Sony Handycam HDR-XR520VE

Compression & Media Summary
• Rare ability to record either HD or standard definition video at multiple bit rates • Maximum bit rate at the highest quality caps out at just 16Mbps • Huge 240GB hard drive, Memory Stick card slot, and the ability to transfer footage from one to the other • Editing software holds no surprises: very little to offer beyond the bare essentials
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Compression (8.75)

The Sony HDR-XR520VE can record high definition AVCHD files in one of four different quality settings. Each setting is associated with a different bit rate, with the fastest bit rate being 16Mbps. A lot has been made in the videophile community of Sony's failure to upgrade their products to the 24Mbps bit rate. Several other manufacturers have already begun producing camcorders that can record at 24Mbps, the ceiling bit rate of the AVCHD codec. Honestly, we're not yet convinced that consumer cams are really ready to take advantage of the increased bit rate. We saw very little difference between last year's Canon HF10 and Canon HF11. However, 16Mbps is even lower than the 17Mbps cap on the top-tier Panasonic's. And surely the competition is going to continue to improve; if Sony doesn't catch up they might be left in the 16Mbps dust.

The Sony HDR-XR520VE has the rare ability to shoot both high definition and standard definition videos. We think it's almost always preferable to shoot in the highest quality setting possible, since you can always compress videos further, but you can never uncompress in retrospect. However, AVCHD files can certainly be a bear to edit, especially if your hardware is limited. If you're caught in a tight spot and need to record some quick and dirty MPEG-2 files, consider using the XR520's standard definition modes. You can even choose a 16:9 or 4:3 aspect ratio. Not a lot of consumer camcorders offer so much flexibility.

Media (10.14)

The Sony HDR-XR520VE has a whopping 240GB hard drive. That's enough to hold nearly thirty hours of footage at the highest quality setting. But don't say goodbye to memory cards and PC backups just yet. Hard drives are less stable than flash memory and you should never count on an HDD's moving parts to store and protect your most valuable memories. Always back up your footage, even if you're far from reaching the hard drives capacity.

The XR520 records to a 240GB HDD or removable Memory Stick PRO Duo cards.

Fortunately, the XR520 also comes equipped with a card slot for recording onto Sony's propriety memory cards, the Memory Stick Pro Duo. It's too bad that Sony insists on making you purchase their own memory cards, instead of utilizing a more universal media type, like SD/SDHC cards. The Sony HDR-XR520VE includes an easy-to-use feature for dubbing footage from one media type to another. If you record to Memory Stick and want to move your footage onto the hard drive, or back up your HDD footage onto Memory Sticks, you can do this easily from within the Home menu. You just have to dig around the menus a little the find the feature.

Editing (6.75)

Editing AVCHD footage has gotten much easier since its inception, as more software manufacturers are introducing AVCHD editing solutions. However, you still need a powerful computer to work with these dense files. Even middle-of-the-road computers purchased within the last couple of years create a maddeningly slow work flow.

The intro screen of Picture Motion Browser

The HDR-XR520VE ships with Picture Motion Browser Version 4.2.00, software that allows you to import clips, piece together simple films, and export them to the media of your choice for sharing. For very basic home use on PCs—the software is not Mac-compatible—this will suffice. Just don't expect to do much more than the basics. If you are working on a Mac, you will have to look elsewhere for your basic editing needs.

Picture Motion Browser is PC-only. And it definitely looks like Windows software.