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Introduction
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01.Product Tour
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02.Colour & Noise Performance
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03.Motion & Sharpness Performance
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04.Low Light Performance
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05.Compression & Media
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06.Manual Controls
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07.Still Features
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08.Handling & Use
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09.Playback & Connectivity
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10.Audio & Other Features
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11.Panasonic HDC-TM700 Comparison
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12.Canon HF S21 Comparison
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13.JVC GZ-HM1 Comparison
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14.Conclusion
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15.Specs and Ratings
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16.Comments
Sony HDR-CX550VE
Previous: Part 4
Low Light PerformanceNext: Part 6
Manual Controls
Compression & Media Summary
• Uses AVCHD compression for recording HD video.
• Has one standard definition recording option in addition to multiple HD quality settings.
• First Sony Handycam to offer 24Mbps AVCHD recording.
• 64GB internal flash memory as well as the capability to record to SD/SDHC or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards.
Compression (9.25)
The HDR-CX550V uses AVCHD compression for recording HD video. This model marks the first instance of Sony offering a 24Mbps bit-rate for recording AVCHD video on a consumer camcorder—something that JVC and Canon have had for a couple of years now. We didn't notice a tremendous difference with this new 24Mbps record mode, but it should help keep artefacting lower on your videos.Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of AVCHD.
Sony is one of the few manufacturers to include a standard definition record mode along with its HD recording options on its consumer camcorders. The CX550V only has one SD record mode (called STD) and it captures video at a 720 x 480 resolution using the MPEG-2 codec.
| Format | Resolution | Bitrate | Codec |
| HD FX | 1920 x 1080 | 24Mbps | MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 (AVCHD) |
| HD FH | 1920 x 1080 | 17Mbps | MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 (AVCHD) |
| HD HQ | 1920 x 1080 | 9Mbps | MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 (AVCHD) |
| HD LP | 1920 x 1080 | 5Mbps | MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 (AVCHD) |
| STD | 720 x 480 | 9Mbps | MPEG-2 |
Media (9.92)
The Sony HDR-CX550V is loaded with 64GB of internal flash memory, which is a lot for a consumer camcorder. The bigger news, however, is that the camcorder can record to either Memory Stick PRO Duo or SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards. Previously, Sony camcorders could not work with SD/SDHC memory cards—which was a somewhat limiting factor. The inclusion of SDXC card compatibility is also a pleasant surprise, as Sony was originally non-committal about whether its new camcorders would work with these memory cards. Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of flash memory.
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Sony's new camcorders can record to SD/SDHC or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards. |
We do take issue with the design of the memory card slot on the HDR-CX550V. The slot works with both types of memory cards, but it is somewhat difficult to insert a Memory Stick PRO Duo card into the slot. SD/SDHC cards are a bit larger than Memory Sticks, which means when you insert a Memory Stick PRO Duo card into the slot you have to feel around a bit before you can actually slide the card in correctly.
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HD FX (24Mbps) |
HD FH (17Mbps) |
HD HQ (9Mbps) |
HD LP (5Mbps) |
Standard Definition | |
| 4GB memory card | 20 min | 25 min | 55 min | 90 min | 55 min |
| 64GB internal flash memory | 6 hours | 7 hours 40 min | 15 hours 35 min | 25 hours 15 min | 15 hours 35 min |
Editing (7.0)
The Sony HDR-CX550V ships with Picture Motion Browser (PMB) version 5.0. This is the same software that Sony has been including with its Handycam camcorders for many years, but version 5.0 has a few updates and a slightly different design than its previous incarnations.
For an overview of the software that ships with the Sony HDR-CX550V and other Sony camcorders, see our article: "Video Editing Software For Your Camcorder"
| Sony HDR-CX550V Comparisons | ||
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| Panasonic HDC-TM700 | Canon HF S21 | JVC GZ-HM1 |
Shop for the Sony HDR-CX550VE
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