FYI...
I got a new Cam (the Pana HDC-HS700) and it can record Video in up to 1080 @ 50fps (see pic for all format details). Anyway with some testing these files play back fine in MC with the following observation on Video Decoders:
1) FFDSHOW (libavcodec) : No good, very stuttery
2) FFDSHOW (ffmpeg-mt) : Pretty Good
3) CoreAVC V2 : Pretty Good
It is great to see high frame rate video without any de-interlacing issues. I still see some intraframe compression artifacts but I'm note sure if that is due to the Cameras encoder more that the filters on the PC.
Anyway, thought I would share
Nathan
PS - "NTSC" countries have a 60p version.
PPS - I hope Glynor approves of my upgrade from a HDV Cam!
I absolutely approve. The brand new HS700 is a beautiful (if expensive) point-and-shoot-style camcorder. I have an older HS9 (which is an earlier model of the same line) that I use as a loaner at work, and it is great. Easy to use, nice auto-color balance, and nice and compact.
The intraframe compression errors (especially tearing) is absolutely a known weakness of AVCHD camcorders in general, but Panny's implementation of AVCHD in particular. Fast pans and run-and-gun are just not possible with AVCHD camcorders, generally. That's what you surrender with going with a highly lossy temporal codec like AVC and trying to do it in real time. AVC does very well and can achieve incredible efficiencies if either:
a) the content stays generally the same from frame to frame, changing only a low percentage of the total screen pixels at any one time
b) you do multi-pass compression and use compression markers to add manual keyframes for big, sudden full-frame scene changes (fades-to-black, motion graphics, etc).
That said, if I was buying a video camera now... I would actually love a full-frame DSLR with the new video capture abilities (like a 5D Mark II). Unfortunately, they are limited to 10 minutes maximum continuous capture time (stupid EU), but that full-35mm-frame and lens choices allows you to do awesome focus pulls and depth of field shots that my $10k Panny can't even dream about.