Is this madness, or genius?

[custerc]

I know the HMC can do 4:2:2 if you take the output directly from HDMI instead of from the SD card connected to the computer. If that's possible, does that mean it's possible to store footage on the computer (maintaining the SD card's file structure, then put it BACK onto an SD card, back into the HMC later and export via HDMI to a computer for 4:2:2 color sampling instead of 4:2:0?

Basically, I'm going to be shooting a doc over the next year. I plan to store footage simply by copy-pasting the contents of my SD cards anyway. If I could get 4:2:2 color from HDMI, it might be worth it for me to put the footage I end up wanting back on SD cards when I start editing, and then reimport it all from the camera via HDMI. But it can't be that simple, right? Because if that worked, why the hell wouldn't it be 4:2:2 off of the SD card in a computer?

(the "genius" in the title is just there to attract views; I assume if this is possible everyone is already doing it)

 

[AGMedia]

I welcome Barry Green to correct me -- because your scenario is wonderful -- BUT -- once the footage is on the SD card it has been compressed to the AVCHD format.

So, your question really is -- is the HMC150 upsampling the recorded AVCHD to uncompressed 4:2:2 when you play back the AVCHD files in camera -- to which I would answer -- no.

But, the truth is that I really do wish you had discovered something -- because then I could return my NanoFlash to B&H.

 

[Exact]

While you can use an SD card for storage, you would need to store it in a 4:2:2 codec, which is going to take more space and the HMC is not going to read it.

 

[Barry_Green]

The live feed is 4:2:2. The compression is 4:2:0. Once the footage is recorded, it is forever 4:2:0. If you play it back from playback, it will play back the 4:2:0.