If you are planning to buy an HD camcorder, it’s certainly a good time as there are more models on the market right now than they’ve ever been, and they’re available at reasonable prices. However, there are a few things you should know before you invest in an HD camcorder.

1. First thing you should know: almost all HD camcorders on the market will give you a great video output—comparable to the video you see on satellite TV. However, the video will not be as sharp and detailed as an HD DVD or Blu-ray.
2. May it be professional photography or shooting videos for school projects, you must decide on the right specifications and quality before making a decision. For simple video shooting, a point-and-shoot camera will suffice. Consider your goals and make sure you really need an HD model.
3. HD camcorders can be plugged directly via HDMI to an HDTV. All you need to do is connect your HD camcorder to an HDTV and control it with a remote—this is the easiest way to use camcorders. HD camcorders that have built-in editing software are mind-boggling and practically unusable.
4. Editing AVCHD video is not easy. All latest models of HD camcorders use a compressed AVCHD format. Editing HDV videos from old camcorders is a simple task as those videos are in an HDTV format, one that has been in existence for nearly 4 years. However, AVCHD is a completely different matter. AVCHD is a newer format and one that is not easy to edit. You will find editing softwares that support AVCHD, but it’s still a hard task getting the footage from an HD camcorder to a computer system (but less clumsier if you’re on a Mac).
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5. If you do plan to edit HD video footage despite the difficulty level, get a Mac or PC. If you can, opt for a dual-processor system featuring eight cores. The more powerful the PC, the easier the editing process will be. Transferring files and compressing them is no child’s play when you’re dealing with HD video, so you require a powerful system that can cope up with the daunting tasks and not keep you waiting forever during rendering.
6. Consider where you’d be distributing the footage from the camcorder, as it’s not an easy task either. Remember that you’re no longer dealing with old school camcorders where you could easily lay down the video to a VHS tape or burn it on a DVD. HD videos work well on a Blu-ray disc, but do you have the right gear to burn or play Blu-ray?

7. Do you want your HD camcorder to record on DVD, HDV, Blu-ray, memory card or hard disk? Weigh your options. Hard disks have larger memory but are bulky and delicate. Flash memory cards can only store up to 40 minutes of footage. DV and Blu-ray recording seem outdated but facilitate immediate playback on DVD and Blue-ray players. HDV tape recording seems even more outdated but delivers good results.
8. How often are you really going to use that HD camcorder you’re planning to buy? Also, do you have the patience to cut the footage, and an audience to watch all your work? If you just need to cover one event, it would be wiser to rent equipment. After learning all this about HD camcorders, buy one only if you’re sure you will be using it frequently.
9. HD camcorders are available at fairly reasonable prices. Set a budget and find something within your means.
10. Last but not the least, look up reviews of the latest camcorders on the market and read all specifications carefully. Compare different HD camcorders before you finally settle on one.
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Also Read: 7 Points to Consider Before You Buy DSLR Camera