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This is really gimmick. A 560K pixels sensor cannot provide anywhere near full HD resolution of 2M pixels (1920x1080). Interpolation is not real resolution. The real resolution of this camera is probably only slightly better than DV, as evident from the various resolution measurements on the test reports published online. Even with higher resolution sensors, the real resolution is often limited by the optimum resolution range of the optics.

Hey, read the text - not 1080 lines, but 1920 lines! Gee, not even that 30" Apple monitor has the resolution to display that )

Oh, I get it, it's a _portrait_ camera, rather than the landscape we're all used to. And it's interpolating to get that, I believe.

Ha, ha, very funny. I guess for $800, people are paying for the small size, the better color resolution of 3 sensors, the Leica lens etc. Just don't be fooled into believing this camera can provide anywhere hear full HD resolution video when you buy it.

#1 but this is 3-sensors camcorder, would that make 3 times 560Kpixels (near full HD) resolution image? What I am curious is how to get the HD into regular DVD (even better if I could make some editting) at HD quality. Even regular DVD contains only 30-minutes of HD material, I would be happy. If you know the answer, let me know and thanks in advanced.

#4, the 3 sensors are for the 3 different color components (RGB) so you can get better color resolution for your video, they don't add to 3 times the true resolution. I am no expert on HD camcorders nor editing, so I am afraid that I cannot answer your questions. However, there are so many forums online that I am sure you can find the answers to your questions. Before the HD-DVD/blu-ray standards were established, there were other HD standards proposals trying to use existing red laser DVD media, but using both disc sides and more than 2 layers to store more data for HD video. Of course they never materialize to formal standards levels. With current MPEG compression standards, you cannot store, say, two hours, of true HD video onto one layer of DVD of 4.7GB storage.

Hmm, why not get an HD20 for about the same price for real HD?

To much $, not enuf resolution.

#4, I just looked at the reviews of this camcorder. It can store 40 min of 1080i video onto a 4GB SD card. Which means you can store 40+ minutes of 1080i HD video onto a single layer DVD media. Apparently they allow you to lower the resolution to SD and store a full length video onto a regular DVD media.

Thanks "Cpotato33". As I understand for single sensor, the resolution per color is one third of the sensor capability. I read on a few forum and still can't find the answer for editting HD camcorder and put HD content on regular DVD (High Def. DVD burner and disc are out of my reach). Capture in HD and lower it to regular resolution to store on DVD does not sound appealing at all. Thanks again.

Whats with all the whiners ?

This is a true AVCHD camera and it WILL provide you with an HD picture!

I use a Sony CX-7 and the video is spectacular ! The SD5 is getting great reviews and the price is very good.

AVCHD video is terrific - you nay sayers should actually VIEW some video before making stupid comments about it not being HD... the video is awesome.

#10, I have no doubt that this is noticeably better than a DV camcorder with its 3 "pixel shift" CCDs, great optics, high data rate video standards etc. However, due to the limitions of the smaller sensors, and to a larger extent, the limition of the optics (even professional film camera may not be to provide good enough resolution to support resolution of 1920x1080 in many situations such as zoom, light conditions etc.), the full HD resolution claim is not really that true. If you look at the real measured resolution results using real life resolution charts of these HD camcorders, the results are in the range of 500~800 lines or so resolution range. Not near the real HD resolution.

#9, this camcorder claims that it uses "pixel shift" to achieve higher resolution than the 520 pixels that the sensor provide. How effective is that approach remain to be verified with true resolution chart measurement tests, which I have not seen. However, resolution measurements of other HD camcorders showed much lower than claimed spec, probably partly due to the optics limitation.

I think Sony is a lot better and it's worth the bucks a lot more

wow, and a burner??? um, ok

What's also important to me is the recording format of these camcorders. Do they record in MPEG2 / 20Mbps? Or something higher compressed or something else? The nice thing about DV is it is very low compression so there is a lot of detail to get out of it.

nice camcorder, how's the quality?

Great camcorder! I'd purchase only if it was $400 cheaper.

I almost bought this. But unlike it's predecessor, the SD1, it doesn't have Dolby 1 I'm waiting for the SD3 to hit the US market. It does full HD and also has the 5.1 audio.

This is definitely too expensive for a HD corder

lols. #17. you and i are on the same page here buddy. but i don't think that's gonna happen.