By Leonard A. Caplan
Making the switch from SD to HD is exciting, scary and frustrating with a pinch of accomplishment thrown in. “Exciting” is obvious. We’re moving into an unknown, unexplored realm in which the ultimate result will be an improved product, crystal-clear, sometimes wide-screen video with that “you are there” feeling. “Scary”, because when contemplating buying something you have little or no experience with, it’s easy to make a wrong decision. “Frustrating”, because the search for good equipment can be a long, round-a-bout journey. The accomplishment comes in when all decisions have been made, purchases have occurred, setup and installation are done and you’re up and running!
Having said all that, where do you begin? In my search for new and improved equipment, I always start with people I know who may have bought or used this equipment. As in hiring an employee, word of mouth from trusted sources certainly beats advertisements. After all, how do you trust someone who’s trying to sell you the thing? This is a lot like buying a house and trusting the owner’s building inspector instead of getting your own. Not a smart thing!
The next best thing to someone you know and trust would be online video forums. Ask some questions and see what the response out there is. If more than one person makes a complaint about the same issue, it’s a safe bet that this is a problem! And if it’s a big enough problem, I ain’t buyin'!!
After your friends and online forum buddies are through with their say, you’ve narrowed it down to maybe two or three brand names and models. Rather than taking a chance on simply buying online, why not go to a retailer and give this new HD equipment a test drive? Nothing beats handling a new piece of equipment yourself so you can be the judge! Ask plenty of questions, and make your final decision!
Just think! When you finally have your HD equipment in your arsenal, new harddrives have been bought, as well as other accessories you may need, you’ll be taking your video projects and your business to the next level!
Do you think that HD is finally going to take center stage in the video industry? Or can we squeeze another five or ten years out of the SD equipment we’ve got?
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