| The NLE system suppliers have kept pace with the developments and all
the popular systems will handle AVCHD. This includes the low cost programs.
 Importing from
SDHC cards into the computer is easy and we no longer need to use a camera
or VCR. There are two approaches to handling AVCHD files within the edit
program. For the less powerful computer a proxy is created which is a low
resolution version of the original. The proxy is edited in the normal way
and then when completed a full resolution version is created. Where a computer
is powerful enough then direct or native editing of AVCHD files is used.
The ability to create Blu-Ray compatible programs of up to about 30 minutes
on standard DVDs and the ease of producing SD DVDs answers the need for simple
universal distribution media.
For those of us who archive our material the question now is how to do that
effectively. Tape is a low cost archive material with a relatively long life
but this means we need to keep a tape player or camera when we wish to recover
our material for editing. Other alternatives are HDDs or DVDs . My choice
is to use both tape (I have an HDV deck) and HDDs plus edited masters on
DVD.
 The writing is on the wall for all those camcorders and decks
that have whirling mechanical parts inside them. Take a look at a tape drive
mechanism and it’s a wonder that it works at all let alone for years.
A monument to the skill of mechanical engineers, modern materials and high
quality manufacturing. Tape is fading from the scene, it has served us well
and still has some benefits that will be difficult to replace but in three
or four years it will be history. Now we have cameras with built in hard
drives and cameras recording to mini DVDs. But these too have mechanical
drives with spinning parts, and will go the way of tape and after a much
shorter life.
Welcome to the solid state world, welcome to recording without mechanics,
no sound of the camera drive or zoom motors on the sound track, cameras so
light you wonder if they are there! |
The professionals have had the Panasonic P2 system for some
years now and Sony recently introduced their professional SxS solid state
recording. But what about those of us bottom feeders of the movie world?
The advent of the AVCHD CoDec made it possible to record a lot of information
on an SDHC card, the cards we can buy at the local electronics store and
don’t cost a small fortune. So as the world goes solid state I decided
to dip a toe in the water, to find a relatively inexpensive way of getting
some experience in this new world.