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You make a good point, but getting in over your head and making mistakes is how you learn. Taking the easy way and getting results that are decent at best seems only hinders progression.
Keep in mind that there are innumerable technical approaches to get quality footage. Some methods will produce drastically different results from others. You may like one style, but hate another, and for every person who loves a certain look, there is somebody who hates that very same look. The technical processes that are explained to you by others may be correct in process, but the end product it yields is entirely subjective. One of the fun things about filming is experimenting and finding what YOU like. Having said that, I'll chime in:
In my opinion, the whole hype about 24p being bad for sports is complete BS. As long as you aren't just pointing and shooting (you shouldn't be doing this regardless of framerate), it will turn out fine. If you want that dramatic slow-yet-regularly paced motion that is commonly found in cinema, your footage will have to be 24p, plain and simple.
As for shutter speed, I'm going to have to disagree about the whole 1/48 for 24p. I personally change my shutter speed from shot to shot, once I've plotted out the movement of my subject relative to my camera movement. I usually shoot anywhere between 1/60 to 1/120. Of course, a higher shutter means you REALLY have to be on top of your shit as far as camera movement goes. I honestly feel that 1/100th looks the most "film-like." In the event that I don't have time to set everything up and I have to point and shoot, I keep it at 1/60. 1/48 produces too much motion blur, which can cause aliasing on certain formats (Although I can't speak for AVCHD). I know people will argue that this motion blur I complain of is caused by improper camera work on my part, but that isn't the case. I personally prefer to have the subject's surroundings a tad more visible, so I bump up the shutter. It's not choppy at all this way; it's barely noticeable at most.
I know many people have strong opinions against this, but I rank 720p right next to SD footage. It looks slightly sharper, but nothing too significant. When you really think about it, 1080p is pretty low resolution as well. I figure, given the current technology, you might as well shoot with as much resolution as possible. Of course, if you're going to upload to Youtube, then disregard this. Youtube quality is shit (use Vimeo).
Also, NEVER shoot interlaced if you aren't recording to tape (ie if you don't have to), because lets face it-60i looks like complete shit. Unless you're filming a soap opera or are one of those inbred skater goons who only shoots fisheye, run far far away from this frame rate. If you are one of these people, then by all means continue being a parasite.
