Standard definition vs. high definition
 

The Future Of HD

With all these things going for HD, why are people still interested in Standard Definition (SD)? Well, for one thing, many folks can't be bothered to see the itsy bitsy details of a person's face on a HD video or BluRay disc. A DVD quality (i.e. Standard Definition) will do just nicely for them, even if the picture is not as sharp.

Remember VHS tapes? If you compare DVD to VHS these days, you will see a HUGE difference in picture quality. In our situation, we're talking about Blu-Ray discs vs. DVD. Expect that Blu-Ray will be preferred over DVD in 10 years' time.

So what are the pros of having a HD camcorder? Like we discussed, HD video is what DVD was to VHS quality video in the past. As the world turns more toward watching HD video on HDTVs, so will the film makers start making HD video instead of SD video. Even if you don't have a HDTV, shooting your videos in HD ensures that the details in your video are captured for future generations to enjoy.

Well, what about the downsides of HD camcorders? Well, in order to edit HD video, you need a lot of computing power. That means that if your PC is anything more than a few years old, you won't be able to import and edit HD video smoothly. So I would recommend that you have an upgraded PC in order to edit HD video.

Of course, we can get a HD camcorder that allows you to choose to record video in SD quality instead of HD. However, there are very few cameras that can offer this feature, so check before you buy.

And of course, there's the price. HD cameras cost a lot of money now. They cost much more than even a high quality SD camcorder. However, it is my belief that you're better off with a high quality SD camcorder than a budget HD camcorder. So if you want to play with HD, you will need to be prepared to fork out cash.

I hope the above has given you some good insight as to whether to choose a HD or SD camcorder. My opinion is to go for HD if you can, because the videos are so much more crisp and fun to watch. And you need not be worried about preserving your video quality for viewing in 10 years time. With HD video, the video will remain crisp with tremendous detailing even if stored for ages in a cupboard.