Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 03:29, 13 September 2009

AVCHD is a format for the recording and playback of high definition video.

The format has been jointly developed by Sony and Panasonic. In 2005, the two companies combined their efforts in creating a high definition format for tapeless consumer camcorders. Announced in 2006, the format allows recording high definition video onto 8cm DVD discs, SD/SDHC memory cards, "Memory Stick" cards and hard disk drives.

AVCHD has been designed to be compatible with Blu-ray Disc format and can be used for authoring and distribution of high definition video, though with reduced quality and interactivity compared to Blu-ray Disc.

The first AVCHD camcorder, Sony Handycam HDR-UX1, went on sale in September 2006.

AVCHD and its logo are trademarks of Panasonic corporation and Sony corporation.

Overview

AVCHD (AVC-HD, AVC HD) utilizes MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 (AVC) video compression codec and Dolby AC-3 (Dolby Digital) audio compression codec. Uncompressed linear PCM audio is not supported in any consumer devices.

Aside from recorded audio and video, AVCHD includes features to improve media presentation: menu navigation, slide shows and subtitles. The menu navigation system is similar to DVD-video, allowing access to individual videos from a common intro screen. Slide shows are prepared from a sequence of AVC still frames, and can be accompanied by a background audio track. Subtitles are used in some camcorders to timestamp the recordings.

Audio, video, subtitle, and ancillary streams are multiplexed into an MPEG Transport stream and stored on media as binary files. Usually, memory cards and HDDs use the FAT32 file system, while optical discs employ UDF or ISO9660.

At the file system level, the structure of AVCHD is derived from the Blu-ray Disc specification, but is not identical to it. In particular, known Canon and Panasonic implementations use legacy "8.3" file naming convention, while Blu-ray discs utilize long filenames. Another difference is location of the BDMV directory, which contains media files. On a DVD-based camcorder the BDMV directory is placed at the root level, as on the Blu-ray disc. On the HDD-based Canon HG10 camcorder the BDMV directory is located in the AVCHD directory, which is placed at the root level. Solid-state Panasonic and Canon camcorders nest the AVCHD directory inside the PRIVATE directory. Following a standard agreed upon by many still camera manufacturers, solid-state camcorders have a root-level DCIM directory for still images.

AVCHD recordings can be transferred to a computer by connecting the camcorder via the USB connection. Many camcorders can record to removable media like SDHC and Memory Stick cards or DVD discs, which can be read on a computer directly. Copying files from an AVCHD camcorder or from removable media can be performed much faster than from a tape-based camcorder, because the transfer speed is not limited by realtime playback.

Just as editing HDV video once demanded an expensive high-end PC, the system requirements for AVCHD editing software currently limits it to powerful machines. Compared to HDV, AVCHD video compression requires 2-4x the processing power, placing a greater burden on the computer CPU and memory. Older computers, even those that are capable of handling HDV, are often unacceptably slow for editing AVCHD, and can even struggle with smooth playback of AVCHD recordings. Improvements in multi-core computing and graphics processor acceleration is bringing AVCHD playback to mainstream desktops and laptops.

Media

AVCHD specification allows using several kinds of recording media, in particular recordable DVD discs, memory cards, non-removable solid-state memory and hard disk drives. AVCHD camcorders do not use magnetic tape.

DVD disc

When AVCHD standard was first announced, it specified recordable DVD disc as the only recording medium. To reduce camcorder size, manufacturers opted for a 8 cm disc, sometimes called miniDVD. Recording capacity of a MiniDVD ranges from 1.4 GB for a single-sided single layer disc to 5.2 GB for a double-sided double layer disc.

Pros:

• DVDs are familiar to most consumers, thus considered user-friendly
• Recordable DVDs are relatively cheap
• Recorded disc can be played back in most Blu-ray players
• Discs can be used as immediate backup media, can be stored separately from a camcorder

Cons:

• The longevity of recordable DVDs is argued to be much shorter than expected
• Rewritable DVDs cost more than write-once discs
• DVDs have to be "finalized" to be played back on set-top players
• Double-layer recording is less robust than single-layer recording
• To use both sides of a double-sided disc it must be flipped over, because camcorders have pickup only from one side
• AVCHD DVDs cannot be played back on regular DVD players
• Recording data rate for DVD-based AVCHD camcorders is limited to 18 Mbit/s
• A single-sided single-layer 8 cm DVD can fit only 15 minutes of video at 12 Mbit/s data rate, 10 minutes at 18 Mbit/s data rate
• DVDs are very susceptible to vibration
• 8 cm DVDs cannot be used in most slot-loading drives and may even damage the drive
• Unlike HDDs and memory cards, the capacity of DVD discs has reached their limit

As capacity of memory cards grew while their price dropped, DVD discs quickly fell out of favor. All AVCHD camcorders released in 2008 and later use either built-in HDDs or solid-state memory as recording media.

While DVD discs are no longer used for initial acquisition, they are becoming popular as distribution media for playback on Blu-Ray disc players. A conventional single-layer 12 cm disc can fit up to 50 minutes of AVCHD video at 12 Mbit/s data rate. Many authoring programs offer an "AVCHD" profile for preparing high definition video and burning it on a DVD disc in a format compatible with most Blu-ray Disc players.

Hard disk drive

A hard disk drive was added as a possible medium to AVCHD specification shortly after the new video standard had been announced. Presently, capacity of HDDs ranges from 30 GB to 240 GB.

Pros:

• Higher capacity than other media types, which allows for longer continuous recording.
• Faster data transfer rate than DVDs and memory cards; may require less time for uploading video on a computer than a memory card.

Cons:

• Sensitive to atmospheric pressure. Most HDD-based camcorders cannot be operated at altitudes above 10,000 feet (3,000 m).
• Vulnerable to mechanical shock or fast movement.
• All HDD-based AVCHD camcorders employ non-removable disks. To transfer video to a computer the camcorder must be connected with a USB cable. Usage of an AC power adapter is often needed as well.

Solid-state memory card

Many tapeless camcorders record to memory cards, such as SD/SDHC cards or "Memory Stick" cards. Utilizing solid-state flash technology, memory cards offer rewritable storage in a compact form factor with no moving parts.

Many inexpensive memory cards are slower than HDDs, but are still fast enough to justify switching from tape-based to tapeless workflow. With transfer speeds ranging from 10 MByte/s to 20 Mbyte/s, it takes about 1 minute to transfer 1 GB of video. From practical standpoint, this means that one hour of video recorded at 17 Mbit/s data rate can be transferred onto a computer in about 8 minutes. For comparison, it takes one hour to capture one hour of HDV video.

Historically, flash memory capacity and pricing have improved steadily since introduction to the consumer market.

Panasonic chose removable flash memory as the only media for use in the company's professional AVCHD lineup, AVCCAM.

Pros:

• Compact and lightweight.
• Do not require time for spin-up and initialization, always ready for recording.
• Not vulnerable to magnetic fields.
• Can withstand a wider range of air pressure and humidity than HDDs.
• The camera is more likely to survive being dropped than DVD, miniDV tape, and hard disk, which all have very delicate write/record head components.
• Can be easily backed up to DVD for viewing and for long-term archiving.
• Can store mixed media content, including still images (snapshot photos or still-frame captures).
• As price goes down, memory cards are increasingly used as archival media.
• Most new computers, some TVs and Blu-ray Disc players, as well as many video players, personal portable media players, printers, etc. have built-in card readers and can play AVCHD video directly from a card.

Cons:

• More expensive per minute of recording than a built-in HDD or DVD media.
• Cards may wear more intensively than expected, not reaching projected 100,000 write cycles.
• Compatibility issues: not all card readers can read high-capacity Memory Stick or SDHC cards.
• Vulnerable to electrical damage, such as static discharge.
• A bad memory card can cause data corruption, causing loss of one or more clips.
• Loss of data can occur if a card is removed while recording.
• Not yet proven to be reliable archival media.
• Easy to misplace due to small form factor.

Non-removable solid-state memory

Some AVCHD camcorders come with built-in solid-state memory either as a sole media, or in addition to other media.

Pros:

• Allows making a camcorder smaller if no other media is used
• Always available for recording, in case other type of media is full or missing

Cons:

• Because it is non-removable, a camcorder must be connected to a computer with a USB cable to transfer video. Usage of an AC power adapter is often needed as well.
• Non-removable media cannot be shared, sent or stored separately of the camcorder.

Video formats

AVCHD specification allows for both high definition and standard definition recording. For high definition, all major variations are supported, including 720p, 1080i and 1080p.

Standard definition recording

AVCHD specification allows for standard definition recording, but no camcorder released to date can record in this mode.

720p

AVCHD specification includes 720-line progressive recording mode, at frame rates of 24, 30 and 60 frames/s for 60 Hz models and 25 and 50 frames/s for 50 Hz models. Compared to HDV 720p, AVCHD allows for higher data rate (up to 24 Mbit/s VBR vs. 19.6 Mbit/s CBR) and uses more advanced codec (AVC vs. MPEG-2).

In the prosumer and commercial market two Panasonic models, the AG-HMC150 and the AG-HMC40 support recording at 720p, as well as at 1080i, and 1080p.

In the consumer-market, 720p recording is not widely used in the camcorder equipment, though several Panasonic still digital cameras (DMC-ZS3/DMC-FT1/DMC-TZ7) offer video-recording at 720p as a secondary feature. See AVCHD Lite below.

1080i

Most AVCHD camcorders released to date record 1080i interlaced video. This creates issues when such video is watched on a computer or when it is rescaled. Computer monitors as well as plasma and LCD televisions are inherently progressive. Watching interlaced video on a progressive display device may produce horizontal ripples known as combing artifacts.

Deinterlacing allows getting rid of combing artifacts, but may reduce vertical resolution. Interlaced video can be deinterlaced in post-production and delivered as progressive, or it can be deinterlaced on playback. All modern flat-panel televisions have a built-in deinterlacing engine, so deinterlacing is not required if video is distributed on DVD or Blu-ray Disc. Watching interlaced video on a computer can be more complicated, but some codecs provide different deinterlacing schemes that can be manually chosen by a viewer.

Some 1080i AVCHD camcorders can capture progressive video and record it within an interlaced stream, borrowing techniques from the television industry. In particular, Progressive segmented frame (PsF) is utilized in some Panasonic (25p Digital Cinema) and Canon (PF25, PF30) camcorders. The 2:3 pulldown technique is used by 60 Hz versions of Canon camcorders (PF24 mode), the Panasonic HS300/TM300/SD300 camcorders (Digital Cinema) and the Panasonic GH1 hybrid digital still/video camera for recording 24-frame progressive video. Most editing tools treat progressive video recorded within an interlaced stream as interlaced, though some editing systems and most standalone optical disc players are capable of recognizing the pulldown pattern and recovering the original frames using the process known as inverse telecine.

1080p

Selected Panasonic camcorders are able to record native 1080p video. The most notable models are the AG-HMC150 and the upcoming AG-HMC40, which are capable of recording in all three high definition formats: 1080i, 1080p and 720p.

Of the consumer models, 60 Hz versions of the HDC-SD9/HDC-SD9 and HDC-HS100/HDC-SD100 models are capable of recording native 1080p24 video.

Neither Canon nor Sony AVCHD camcorders record native progressive video. Canon AVCHD camcorders record either native 1080i video, or progressive-scan 24-frame/s, 25-frame/s and 30-frame/s video, encapsulated within 1080i stream. Sony AVCHD camcorders capture and record interlaced video only.

With the release of the HDC-HS300/HDC-TM300, Panasonic switched from native 24p recording to the same approach that is used in Canon camcorders, encapsulating 24-frame/s progressive video in 1080i stream.

AVCCAM

AVCCAM is the name of Panasonic Broadcast’s professional video lineup employing the AVCHD codec. Before Panasonic adopted this name, it used to describe its professional AVCHD-based models as "AVCHD with professional features".

There are no major differences in video stream encoding or in the file structure between AVCCAM and AVCHD. Professional features of AVCCAM, outlined by Panasonic in its marketing materials, such as 1/4-inch progressive CCD sensors or XLR microphone inputs or solid-state media, are not unique to AVCCAM. Many of these professional features are not unique to AVCHD either. Some features are being lost in newer models, for example, the AG-HMC40 uses 3MOS imaging system instead of 3CCD.

All AVCCAM camcorders record to Secure Digital memory cards. Newer members of AVCCAM lineup like the AG-HMC150 and the AG-HMC40 use High-Profile@Level-4.1 variant of AVCHD format with maximum bitrate of 24 Mbit/s, while consumer Panasonic camcorders are limited to Main-Profile@Level-4.0 at 17 Mbit/s. On another hand, Canon uses High-Profile@Level-4.1 at 24 Mbit/s on its consumer models.

In similar fashion, JVC uses the ProHD name for its professional camcorder lineup that employs MPEG-2 codec.

AVCHD Lite

AVCHD Lite is a subset of AVCHD format, which identifies devices that are capable of 720p recording only. The name was used first in marketing literature for the Panasonic DMC-ZS3/DMC-FT1/DMC-TZ7 digital cameras, announced in January 2009.

Playing back AVCHD video

Recorded AVCHD video can be played back in a variety of ways:

• Directly from a camcorder on an HD television set, through HDMI or component-video cable
• Burned onto writable Blu-ray disc in Blu-ray Disc format, then played on a Blu-ray Disc player or on a Playstation 3 gaming console
• Burned onto DVD disc in AVCHD format, then played on most Blu-ray Disc players or on a Playstation 3 gaming console
• Recorded on an SDHC in AVCHD format, then played on select Panasonic and JVC Blu-ray Disc players and HDTV sets and on a Playstation 3 gaming console
• On a computer, played from the camcorder connected via USB as an external storage device, or from removable media or from the computer's internal hard disk drive. Presently, the default media players from Apple (QuickTime) or Microsoft (Windows Media Player) will not play AVCHD natively. Plugins and/or third party decoders are required.
  Windows 7 will be able to import and play AVCHD video natively, having files with extensions M2TS, MTS and M2T pre-registered in the system. Windows Media Player will be able to index content of these files, while Windows Explorer will be able to create thumbnails for each clip. At the current stage of development, the import of AVCHD video metadata such as thumbnail images, playlists, and clip index files is not supported. Joining AVCHD video files during the import is not supported either.

Compatibility between brands

The implementation of H.264/AVC codec varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. Canon and Panasonic camcorders use High-Profile@Level-4.1, up to the AVCHD format's maximum bitrate of 24 Mbit/s. The maximum rate of Panasonic HDC-HS300 in its highest HA recording mode is 17Mbit/s. To date, Sony camcorders have only used Main-Profile@Level-4.0, at a maximum bitrate of 17 Mbit/s. The High-Profile mode of H264 is more difficult to create and play back than main-profile. Consequently, recordings made by one vendor's camcorder or editing software may be unplayable on another vendor's equipment, leading to a frustrating user experience.

AVCHD as a distribution format

Before the AVCHD standard was finalized, end users could master high definition content in Blu-ray Disc format (BDMV) on either BD-R/BD-RE discs or regular DVD discs. Playing BDMV content from DVD discs is against Blu-ray Disc specification. Some older Blu-ray Disc players supported it, but many new players have this feature disabled. Instead, AVCHD has been designed to be compatible with Blu-ray Disc format to broaden the appeal of the latter. AVCHD can be used for distribution of high definition video, though with limited quality and interactivity. Authored AVCHD discs use DVD media, simple menus, AVC encoding only, and data rate limited to 18 Mbit/s.

Many software vendors support AVCHD mastering. In particular:

• Nero Vision 9 can create an AVCHD disc with data rate up to 18 Mbit/s, or an AVCHD-compliant HDD folder or a memory card with data rate up to 24 Mbit/s.
• Cyberlink PowerProducer can author a compliant AVCHD disc, or BDMV on DVD media.
• Ulead DVD MovieFactory Plus 6 with available HD Power Pack can master AVCHD discs with menus.
• Various Sonic products can author AVCHD discs using HD/BD Plug-in.
• Compressor 3.5 is capable of authoring AVCHD discs; subtitles are not supported.
• Sony DVD Architect 5 can author regular AVCHD discs with AVC encoding and simple menu, as well as non-standard discs that use MPEG-2 encoding; in either case, data rate is limited to 18 Mbit/s.

Blu-ray Disc players with "AVCHD" logo play such authored AVCHD discs from either 8 cm or 12 cm DVD discs. Players without such a logo are not guaranteed to play AVCHD discs.

Compatibility with Blu-ray Disc players

As the creators of AVCHD, Sony and Panasonic are keen to support AVCHD playback in their Blu-ray players. In particular, the Sony BDP-S1, Sony BDP-S300, the Panasonic DMP-BD10, the Panasonic DMP-BD30, the Panasonic DMP-BD35, and the PLAYSTATION 3 can play AVCHD discs.

Other manufacturers do not always provide reliable AVCHD support in their products. For example, the Samsung BD-P1200 Blu-ray disc player has lost AVCHD capability in the firmware update 2.3. The Samsung BD-P1400 player is able to play back AVCHD content, at least as of firmware release 1.6.

In addition to playing back AVCHD discs, some Panasonic and JVC Blu-Ray Disc players support AVCHD playback from SDHC memory cards.

Hardware products

Canon

Canon AVCHD camcorders offer 1080-line interlaced and progressive-scan recording.

• HR10 (DVD)
• 2007: HG10 (40 GB HDD)
• April 2008: HF10 (SDHC, built-in 16GB flash memory), HF100 (SDHC)
• September 2008: HF11 (SDHC, built-in 32GB flash memory), HG20 (60GB HDD, SDHC), HG21 (120GB HDD, SDHC)
• January 2009: HF S10 (SDHC, built-in 32GB flash memory), HF S100 (SDHC), HF20 (SDHC, built-in 32GB flash memory), HF200 (SDHC)
• August 2009: HF S11 (SDHC, built-in 64GB flash memory, wired-remote capability)

Hitachi

• 2008: DZ-BD10HA (Three-media recording: Blu-Ray Disc, AVCHD on HDD, AVCHD on SDHC)

JVC

• June 2008: GZ-HD10 (HDD, MicroSDHC), GZ-HD30/GZ-HD40(HDD, MicroSDHC card, dual AVCHD and TOD recording)
• January 2009: GZ-HD320 (120 GB HDD, MicroSD), GZ-HD300 (60 GB HDD, MicroSD), GZ-HM200 (dual SDHC)
• February 2009: GZ-X900 (SD/SDHC card)

Panasonic

Panasonic AVCHD camcorders offer interlaced, progressive scan or native progressive recording and combinations of these modes depending on a particular model. 1080-line and 720-line recording is possible depending on a model.

In 2009 Panasonic introduced AVCHD Lite to selected members of its Lumix line of digital cameras.

• December 2006: HDC-DX1 (DVD), HDC-SD1 (SDHC)
• HDC-SD3 (SDHC, available in Japan only)
• AG-HSC1U (SDHC, comes with portable 40 GB HDD storage)
• August 2007: HDC-SD5 (SDHC), HDC-SX5 (DVD, SDHC), HDC-SD7 (SDHC)
• January 2008: HDC-SD9 (SDHC), HDC-HS9 (60 GB HDD, SDHC)
• April 2008: AG-HMC70 (SDHC)
• June 2008: HDC-SD100 (SDHC), HDC-HS100 (60 GB HDD, SDHC)
• September 2008: AG-HMC150 (SDHC)
• January 2009: HDC-HS300 (120 GB HDD), HDC-HS200 (80 GB HDD), HDC-TM300 (32 GB built-in flash memory, SDHC), HDC-SD200 (SDHC).
• April 2009: DMC-ZS3(USA)/TZ7(rest of the world) (AVCHD Lite), DMC-TS1/DMC-FT1 (AVCHD Lite)
• June 2009: DMC-GH1 (SDHC; AVCHD for 1080p24, MJPEG for 720p60)
• June 2009: HDC-TM30/HDC-TM10 (32 GB built-in flash memory, SDHC), HDC-SD10 (SDHC)
• June 2009: HDC-TM350 (64 GB built-in flash memory, SDHC, available in Japan only)
• August 2009 (expected availability) AG-HMC40 (SDHC)

Sony

All Sony AVCHD camcorders record 1080-line interlaced video only.

• September 2006: HDR-UX1 (DVD), HDR-UX3/UX5 (DVD), HDR-UX7 (DVD)
• October 2006: HDR-SR1 (30 GB HDD)
• June 2007: HDR-SR5 (40 GB HDD), HDR-SR7 (60 GB HDD)
• July 2007: HDR-SR5C (100 GB HDD), HDR-SR8 (100 GB HDD)
• Summer 2007: HDR-CX7 (Memory Stick Duo)
• March 2008: HDR-SR10 (40GB HDD, Memory Stick), HDR-SR11 (60 GB HDD, Memory Stick), HDR-SR12 (120 GB HDD, Memory Stick)
• HDR-TG1/TG3/TG7 (Memory Stick Duo)
• August 2008: HDR-CX12 (Memory Stick Duo)
• March 2009: HDR-XR520V (240 GB HDD), HDR-XR500V (120 GB HDD Version)
• March 2009: HDR-XR200V (120 GB HDD)
• March 2009: HDR-XR200VE (120 GB HDD + GPS)
• March 2009: HDR-XR100 (80 GB HDD)

Software

Converting

• FFDshow is a free, Open Source collection of codecs, including AVCHD.
• CoreAVC is a h.264 decoder for Windows, which can decode AVCHD as well as a variety of other h.264 formats.
• AVS Video Converter can convert AVCHD into a number of different formats. (mov/mpg/avi/mp4/flv/3gp/rm)
• Roxio Toast 10 Titanium on Mac OS X will convert AVCHD to most computer formats presently available.
• HandBrake will convert AVCHD Lite format to AVI, MP4, MKV and OGM (tested on OSX; other versions available).
• VoltaicHD is an AVCHD converter available for both Mac OS X and Windows.
• Total video converter is a converter for most video formats, including converting from AVCHD and burning AVCHD disc.

Editing

The following video-editing software features support for the AVCHD format:

• Adobe Premiere Pro (from version CS4 onward; support not included in the trial version - activation must occur to gain AVCHD support)
• Adobe Premiere Elements (from version 7 onward)
• Apple's Final Cut Express 4, Final Cut Pro 6.0.1, and iMovie '08-'09 (iMovie is bundled with all new Apple computers; Final Cut Express and Pro are sold separately) do not support editing of AVCHD clips directly. Imported AVCHD clips are automatically converted into the Apple Intermediate Codec format, which requires more hard disk space (40GB per hour as opposed to 13.5GB per hour for Standard Definition DV), a more powerful machine (an Intel-based Mac), and a more recent OS (Mac OS X 10.5). Final Cut Pro 6.0.5 "logs and transfers" the footage from AVCHD to AppleProRes by default and also gives the option of converting to the Apple Intermediate Codec. It does not allow native transferring of the *.m2ts clips nor directly editing them. The latest release of Apple's iLife suite (specifically, iMovie) has added support for AVCHD Lite cameras and camcorders.

• Blender supports the AVCHD format on Windows and Linux systems (using the FFMpeg codec). Blender has a little-known, very powerful video editing system with infinite layer bit-depth and integration with the 3D editing component. BlenderAVC streamlines the process of importing the files, as it is difficult and bug-prone without AVS scripts. Blender supports proxy editing at down to 25% scaling, which helps when editing the very slow AVCHD codec.
• Cyberlink PowerDirector 7 is capable of editing AVCHD natively, without transcoding, intermediate codecs or proxy files. Using a patented technique (SVRT), AVCHD clips can be edited and output losslessly to AVCHD or Blu-ray disc. PowerDirector also supports GPU encoding acceleration on both ATI and NVidia graphics platforms. PowerDirector can output the finished movie to a variety of video formats, DVD, AVCHD on DVD, or Blu-ray disc.
• Grass Valley's Edius 5.0
• MacroSystem's Casablanca S-series editors (using Bogart 2.3 onward) AVCHD on DVD or Blu-ray disc
• Dayang's Montage Extreme 1.2
• Nero Ultra Edition Enhanced (from version 7 onward) includes the Nero Vision editor and the Nero Showtime player, which both support AVCHD files. NeroVision can author DVDs in the AVCHD format.
• Pinnacle Studio Plus (from version 11 onward)
• Sony Vegas 7.0e
• Vegas Pro (from version 8 onward)
• Vegas Movie Studio Platinum (from version 8 onward)
• Kdenlive for Linux and BSD platforms

• Other developers have pledged their support but it may still take some time for the implementation.

See the comparison of video editing software for more information on these products.

Open Source Codecs

The following open source codecs can decode AVCHD files:

• ffdshow tryouts, revision 1971 May 23 2008, will decode AVC (H.264) format video.
• libavcodec is a codec library that supports AVCHD. It is used in Jahshaka and Blender, notably.

Specifications

See also

• AVCREC: a standard to allow recording AVC encoded, Blu-ray Disc compatible HD content on ordinary DVD discs.
• Comparison of video editing software

References

1. ^ "Sony and Panasonic Announce New High Definition Camcorder Format".
2. ^ "Panasonic and Sony expand HD digital video camera recorder format "AVCHD" and commence joint licensing".
3. "AVCHD information web site".
4. "Steve" (2008-05-18). "Canon HG10 AVCHD camcorder video sample".
5. ^ "Backing up AVCHD video onto DVDs and playing them on a Blu-ray player". avchduser.com. Cite error: The named reference "BackingUpAVCHD" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
6. "KODAK Digital Camera: Navigating to Your Pictures". KODAK. 1999.
7. Dixon, Douglas (2003). "DVD "rot": DVD Longevity and Reliability". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
8. "SDHC maximum read transfer rates".
9. "SD card statistics (1), by Jerry_R".
10. "SD card statistics (2), by Jerry_R".
11. "Watching interlaced video on a computer".
12. "Panasonic SD9 shoots true 24p footage".
13. "Shoot 1080p24 with the Panasonic HDC-HS100 and HDC-SD100".
14. "Panasonic HDC-SD100 review". by Alex Lindsay, Macworld.com. Retrieved 2009-07-10.
15. "Benefits of AVCHD" (PDF).
16. "Benefits of AVCCAM" (PDF).
17. "Frequently asked questions, AG-HMC150 series Memory card camera-recorder". Panasonic. 2009-04-01.
18. "Added new trademark, "AVCHD Lite" in AVCHD Video Cameras Category". AVCHD Format Co-promoters. 2009-01-27.
19. "AVCHD video: The hardware is willing, but the software is weak".
20. ^ "Windows 7 next generation camera support". Cite error: The named reference "Win7CameraSupport" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
21. "Nero 9 FAQ".
22. "What's the difference between BDMV (on DVD media) and AVCHD?".
23. "Ulead DVD MovieFactory Plus 6 HD Power Pack".
24. "Burning High-def DVDs & Blu-ray Discs with Creator 2009".
25. "Toast 9 HD/BD Plug-in: affordable high-def DVD and Blu-ray video authoring for Toast 9".
26. "Roxio Launches Toast 10 Titanium Discs with Creator 2009".
27. "Compressor 3 User Manual" (PDF).
28. "Final Cut Server 1.5: Blu-ray and AVCHD output options only available in Compressor 3.5 with Final Cut Studio (2009)".
29. "02fx4dude" (2008-04-28). "Samsung BDP1200 discussion". avsforum.com.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
30. "SRussell" (2008-03-13). "Samsung BDP1400 Discussion Thread". avsforum.com.
31. 30GB HDD hybrid camcorder with built-in hard disc drive (PDF)
32. "Panasonic debuts world's first SD memory card HD video camera supporting AVCHD Format and introduces another AVCHD video camera using 8-cm DVDs" (Press release). Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. 2006-11-08.
33. "Panasonic introduces three new 3CCD Full-HD camcorders" (Press release). Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. 2007-08-01.
34. "Panasonic unveils two new AVCHD camcorders with new face detection and intelligent shooting guide" (Press release). Las Negas, NV, USA: Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. 2008-01-06.
35. "Panasonic ships industry's first professional AVCHD shoulder-mount camcorder" (Press release). Secausus, NJ, USA: Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. 2008-02-13.
36. "Panasonic introduces two first AVCHD camcorders with a 3MOS system" (Press release). Secausus, NJ, USA: Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. 2008-06-18.
37. "Panasonic unveils pricing and ship date for the AG-HMC150 camcorder" (Press release). Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. 2008-07-31.
38. "Panasonic unveils AG-HMC40, low cost professional AVCCAM handheld camcorder" (Press release). Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. 2009-04-19.
39. "iMovie 8.0.3". Apple, Inc. 2009-06-04.
40. "Final Cut Express 4 User Manual" (PDF). Cupertino, CA, USA: Apple Inc. 2007. Search for "AVCHD".
41. "ffdshow tryouts: The Official Website".

External links

• AVCHD Official Consortium Web site
• AVCHD Converter

• Video codecs
• 80 mm discs
• High-definition television
• Video storage