CamcorderInfo have posted a review on the new Sony HRD-SR1 tapeless HD camcorder. It records AVCHD (MPEG-4/H.264 based) format to an internal 30GB drive, which will apparently give you 4 hours of recording.

Sounds great! I’m completely sick of buying, labelling and especially rewinding tapes - it feels so ridiculous - and while the computer based capture options are impressive, the ability to just grab your camera and run will mean you get more video over time.

The HDD Downside: Support for AVCHD is currently weaktastic. Sony have a little link on their Vegas 7 Workflow page, which takes you to a little page which admits:

Note Regarding AVCHD camcorder support in Sony Vegas 7 software
Sony Vegas 7 does not currently support the AVCHD camcorder format.

In Spring 2007, AVCHD camcorder support will be included in a free update for all registered Vegas 7 users.

That’s slightly annoying, but it will change quickly enough as users start clamouring for support, and down the bottom of the review they have hidden something rather exciting for visualists:

Smooth Slow Record - Smooth Slow Record is one of the cooler features included on consumer camcorders this year. It’s a Sony technology made possible by the data transfer rate of CMOS sensors, and records footage in slow-motion that can be viewed nearly instantaneously – after 12 seconds of processing time – in the case of the HDR-SR1. This feat is accomplished by increasing the rate at which fields are recorded from 60fps to 240fps in three-second bursts, and then recording those frames at normal speed. Video shot in Smooth Slow Record mode is dark, because the amount of light recorded is reduced. Smooth Slow Record is a neat party trick, and perhaps even a useful tool for “analysing golf swings,” as Sony advertises.

3 seconds isn’t very much recording, as this video shows, and naturally it’s at decreased resolution. I can’t find any solid numbers on this, but it seems that it also undergoes in-camera uprezzing, which is a little daft. Quirks aside though, this is a huge step forward for slow motion in consumer cameras. It will be interesting to see the footage which makes it to the web in the coming months.

Street price seems to be around US$1300 on Amazon, or AU$2200.

Updated 2007-07-24: Jaymis has purchased a camera which features smooth slow record.

Previously leaked mentioned Sony Vegas 7 is now available.

Official information is on the Sony site, they say $149.95 for upgrade, $499.95 new. It’s showing up on Amazon for $450ish. Tasty.

Something I hadn’t previously heard about is the Envelope Brush tool.

Envelope brush “paint” tool New!
The new envelope brush tool in Vegas 7 software makes it possible to “paint” an envelope curve over time by holding down the shift key. This is a quick way to outline the general shape of an envelope without placing and modifying many distinct points. Once you rough in your envelope, the auto thinning feature approximates the drawn curve with as few points as possible. These points can then be further adjusted.

Vegas greatest strength is its lightweight, realtime editing abilities, so this tool will put it even further ahead if you want to edit and publish fast. Podcasters, Citizen Journalists, VJs, this one’s for you.

Sony have released an update to their Movie Studio line. Doting grandparents, soccer mums, beginner vidcasters, and mobile visualists rejoice! Notable updates from the previous Vegas Movie Studio include:

• HDV support/Capture
• 77 new effects
• 50+ more transitions
• Primary colour correction (anyone know what that means?)
• 5.1 surround sound mixing
• Limited edition Sony Pictures Sound Effects CD
• Import directly from Sony DVD Camcorder
• Export to PSP and iPod compatible formats
• Vegas Movie Studio training DVD

If like me you’re already well-cemented in your NLE of choice then this may not be of interest, but at US$120 it’s definitely worth a look for a light mobile edit system, and the included training DVD could make it perfect for the video editing beginner in your life. I’m not sure I’m dedicated enough to check out the trial, but if Vegas Big Kids Edition is anything to go by this should be friendly to use and fast as anything.

It seems that Sony didn’t really want us to know about the new stuff coming in the next version of their editing suite Vegas. Apparently the information was posted on the Sony site long enough for Videoguys to scribble down some points on a napkin.

Vegas 7

• XDCAM SD/HD support
• Improved HDV playback performance
• Enhanced hardware support for Blackmagic Design DeckLinkâ„¢ and AJA
• Improved workflow tools
• Cinescore software plug-in support
• Enhanced video monitoring

DVD Architect 4

• Scripting support
• Random playlist playback
• Keyframeable transformations, crop, and effects
• Buttons on video
• 4:3 and 16:9 preview settings

Vegas is a great NLE. I spend most of my time in Premiere but I still love Vegas for its incredible speed and small footprint, which make it perfect for mobile editing on my ageing Thinkpad. Being able to make edits, drop in new clips and tweak transitions while the project is still playing rocks me every time.

I can’t really say the new feature list looks revolutionary, but Premiere Pro 1.5 - 2 didn’t look that amazing on paper and it melted my face off It will be interesting to see what “Improved workflow tools” means. Ditto for “scripting support” in DVD Architect. Perhaps they’re getting ready for Blu-Ray?

via FresHDV