Tips for the Canon HV10
High definition HDV Camcorder
and HDV video editing, output and archiving

Tapes

• There are two types of lubricants used in MiniDV tapes - dry and wet. Mixing dry and wet lubricants can result in head problems when the mix of lubricants result in a messy gunk So don't use both dry and wet lubricant tapes in your camcorder!
  
• Currently (4/2007), there is only one brand of wet lubricant MiniDV tapes - Sony. So if you simply only buy Sony tapes, or never buy Sony tapes, then this is the best.  Although mixing dry lubricant tapes typically does not result in clogging of the video heads, you should stick with only one brand of dry lubricant tapes for the best possible performance and lowest chance of head clogging due to mixed lubricant interactions.
  
• Load the tape away from dusty or sandy areas - dust/sand will result in video dropouts later! Load the tape as quickly as possible, keep the tape compartment open for as short of a duration as possible to prevent dust entry.
• Panasonic MiniDV tapes are one of the most popular and relied upon brands. The Canon HDV MiniDV tape recommended by Canon is a rebranded Panasonic MiniDV tape. Thus, I would recommend using only Panasonic MiniDV tapes - however, many people have used other brands such as JVC, Maxell, etc. in their camcorders without any problem.
  
• A professional-grade tape has improved characteristics vs a consumer-grade tape -- improved magnetic retention of information, tape quality, etc.  A professional-grade tape is more expensive than a consumer-grade tape, and will be more resistant to dropouts, but both types will have dropouts if dust or sand get into the tape transport compartment.  Generally, if occassional dropouts are not a large concern to you, you can use cheaper consumer-grade tapes with good success.  Professional-grade tapes should be used when you have something important to film (weddings, birthdays), and wish to minimize dropouts.  Because the recordings are 100% digital, the video quality IS NOT affected by the tape grade.
• Even Mixing dry tapes can lead to Big problems!
  Notice below: This is a TDK consumer-grade tape that was used in the HV10 after 7 Panasonic tapes had been used.  For whatever reason unknown, the tape partially 'caught/stuck' to the head during recording, and resulted in 13 minutes of damaged tape.  The HV10 head also required cleaning with a Panasonic tape head cleaning tape afterwards to play back pre-recorded tapes properly. Lesson learned - don't mix tape brands!
  
  

Battery

• Like most LiIon batteries, fully charge and discharge the battery the first several times you use it.  This will help prolong the battery life.
• All rechargable batteries have a limited lifespan, whether you use it or not. Battery lifespan will decrease even if it simply is kept in storage due to deteriorating battery chemistry.  LiIon batteries typically have a lifespan of several years or several hundred recharge cycles before the maximum capacity is noticable reduced and/or before the battery cannot hold a charge anymore.  A replacement is required at that time.

Care

• After a day's worth of shooting, you can clean the exterior using a slightly damp cloth towel to remove oils and debris. The cloth should not drip any water when wrung prior to use - this would indicate that the towel is too wet for use. Take care not to press hard on the LCD panel and the tape transport area - these are sensitive areas and are prone to damage if excessive force is used.
• A microfiber lens cleaning cloth available at most eyeglass shops can be used to clean the delicate LCD panel, viewfinder, and lens.  Take care to make sure the cloth is 100% clean of all debris prior to use, or you can wind up scratching the lens and other parts with a dirty cloth!
• Dust and sand are particularly bad to the internal workings of this camcorder. Take care to shield the camera and/or stow it away in a plastic bag if you encounter severe environments.  If you must film in such environments, consider using a waterproof/dustproof case or camcorder bag designed for this camcorder for such environements.

Capturing

• Either use the free, simple, capture-only HDV Split, or use what is included with your video editor.  Vegas Video, Premiere, and other popular video editing software have HDV capture capability.
• Unless you have a special reason for automatic scene detection and splitting of the video into numerous files, capture without such - this will result in one large, but easily edited *.m2t file. You can easily drop this single *.m2t HDV video file into any video editor and make rapid cuts quickly.  Multiple files merely complicate the process by forcing you to import dozens, if not hundreds of little files first.
• It doesn't matter which program you use to import the video file - the quality will be 100% identical since this is a 100% digital process.
  

Editing

• The easiest and most powerful choice for now, IMO, is Sony Vegas Video. It natively handles HDV video editing and importing, and has a multitude of output options, including optional Divx HD AVI file output.  It is an easy program to learn, and most power-users will be up and running in no time with this program. The manual is extensive and well-written to answer almost all questions and the Vegas Video forums on Sony's website is well-staffed.
  
• If you are editing for DVD, make sure the project properties is set for 720x480 resolution, lower field first, interpolate (not blended). Then, output using the standard MPEG-2 DVD template modified to use 6000-8000kbps CBR.  You will get a near-master quality video at 8000kbps CBR, which will allow you to surprise friends, shock family, and make most people very happy when viewing your video.
  
• If you are editing for Divx HD, make sure the project properties is set using the 'HDV 1080i 60fps' template. Make sure it does not blend or interpret the fields - leave them interlaced.  Then, output using a custom AVI template - here, select the Divx codec, 1-pass at 6000-8000kbps, 1:1 Square, no noise or psych, no resize or crop, and deinterlace.  You can leave the audio untouched at 48,000khz, PCM, or convert to any MPEG audio format you wish.  This will produce an excellent Divx HD file at 6000kpbs for most video you film, and will play back on any 3Ghz P4 or better system. You can also play this file using any Divx HD certified DVD/Divx player noted at the Hardware section of Divx.com.
• Higher than 8000kbps is not recommended due to some older players having trouble with such high bitrates for DVDs.  Same goes for Divx HD videos due to excessive CPU consumption if you exceed 8000kbps with little increase in image quality.
• Both of the bitrate settings above for DVD and Divx will allow you to burn ~1 hour of video per single layer DVD disc with excellent video quality.

Output

• An output format that supports the native 1440x1080 resolution of HDV or higher is required to properly retain and archive the full video quality produced by this camcorder and the HDV format.  Any other, lower-resolution output format will retain less image detail, and look less detailed versus the original HDV video.
  
• My current preference is Divx HD format video saved as AVI files on a DVD disc. Reasons include: rapid encoding from MPEG-2 HDV video to Divx HD, high-quality at 6000-8000kbps bitrates, an established format that has many software and hardware supporters, and there are Divx HD players that can be purchased to playback these Divx HD files burned to a inexpensive DVD disc today.  HD DVD and BluRay discs have the significant disadvantage of price in both the discs (currently $20-25 each! vs. $1-2 for a DVD) and players ($400+), as well as being competing formats in their early adoption stage (blame the greedy companies involved).  Divx HD has a much lower computer processor requirement than HD DVD or BluRay to playback on a PC today as well.  Finally Divx video files are widespread in their adoption online and can be found in use by millions of users today.
• For playback for those that don't have Divx equipment, output as standard DVDs is the second best format available. Keep in mind that DVDs are capable of only about 500 lines of resolution vs. the 1080 of HDV, so you will be losing a significant amount of video image detail outputting to DVD format.  Keep a copy of the original 1080i resolution video!  An analogy can be used: DVDs and analog TV typically have about 0.5 megapixels of information displayed on screen, HDV and HDTV at 1080i have about 2 megapixels worth of image data.

Archiving

• Besides MiniDV tape, there are no 100% universally accepted format for archiving HDV video as of this date (4/2007).  HD DVD, BluRay, HD, Divx HD, etc. are all formats which may not exist in the near future due to a rapidly shifting marketplace and confusion caused by battling HD disc formats. You can choose to use any of these HD formats as your secondary archival format for now.
• Tapes are among the most stable, long-term archival formats available today. Even most 20-30 year old VHS tapes will still play today, and MiniDV tapes, in proper storage, can possibly last 10-20+ years.
• Disc based storage are among the most easily damaged and unstable archival formats. The recording side (top, label side) of CDs are easily scratched with a knife or sharp object - you can easily peel the entire recording surface off most CDs with a sharp knife!  The recording layer of DVDs are sandwiched between two plastic disc layers that have been glued together - simply dropping a DVD from 1-2 feet to a hard surface on its edge can immediately result in delamination of these layers!  You can easily pry apart the two layers of a recordable DVD using your own fingernail - slide along the edge of the disc where the two layers meet, and pry it apart like an oyster!
• The organic dye used in most optical storage media (CD, DVD) are not stable under sunlight, and even a few hours of sunlight (or longer hours under a fluorescent or incandescent) light source can result in deterioration of the dye, and thus instability in your recordings.  Loss can occur within a few months to years after recording data to a CD or DVD.
• Flexing DVDs result in eventual delamination of the two or more layers of a disc due to the resulting stress failure of the glue holding the layers together. This is why most DVDs ship in cases with low-flexing release hubs.
• The best method as of now is to retain a master copy on MiniDV tape. Then a second or even third copies on quality optical media or MiniDV tape.
• Quality optical media are produced to higher standards and can last longer in storage than typical cheap media.
• For CDs, P.Cyanine dye disc using 100% gold reflective layers such as Mitsui Gold CD-R or Kodak Gold CD-R are among the best choices available. P.Cyanine dye has been tested to last longer than Cyanine or Azo dyes under longevity testing, and a pure gold layer is not subject to corrosive deterioration that silver-colored layers are when exposed.
• For DVDs, a quality disc made in Japan or Singapore by a well known manufacturer is recommended.  Such include Maxell Japan DVD discs (the first manufacturer of consumer recordable DVDs) made in Japan and Verbatin DVDs made in Singapore. Companies such as Maxell have had decades of experience manufacturing the discs and dyes, and will have the best experience in making discs that will hopefully last over time. Some of these discs are manufacturered using a special plastic which is highly resistant to scratching - both Maxell and Verbatim manufacture such discs. These discs are recommended for archival masters and for frequent playback use -- the scratch-resistant surface reduces the number of dropout causing scratches that occur through handling of discs over time.
• All discs should be 100% dust-free (use a duster if necessary), un-touched (don't touch the surface with anything prior to burning the video!), and perfectly clean prior to use.  Dusty and grimy discs should be discarded or used for non-archival burns. Clean discs result in burns with lower error rates; dirty discs result in more problems later on.
• All discs should be verified after the burn to ensure the video has been burned exactly as intended. Also, if possible, the discs should be scanned using a DVD drive that allows for PI/PF error rate scanning - many Plextor DVD drives currently allows this and ship with software that allow you to see the actual error rates across a freshly burned disc.  A low PI/PF error rate on a newly burned disc means it will have a better chance of staying error free later on.
• All media should be kept standing on it's skinny end, and in a moderate temperature and humidity controlled environment. A plastic box can be used to prevent excessive humidity from damaging the contents and can be stored in a location with moderate tempeature, away from any and all light exposure.
• All tapes should be fully rewound prior to storage!
• All tapes should be kept away from magnetic fields - TVs, radios, microwaves, magnets, hard drives, etc.
  

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Mini-Review of the Canon HV10
5/2007
Overview:
   Running on the HDV MPEG-2 standard, the Canon HV10 allows many users of miniDV camcorders to continue using and playing their miniDV tapes they've recorded and have, while providing them with the added option of recording in either HD or regular mode onto MiniDV tapes.  The HV10 has a slim, pocketable body, so it's very easy to take with you on long trips without feeling like you have a huge rock tied behind you to slow you down.

Minuses:
* No external light/mic jacks - buy the HV20 if you want these.
* No HDMI output - buy the HV20 if you want this.
* Can't change tapes if the camcorder is on a tripod - bottom load, again - buy the HV20 if you want this.  But keep in mind that bottom load reduces the amount of dropout causing dust from falling into the tape transport bay (a good thing).
* Viewfinder is decent, but not the highest resolution viewfinder around - but I almost always use the LCD panel so it's not a big concern.
* No manual focus/aperture rings around the lens.  You can adjust manual focus using the rear menu dial, but it's not the same as a 'professional' camcorder like the $5000+ Canon H1 series. (then again, almost no consumer level camcorder for <$1000 has this feature....)
* Low light, below 1 light bulb of 60w in a bedroom, will result in vertical lines appearing in the video if you do not use slow-shutter mode (which is on by default).  Buy the HV20 if you want better super-low-light video.  Otherwise, I'm not concerned because I don't film travel videos outside in such dark places - do you?  I find myself filming in nicely lit places indoors and out, so video quality is great.

Pluses:
* Small, light, compact.  The lightest, most compact HDV camcorder available today.  I've tried the Panasonic, Sony, Canon, etc. and this is the lightest you can get today.  It's also the only one that fits into my jacket pocket without a problem, and I can go all day long on trips using this camcorder without feeling like my arm has fallen off - it's light enough that fatigue doesn't settle in.

* 2MP 16:9 / 3MP 4:3 still photo mode
  I love how I can push the photo snap button anytime I'm filming, and get a nice 2MP photo at the same time w/o interrupting my filming!  It's so nice and my 4x6" prints come out looking saturated, colorful, and nice w/o much adjustment, if any.  They really pop with color, and I'm very happy with the photo mode on this camcorder.
  (I'm the type that looks at the individual pixels on prints, worry about the little things on digicams, but honestly, for what it is -- a camcorder camera photo -- I'm happy and satisfied with what I'm getting.  Just keep in mind, you are not going to get the same as a 10+MP dSLR off any camcorder!  For 4x6" prints, you will get a nice print.)
  You can also capture still frames off the video as it's playing back, and make photos from these as well!
  1GB MiniSD card will let you go for days on a trip and let you take 600+ photos w/o a problem.  It's so wonderful how I can just keep taking snapshot after snapshot w/o worrying about running out of space!

* MiniDV tape.
  Yes, there are camcorders with hard drives, flash drives, etc. but in the end, where are you going to archive HiDef videos?  Right now, nobody knows if it's going to be HD DVD or BluRay that'll win out, so realistically, there is no 'standard' optical format that you can archive HiDef videos that'll stick around for a long time.
  HD camcorders are good for those that have long filming times and will convert to DVDs later on the PC -but if you run out of room on a trip, without a PC, you're dead in the water; flash drives are great for sports, extreme activities and locations (think super cold, super hot) - but again, are limited by the small sizes of the cards (consumer camcorder-wise. Pro-level P2 Panasonics at $5000+ can go longer, but expensive..)
  Tapes last a long time - most of us have VHS tapes from 10-20+ years ago that we can pop into the VCR and play today.  miniDV tapes will last a long time in proper storage, and are the most ideal format for long-term archival storage of HiDef videos until some form of HiDef optical standard is decided upon.
  Additionally, everyone has MiniDV tapes in all of the major travel spots - so when you're out of tape, you can easily buy more tapes!

* MPEG-2 HDV format.

  Look around people.  You see Sony/Panasonic pushing their AVCHD MPEG-4 format.  Great, so what's the difference?

  HDV uses the MPEG-2 format, same as on DVDs.
  It records 1440x1080i format onto tapes, and uses the 1.33 aspect ratio on playback to fill a 1920x1080 HiDef monitor screen. (stretches it out slightly horizontally to fill the screen).

  AVCHD uses MPEG-4 format, which is newer than MPEG-2.
  It records into true 1920x1080 format, so it's a 1:1 ratio on playback.
 
  MPEG-4 at the same bitrate as MPEG-2 can produce better images, theoretically, but every single Japanese consumer magazine review of the current (5/2007) AVCHD camcorders vs. the HDV camcorders finds... that the Canon HV10/20 series are among the very best out there, beating everything except the very latest JVC HD7 AVCHD hard drive, 3CCD, 1920x1080 camcorder that just came out (which has similar image quality as the HV10/20 series, if not slightly better).

  Thus, for now, there is no advantage of the AVCHD format for consumers image wise because HDV produces similar quality.

  Also, playback of MPEG-2 HDV video takes far less computer power than MPEG-4 AVCHD playback.  Try playing AVCHD on a 3Ghz P4 and you'll find it stuttering and praying it can keep up! (ie. on a computer that's not that old at all)  HDV video has no trouble at all playing on a 3Ghz P4.  Thus, AVCHD forces users to buy a new dual to 8 core PC just to edit, playback, view their videos w/o stuttering full-screen!  (and I've tested quite a bit -- you can too! Download and try playing HDV vs AVCHD raw full screen videos.  Nero Showtime, QuickTime, Windows Media Player, Media Player CLassic, etc. all can't make the AVCHD play smoothly on recent, older computers; HDV plays fine.)

* Editing

  Oh, thankfully, the HV10 is NOT a AVCHD MPEG-4 camcorder! Why?
  Because=== not one ===major video editing program today supports AVCHD video editing!  Not Final Cut Pro, not Premiere, not Vegas Video, not Avid, etc!!!!

  Thankfully, all of them support HDV MPEG-2 video editing, so unlike the sorry AVCHD camcorder buyers who can't make edits, HV10/HV20 owners can.

  Videos drop right into Sony Vegas Video 7 w/o a problem, load up just like any regular DV video, and effects/edits happen just as smoothly!  The workflow is identical for capture, editing and output, so it's a very, very smooth transition over to HDV.

  (Vegas Video and it's counterparts from Sony are very nice editors to use. They've got lower end software for $100 that'll work nicely.)

  Also, keep in mind that HDV requires less processor power to decode/encode vs AVCHD, so doing renders of the final edited video is faster using HDV source video vs. AVCHD.

* TV Output
  Stunningly crisp.  Honestly can't see why I'd even need HDMI, and composite/RCA does just fine for viewing the videos on HiDef & regular TVs.  This is the stuff that you'd typically see off HiDef broadcasts, and you've just brought it home after buying the HV10!

* Reliable, FAAAST autofocus!
  The dual AF (probably using infrared active focusing in addition to passive AF) is the best invention since swiss cheese!  Beats the other camcorders on the market by far!!!  Locks onto subjects in <1 second if not faster all the time, and it's really, really nice and reliable.  No more annoying hunting or waiting for AF to lock like I used to worry about on my older camcorders.
  Nothing is perfect, so you will still have the rare hunting/AF problem, but otherwise, I can't find anything better on the market from Sony, Panasonic, etc.  No worries for me at all here=)

* Daylight viewable LCD panel
  No LCD panel will retain the 100% quality under the harshest direct outdoor summer sunlight, but this panel does a darn good job indoors and out.  You can always see something on the panel, and it works good for me.  I'm not squinting or turning at all to see what's on the screen, so it's a nice panel. 
  Indoors, it's simply juicy colorful and playing back videos and photos look better than on my Sony T9 camera's screen!

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So that said, the HV10 is well worth the $800 or so it's going for today (5/2007), and money well spent for anyone looking to buy the best available compact HiDef camcorder today.  Other camcorders may have marginally better image quality (that JVC HD7 3CCD 1920x1080i camcorder that just came out), but they certainly don't produce more than 1/2 a star on any Japnese consumer ranking, nor do they have the compact size and shape (and the JVC's LCD screen, AF reliability, and weight are just horrible vs. the Canon HV10).  I had time to sit and play with all of the latest and greatest this week in Akihabara, and I still couldn't find anything better in a compact HiDef camcorder than my HV10 released last year.  That's how good it is!
   The only thing that'll beat a HV10?  It's replacement, which I suspect will be out closer to Christmas this year (since most makers are on a twice-yearly or once a year release schedule for camcorders).