page_title: AVCHD
section_title: Hard disk drive
hierarchical_section_title: AVCHD / Media / Hard disk drive
caption_attribution_description: Canon HG10 high defenition video camera with hard drive
context_page_description: AVCHD is a file-based format for the digital recording and playback of high-definition video. It is H.264 and Dolby AC-3 packaged into the MPEG transport stream, with a set of constraints designed around the camcorders.
  Developed jointly by Sony and Panasonic, the format was introduced in 2006 primarily for use in high definition consumer camcorders. Related specifications include the professional variants AVCCAM and NXCAM.
  Favorable comparisons of AVCHD against HDV and XDCAM EX solidified perception of AVCHD as a format acceptable for professional use. Both Panasonic and Sony released the first consumer AVCHD camcorders in spring of 2007. Panasonic released the first AVCHD camcorder aimed at the professional market in 2008, though it was nothing more than the FLASH card consumer model rebadged with a different model number.
  In 2011 the AVCHD specification was amended to include 1080-line 50-frame/s and 60-frame/s modes and stereoscopic video. The new video modes require double the data rate of previous modes.
  AVCHD and its logo are trademarks of Sony and Panasonic.
context_section_description: A hard disk drive was added as an optional recording medium to AVCHD specification shortly after the new video standard had been announced. Presently, capacity of built-in HDDs ranges from 30 GB to 240 GB.
  Pros:
  Higher capacity than other media types, which allows for longer continuous recording.
  Cons:
  Sensitive to atmospheric pressure. The HDD may fail if the camcorder is used at altitudes above 3,000 metres (9,800 ft).
  Vulnerable to mechanical shock or fast movement.
  All HDD-based AVCHD camcorders employ non-removable disks. To transfer video to a computer the camcorder must be connected with a USB cable. Most camcorders require using an AC power adapter for this operation.
  The sound of moving magnetic heads may be heard in the recorded video when recording in quiet environment.
  Replacing a damaged HDD requires disassembling a camcorder and cannot be done by a consumer.
caption: Canon HG10 HDD-based AVCHD camcorder
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