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MillimeterTest Drive: Sony HVR-HD1000U, Part 2
Jan 28, 2008 12:00 PM
Figure 4. DSC Lab’s CamAlign ChromaDuMonde test with three camcorders.
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Laboratory Tests
This is understandable in the HDR-FX1, because its three CCDs only have 1,120,000 effective video pixels. Because HDV video requires 1,552,000 for full-resolution capture (multiply 1440 times 1080), it’s clear that the HDR-FX1 is capturing at lower-than-HDV resolution and scaling upwards to fill the frame, a technique used by most early HDV cameras. This obviously works well, but it preserves less detail than full-resolution HDV capture.
The XH A1 was the first camcorder I’ve used that had more than sufficient pixels (1,670,000) for full-resolution HDV capture, which translates to better-preserved detail and sharper images. While the HD1000 has 2,280,000 effective video pixels, more than enough for full-resolution HDV capture, its frames aren’t as clear as those of the 3CCD Canon (see Figure 4). On the other hand, the preserved resolution is very close to that of the HDR-FX1, a camera that costs almost twice as much at retail.
Figure 5. DSC Lab’s MultiBurst Test pattern chart with three camcorders.
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Figure 5, which is DSC Labs’ MultiBurst Test pattern chart, shows similar results. I’d have to give the edge to the HDR-FX1 over the HD1000, with both Sonys clearly overshadowed by the XH A1. Specifically, the XH A1 was able to resolve very close to 800 lines in both axes, which showed up as a blurry box in both other camcorders.
Figure 6. DSC Labs CamBelle images, revealing slight color differences between the camcorders.
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Figure 6 shows the famed CamBelles, a test chart that I use for judging color. Here, albeit after color correction, I find the color in both the Canon and HDR-FX1 more accurate than that produced by the HD1000. I’m struggling for adjectives here, but the color produced by the HD1000 looks brassier and less sophisticated—particularly in the blonde hair and beach ball. It’s very similar to what I saw above in the Prince’s red jacket and Clara’s pink dress.
Of course, for me, the big issue with any quality test is whether a viewer with “untrained eyes” would notice the difference without side-by-side comparisons. If you’re delivering on SD DVD, I’d definitely say no, but on a Blu-ray Disc or HDTV program, some more critical viewers may notice that the image produced by the HD1000 is less clear than others that they’ve seen elsewhere. It would definitely have to be a discerning viewer, however.
With these tests behind us, let’s move to low-light testing, then summarize.
