About DVCPRO HD Camcorder NEX 5N/S Avchd Format Specifications
User Manual: Camcorder NEX-5N/S
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About AVCHD
AVCHD (Advanced Video Coding High Definition) is a file-based format for the digital recording
and playback of high-definition video jointly developed by Sony and Panasonic. AVCHD uses
Advanced Video Coding (AVC) compression (also known as
MPEG-4 part 10
or
H.264
) to achieve
high-quality images and low data rates. AVCHD camcorders record on a variety of file-based
media, including 80 mm DVDs, hard disks, and flash memory (such as Secure Digital cards and
memory sticks).
The AVCHD specification allows most SD and HD dimensions and frame rates, though each
camcorder usually supports only a few formats. The AVCHD color sample ratio is 4:2:0, with 8 bits
per sample. Audio can be recorded in 5.1-channel surround sound with Dolby Digital (AC-3)
compression or up to 7.1-channel surround sound (uncompressed). Some camcorders, such as
the Panasonic HDC-SD5 camcorder, use a two-channel built-in microphone.
Storage
Storage
Storage
Storage Medium
Medium
Medium
Medium
AVCHD camcorders record on a variety of file-based media, including 80 mm DVDs (also known
as
miniDVDs
), hard disks, and flash memory (such as Secure Digital cards).
Video
Video
Video
Video Standard
Standard
Standard
Standard
The AVCHD specification was jointly developed by Sony and Panasonic. AVCHD allows for HD
recording (1080i, 1080p, and 720p) and SD recording (480i and 576i).
Aspect
Aspect
Aspect
Aspect Ratio
Ratio
Ratio
Ratio
AVCHD records HD video with an aspect ratio of 16:9. SD video can be recorded with either a 4:3
or 16:9 aspect ratio.
Frame
Frame
Frame
Frame Dimensions,
Dimensions,
Dimensions,
Dimensions, Number
Number
Number
Number of
of
of
of Lines,
Lines,
Lines,
Lines, and
and
and
and Resolution
Resolution
Resolution
Resolution
AVCHD supports three HD video resolutions:
1920 x 1080: This format is sometimes called Full HD because it contains the full 1920 horizontal
pixels of the 1080-line HD format.
1440 x 1080: This is a horizontally subsampled image with 1080 lines.
1280 x 720: This is a full-resolution 720p format.
SD NTSC- and PAL-compatible formats are also defined in the AVCHD specification:
720 x 480 at 60i
720 x 576 at 50i
Frame
Frame
Frame
Frame Rate
Rate
Rate
Rate
The specified AVCHD frame rates are:
NTSC-compatible frame rate: 29.97 fps (1080i60, 720p60)
PAL-compatible frame rate: 25 fps (1080i50, 720p50)
Film-compatible frame rate: 23.98 fps (1080p24, 720p24)
Scanning
Scanning
Scanning
Scanning Method
Method
Method
Method
AVCHD can record either interlaced or progressive scan images:
1080 lines: Interlaced (1080i) or progressive (1080p)
720 lines: Progressive
Color
Color
Color
Color Recording
Recording
Recording
Recording Method
Method
Method
Method
The AVCHD color sample ratio is 4:2:0, with 8 bits per sample.
Data
Data
Data
Data Rate
Rate
Rate
Rate
The amount of storage space required by AVCHD footage depends on the quality setting chosen
on the camcorder. Most camcorders support several quality levels, although these quality levels
have different names and bit rates on different camcorders. When variable bit rate (VBR)
encoding is used, complex and rapidly changing video requires more data, shortening recording
time. Therefore, stated variable bit rates are an average. By converting AVCHD files to specific
video format, you are free to import .mts or .m2ts files to iMovie, FCE, FCP X, Adobe Premiere Pro,
Avid Media Composer.
Sony
Sony
Sony
Sony Camcorder
Camcorder
Camcorder
Camcorder AVCHD
AVCHD
AVCHD
AVCHD Quality
Quality
Quality
Quality Levels
Levels
Levels
Levels
This table lists the bit rates for different quality-level settings on Sony AVCHD camcorders. Sony
camcorders use variable bit rate (VBR) encoding at every quality level. Sometimes, for some
reason, Sony HDR-CX users will find that they can't import the AVCHD content from the
camcorder to iMovie even Apple iMovie website have listed support for this model or they have
imported successfully many times before.
Format
Format
Format
Format name
name
name
name Bit
Bit
Bit
Bit rate
rate
rate
rate
XP (highest quality) 15 Mbps (VBR)
HQ (high quality) 9 Mbps (VBR)
SP (standard quality) 7 Mbps (VBR)
LP (long play) 5 Mbps (VBR)
Panasonic
Panasonic
Panasonic
Panasonic Camcorder
Camcorder
Camcorder
Camcorder AVCHD
AVCHD
AVCHD
AVCHD Quality
Quality
Quality
Quality Levels
Levels
Levels
Levels
This table lists the bit rates for different quality-level settings on Panasonic AVCHD camcorders.
Depending on the quality-level setting, Panasonic camcorders use either constant bit rate (CBR)
or variable bit rate (VBR) encoding.
Format
Format
Format
Format name
name
name
name Bit
Bit
Bit
Bit rate
rate
rate
rate
PH 21 Mbps (VBR)
HA 17 Mbps (VBR)
HF 13 Mbps (CBR)
HG 13 Mbps (VBR)
HN 9 Mbps (VBR)
HE 6 Mbps (VBR)
Audio
Audio
Audio
Audio
AVCHD audio can be recorded in 5.1-channel surround sound with Dolby Digital (AC-3)
compression or up to 7.1-channel surround sound (uncompressed). Some cameras, such as the
Panasonic HDC-SD5, use a two-channel built-in microphone.
Canon
Depending on model, Canon camcorders offer 1080-line interlaced, PsF, and native 24p
recording.
HR10 (DVD)
2007: HG10 (40 GB HDD)
April 2008: HF10 (SDHC, built-in 16GB flash memory), HF100 (SDHC)
September 2008: HF11 (SDHC, built-in 32GB flash memory), HG20 (60GB HDD, SDHC), HG21
(120GB HDD, SDHC)
January 2009: HF S10 (SDHC, built-in 32GB flash memory), HF S100 (SDHC), HF20 (SDHC, built-in
32GB flash memory), HF200 (SDHC)
August 2009: HF S11 (SDHC, built-in 64GB flash memory, wired LANC remote capability)
January 2010: HF S21 (two SDHC slots, 64GB flash memory, electronic viewfinder), HF S20 (two
SDHC slots, 32GB flash memory), HF S200 (two SDHC slots); HF M31 (SDHC, 32GB flash memory),
HF M30 (SDHC, 8GB flash memory), HF M300 (SDHC); HF R11 (32GB flash memory), HF R10
(SDHC, 8GB flash memory), HF R100 (SDHC)
April 2011: HF G10 (with 1/3" image sensor)
March 2012: HF M500 (with 1/3" image sensor | 24pf, 30pf, and 60i | removable SDHC/SDXC flash
memory)
Hitachi
2008: DZ-BD10HA (Three-media recording: Blu-ray Disc, AVCHD on HDD, AVCHD on SDHC)
JVC
June 2008: GZ-HD10 (HDD, MicroSDHC), GZ-HD30/GZ-HD40(HDD, MicroSDHC card, dual AVCHD
and TOD recording)
January 2009: GZ-HD320 (120 GB HDD, MicroSD), GZ-HD300 (60 GB HDD, MicroSD), GZ-HM200
(dual SDHC)
February 2009: GZ-X900 (SD/SDHC card)
September 2009: GZ-HM300, GZ-HM400
December 2009: GZ-HD620
March 2010: GZ-HM1
Spring 2011: GZ-HM30 (pre-released December 2010)
2011 : GZ-HM4XX,GZ-HM6XX,GZ-HM8XX, GZ-HM9XX
Leica Camera
Digital still cameras
2010:LEICA D-LUX 5, LEICA V-LUX 2
Panasonic
Panasonic AVCHD camcorders offer interlaced, progressive scan or native progressive recording
and combinations of these modes depending on a particular model. 1080-line and 720-line
recording is possible depending on a model.
Panasonic AVCHD camcorders use AVC with High Profile @ Level 4.0 for all modes except
1080p50/1080p60, which are encoded with High Profile @ Level 4.2. Maximum data rate is
limited to 24 Mbit/s for AVCCAM models, to 17 Mbit/s for most consumer models and to 28
Mbit/s for 1080p50/1080p60 recording modes.
December 2006: HDC-DX1 (DVD), HDC-SD1 (SDHC)
HDC-SD3 (SDHC, available in Japan only)
AG-HSC1U - essentially a rebadged HDC-HC1 (SDHC, comes with portable 40 GB HDD storage)
August 2007: HDC-SD5 (SDHC), HDC-SX5 (DVD, SDHC), HDC-SD7 (SDHC)
January 2008: HDC-SD9 (SDHC), HDC-HS9 (60 GB HDD, SDHC)
April 2008: AG-HMC70 (SDHC)
June 2008: HDC-SD100 (SDHC), HDC-HS100 (60 GB HDD, SDHC)
September 2008: AG-HMC150 (SDHC)
January 2009: HDC-HS300 (120 GB HDD), HDC-HS200 (80 GB HDD), HDC-TM300 (32 GB built-in
flash memory, SDHC), HDC-SD300 (SDHC, available in Europe only), HDC-SD200 (SDHC).
June 2009: HDC-TM30/HDC-TM10 (32 GB built-in flash memory, SDHC), HDC-SD10 (SDHC)
June 2009: HDC-TM350 (64 GB built-in flash memory, SDHC, available in Japan and as of October
2009, from Panasonic Stores across the UK)
September 2009: AG-HMC40 (SDHC)
February 2010: HDC-TM700/HDC-SD700/HDC-HS700 (introduced 1080p60/1080p50 modes,
depending on region)
March 2010: HDC-SD60/HDC-TM60/HDC-HS60
December 2010: AG-AF100/AG-AF101/AG-AF102 (4/3" large sensor camera)
September 2011: AG-AC130/AG-AC160 (SDXC/SDHC/SD)
In 2009 Panasonic introduced AVCHD Lite and AVCHD to selected members of its Lumix line of
digital cameras:
2009: DMC-ZS3/TZ7*, DMC-TS1/DMC-FT1* (AVCHD Lite)
2009: DMC-GH1 (AVCHD)
2010: Lumix DMC-ZS7/TZ10*, DMC-G2 (AVCHD lite)
2010: Lumix DMC-GH2, DMC-GF2 (AVCHD)
2011: Lumix DMC-ZS10/TZ20* (AVCHD lite)
2011: Lumix DMC-FX77/FX78*, DMC-TS3*, DMC-FZ45/47/48*
2011: Lumix DMC-GF2, DMC-G3/GF3 (AVCHD)
2012: Lumix DMC-TZ30 (AVCHD, AVCHD Progressive: GPH, PSH)
* to avoid European specific tax, Panasonic digital cameras for this market are limited to 30
minutes recording.
Sony
Consumer Sony AVCHD camcorders released before 2011 could record 1080-line interlaced video
only, while the prosumer HDR-AX2000 and professional HXR-NX5 cameras were capable of
recording in interlaced and progressive formats.
Released in March 2011, the Sony NEX-FS100 is the first professional NXCAM camcorder capable
of 1080p50/p60 recording; consumer-grade HandyCam NEX-VG20 followed in August 2011.
The list of AVCHD camcorders includes:
September 2006: HDR-UX1 (DVD), HDR-UX3/UX5 (DVD), HDR-UX7 (DVD)
October 2006: HDR-SR1 (30 GB HDD)
June 2007: HDR-SR5 (40 GB HDD), HDR-SR7 (60 GB HDD)
July 2007: HDR-SR5C (100 GB HDD), HDR-SR8 (100 GB HDD)
Summer 2007: HDR-CX7 (Memory Stick Duo)
March 2008: HDR-SR10 (40GB HDD, Memory Stick), HDR-SR11 (60 GB HDD, Memory Stick),
HDR-SR12 (120 GB HDD, Memory Stick)
HDR-TG1/TG3/TG7 (Memory Stick Duo)
August 2008: HDR-CX12 (Memory Stick Duo)
March 2009: HDR-XR520V (240 GB HDD), HDR-XR500V (120 GB HDD Version)
March 2009: HDR-XR200V (120 GB HDD)
March 2009: HDR-XR200VE (120 GB HDD + GPS)
March 2009: HDR-XR100 (80 GB HDD)
July 2009: HDR-CX500E, HDR-CX520E
October 2009: HDR-CX105 (8GB Memory Stick Duo)
January 2010: HXR-NX5, HDR-AX2000.
March 2010: HDR-XR550 (240 GB HDD)
June 2010: Sony NEX-5, NEX-5C (without Eye-Fi support), of both models, variants with AVCHD
1080 50i and AVCHD 1080 60i only exist
July 2010: Sony HXR-MC50E.
March 2011: Sony NEX-FS100
August 2011: NEX-VG20
October 2011: Sony SLT-A65, Sony SLT-A77V, Sony NEX-5N, Sony NEX-7
In 2010 Sony introduced AVCHD to selected members of its Cybershot line of digital cameras.
January 2010: Sony DSC-HX5V (GPS+COMPASS), HX5V-E (European version, limited to 30
minutes recording due to European specific taxes)
March 2011: Sony DSC-HX9V (GPS+COMPASS), HX9V-E (European version, limited to 30 minutes
recording due to European specific taxes)
2012 : Sony HX10V, Sony HX20V
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