VIXIA HF M500 HDMI 4:2:2 output?

[alinsdau]

Hello,

Does anyone know if the Vixia M500 outputs "raw" video via the HDMI port in 4:2:2 format rather than the compressed format saved on the SD cards?  I'd like to connect a field recorder to the camera to get better quality.  The sensor is really good but I'm hoping to get more out of the camera before spending big bucks on a prosumer camera.

Thanks!

[Tim]

Hello Alinsdau,

Without speculating, there isn't a way for us to confirm whether this camera will capture uncompressed video through the HDMI port on the camera.  This is because that is not a published specification in the manual.  We apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause you at this time.  

[alinsdau]

Thanks, Tim.  Is there any way to find out from the design team on this?  I know companies keep their engineers shielded but certainly someone at the company knows the answer to this.  Even though it's not a published specification, there had to be some design decision and implementation to match a standard on the HDMI output port.

[JaPa109]

Hey! You can send a short sample from the HDMI to a dvr or to your computer if you have the right set up and name the file DVR and put it on the computer. Then, take the same file from the Sandisk and dump it into the computer and compare them in size. If they are the same then HDMI output is compressed. My guess is that it is uncompressed because your TV has no decompression software and could not render a picture without it?