No, its not Blu-Ray. Sony and Panasonic announced today that
they have co-developed a new high definition DVD format created specifically for
camcorders. The new format, dubbed AVCHD, captures video onto 8cm DVDs using
the MPEG4 AVC/H.264 compression system. This system allows video to be recorded
at 18 megabits per second. Current HD video formats are 19 megabits (HD-1) and
25 megabits (HD-2). Current non-HD camcorders record at 8.5 megabits per second.
Both companies have been working on this together for over a year.
The AVCHD format compresses HD video into smaller data streams so that it can
fit onto existing 8cm DVD discs. This new technology will allow users to shoot
HD video using the above codec at twice the efficiency of the current MPEG 2 and
MPEG4 codecs. AVCHD will be able to shoot 1080i or 720p with 4:2:0 sampling and
will work in either 4:3 or 16:9 formats.
Audiophiles need not worry. AVCHD will also be able to use either AC-3 or Linear
PCM for high-quality sound. Using the AC-3 codec, users will be able to record 1
to 5.1 audio channels or 1 to 7.1 audio channels using Linear PCM.
