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What's the truth about 1080p camcorders?

I've heard that HD camcorders, such as Panasonic's SD9 model, don't really record (or can't play back) video in 1080p, but rather 1080i. If this is true, then why call it 1080p (progressive)?

Public Comments

1. I Know that the the TV only ( all transmitting ) is only in 420P,.

2. It depends. I have a Sony 1080i camcorder...is specifically says that.
If it says 1080p, it will do it. There's a specifications page in every camcorder's manual that will tell of its' abilities.

There are definitely 1080p camcorders out there.

3. The SD9 does record full HD (1920x1080) as opposed to HDV cameras such as the Canon HV20 that records 1440x1080. From what I can tell, it seems like the SD9 does record progressive video to memory, so it plays at a true 24fps. However, you will still get better results from a camera like the HF10 or even an HDV cam such as the HV20/HV30. The reason is Panny's new cameras don't have a full HD sensor, and the actual pixel count on each CCD is 530,000 or 560,000 (I can't remember the exact number). Even with pixel shift, this won't get you the resolution that a full HD sensor can offer. The HF10 records in full HD as well (albeit interlaced instead of progressive), and as mentioned earlier, the HV20 and HV30 record 1440x1080/60i. But since these cameras shoot true 24p with pulldown to equal 29.97 fps interlaced, the pulldown can be removed to achieve a full 1920x1080/24p output for the HF10, or 1440x1080/24p anamorphic output for the HV20/HV30. Hope this helps!