed today. They are much higher than those of most consumer camcorders can currently offer. There will be cheaper and more expensive products, of course. But video quality will be determined by lenses and other parameters, it won't be limited by the codec, as it happens in the other camcorder types.

"Where?" Such video will require either a powerful computer (not all P-IV processors can cope with this task), or a Blu-Ray / HD DVD player, or a "usual" DVD with AVC HD support. Besides, you will need an HD Ready or Full HD TV set connected to the player via the HD interface.

"When?" "Today" is possible, but it's not that easy. "Tomorrow" and "the day after tomorrow" for sure. We can see no real competitors in the nearest future.

"How much?" One word - "expensive"... To be more exact, "very expensive". It's the most expensive solution not only among all options reviewed in this article, but also among other consumer products. An expensive camcorder, an expensive computer for video processing, an expensive player, and a very expensive TV set...

These solutions will certainly become cheaper in time. If you have an HD TV set, or plan on buying it, this solution becomes attractive in the nearest future. However, if you want to shoot video now, which will look good even in future (to shoot video for keepsville, so to speak) no matter the cost, you can think about buying such a camcorder even today.

Conclusion

Let's lay down some conclusions:

1. MPEG4 ASP SD camcorder: the most inexpensive solution. It allows to easily cut and record a ready (and relatively good) movie, which can be played with a popular MPEG4 HTP DVD player on any TV set. It may be interesting for a beginner, or if you are pressed for money, or as an inexpensive and compact "backup solution"
2. MPEG4 ASP HD camcorder: it may be an interesting solution for those who want to play with High Definition video, but who are not ready to pay for a more expensive solution with a MPEG4 AVC HD camcorder
3. MPEG4 AVC SD camcorder: it may be a good choice, if you are not satisfied with MPEG4 ASP SD quality, but you don't want to buy an HD TV set in the nearest future, and want a more compact "tapeless" alternative to MiniDV, and you have nothing against transcoding video
4. MPEG4 AVC HD camcorder: it's your choice, if compromise is not for you, if you are ready to pay much for your choice, if you want to play your movies on a large HD screen, and if you don't want your videos to look old-fashioned in future.

These are general recommendations, of course. You may find other arguments for this or that solution. But we hope that our attempt to analyze the current situation in the market of MPEG4 camcorders will help our readers make a well-considered choice.