Sony DCR-SX65 memory card camcorder compatibility/file types

[ThisIsMyUserName]

I have a chance to buy a Sony DCR-SX65 memory card camcorder cheap. Never used a memory card camcorder before, so just have some questions.

This camera is SD (good enough for now for my purpose), 2011 model, and records in MP2 to SDHC memory cards. (Does not mandate Memory Stick.) But unlike the DV cameras, these cameras don't have a playback remote. This makes the camera worthless as a playback device for watching the videos on the TV. So a critical question is, will these recordings likely play on a media player device with an SDHC card reader? Without transcoding them? Manual says it records in MPEG2-PS (9mbs at highest bitrate), 720x480, but gives no other details on whether or not it uses some proprietry container format.

Also, if it does play on a media player, what SDHC memory card media player would you recommend that would play it and has the following features?

1) Component and composite out for the CRT TV. (Do not want to replace TV.) Proper formatting for 4:3 TV if needed.

2) HDMI with 480i output through HDMI for LCD TVs. (Do not want to be forced to use a crappy deinterlacer on some device that doesn't do 480i through HDMI.)

Can be seperate units for 1 and 2 if needed. Obviously must have a remote.

Also, do these units use constant FRAME rate for MP2? I assume yes but the specs don't say. Do not want to deal with variable FRAME rate, so just wanted to be sure.

This unit's sister models (listed in same manual) are DCR-SX45 and DCR-SX85, diff appears to be mainly in internal storage which I likely won't use.

Thanks in advance.

[Bwaak]

This camera is SD (good enough for now for my purpose), 2011 model, and records in MP2 to SDHC memory cards. (Does not mandate Memory Stick.)

I don't know about you, but when I see "MP2", I think of MPEG-1 Audio Layer II. Your camcorder uses MPEG-2 Part 2 a.k.a. H.262 for encoding video.

But unlike the DV cameras, these cameras don't have a playback remote.

No relation to DV or no DV. Your particular camcorder does not have a remote.

This makes the camera worthless as a playback device for watching the videos on the TV.

Why would you watch videos directly off the camcorder? Don't you want to edit the videos first to make them watchable? Unless you are a seasoned shooter practising in-camera editing.

So a critical question is, will these recordings likely play on a media player device with an SDHC card reader? Without transcoding them? Manual says it records in MPEG2-PS (9mbs at highest bitrate), 720x480, but gives no other details on whether or not it uses some proprietry container format.

Depends on a player. The files are encoded with MPEG-2 video codec and stored in Program Stream, that is what "PS" stands for. This is the same format as on DVD. Also, it is 9 Mbps, not 9 mbps.

Also, do these units use constant FRAME rate for MP2? I assume yes but the specs don't say. Do not want to deal with variable FRAME rate, so just wanted to be sure.

The camcorder shoots with constant frame rate, but likely with variable bitrate, which should not be an issue.

For uploading to YouTube you will need to deinterlace.

[ThisIsMyUserName]

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[ThisIsMyUserName]

No relation to DV or no DV. Your particular camcorder does not have a remote.

In my experience, it was the norm for home use miniDV cameras to have a playback remote. Memory card camcorders with a playback remote appear to be very rare.

Why would you watch videos directly off the camcorder?

I may or may not ever edit them, may not even ever have time to edit them. But regardless (these are home movies), I need to be able to watch them on the TV without editing or re-encoding first. (Although I do want the ABILITY to edit them if I want.)

No interest in uploading these vids to a website.

[Bwaak]

I am sorry, I cannot recommend a specific media player box. But I think that most of them should be able to play standard def MPEG-2 PS files. Also, do not discount TV converter boxes, as this is what they are meant to play: MPEG-2 HD and SD, albeit in a Transport Stream.

If you don't upload your videos online, your personal video history will die with you, unless someone finds your memory cards twenty years later and uploads them