[HVX200] Native 16:9 DV recording?

[Gunny]

Sup guys :)
It's my first time here on dvxusers. Looks to me like a top notch expert community, so I hope someone of you will solve my doubt.
I'm an italian videomaker who's now about to buy an HVX. The thing is: in september I'll have to work on a SD project wich wil result in a musical DVD. Don't need P2 or FS100 HDef support for this work, just decent widescreen material, so I was thinking about simply use MiniDV tapes.
I've heard some contrasting opinions about the DV mode.
So: can the HVX200 obtain native 16:9 footage just by using miniDV tapes, or it's just 4:3 material? And: can HVX200 shoot in standard def/24 progressive mode like the DVX100 or just interlaced footage?
Thanks :)

[THoff]

Yes, the HVX200 will record standard DV25 onto MiniDV tapes, either 4:3 or true anamorphically squeezed 16:9.

All internal processing in the HVX200 is progressive, but some of the recording formats (MiniDV tape included) require that the progressively imaged video be stored in an interlaced recording format.

[David Saraceno]

Any reason why you might not want to go with a less expensive, SD DVX100b?

[THoff]

He wants HD but has one project coming up that only requires SD MiniDV, and he wants to ensure that the HVX can handle that.

[Gunny]

Thoff's right, I'm about to work simultaneously on two different projects, a 720p indipendent movie and the SD project I'm talking about.
Thanks guys :)

[jjb]

Welcome Gunny
As you'll probably buy a European 50Hz HVX200E it's 25p and not 24p like with the US version.

[Gunny]

Welcome Gunny
As you'll probably buy a European 50Hz HVX200E it's 25p and not 24p like with the US version.

Too true, sorry ^_-