camcorder help

[Brumeiser]

we currently are using a camcorder that has a dvd mini for the media. It is harder to find the media so maybe it is time to upgrade with Black Friday coming. First my concern is what do you do with the sd card to play it on the tv? do you dump it on the computer or what do you do with it? I have a IMAC with a 499GB hard drive and 423GB is available. Would I fill up my hard drive quickly with these movies? Also any recommendations for a camcorder under 500? Thanks everyone.

 

[hakepb]

My camera records HD video in the AVCHD format, and my cheap LG BluRay player, a 2012 Black Friday special can play those AVCHD files via USB (plug the camera into the USB port) or if I burn the files to a DVD. I can also use my PC to play the video via HDMI into the TV, and my camera has an HDMI port, but I like the BluRay because I can use its remote.

HD video can take a ton of space (a 32gb card only holds 2.5 hours of video at my max 1080 60p 28m/sec)...about 33 hours on your iMac. I burn most video to DVD data discs and/or upload to a sharing site.

Sony and Panasonic point and shoots have really, really nice stabilized 1080 60p video, but with a Mac you might want to have something with native .mov recording. I have no desire to buy a dedicated camcorder with my HX30, but dedicated camcorders have a few more video-specific controls.

The nicer (an more expensive) Canon vixia models are said to have better video.