Posted: 12/1/2005 1:40:33 PM EDT
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The last time I bought a video camcorder it took standard VHS tapes. Obviously that technology has gone the way of the dinosaur. I hear a bunch of terms thrown around as far as technology, like Hi8, Mini DV, DVD, etc.... What's the difference between each? Help? |
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Well, I just bought a MiniDV recorder, made by JVC uses a mini-tape or memory stick, it will take stills, slow mo video, night video, regular video etc...has 28x optical zoom, and lots o other features that seem cool, got it with a starter kit, tri-pod, case, sleaning stuff etc...nice package.. |
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Most of what you mentioned is the recording format. Like VHS vs Beta Max. Although there are some quality differences, they are not as important as the type of camera, optical zoom, and ccd size. That being said, there is at least one to avoid, the Sony mini dv format, as I have heard nothing but bad things when it comes to editing software not being compatible. I use the regular mini dv format, and have had no problems with it. Pick the one you can afford with the most optical zoom, and the highest ccd you can get in that price range, and you should be fine. After much research, we picked a Cannon, but there are many fine makers out there. If you don't like turning tapes into dvd's, then there are a couple that record straight to mini dvd's. But those seem like a waste to me. When you get to editing, make sure you have a fast computer and a couple of large hard drives. From what I have seen, 7 min of tape equal about 2 GB of data. So about 20 gb per 1 hour tape is about the norm. |
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Hi8 - older going out of fashion, much better than VHS tape, but still analog technology. Mini DV - less popular DV tape format that records digitally on a tape. DVD - uses a disk to write video to - can be played back in many DVD players once the secession has been finalized. DV - most popular DV tape format that records digitally on a 60 minute tape. With the digital formats you plug a cable into the camcorder and then into your Windows XP machine and then you can inport and edit the digital video using the free Microsoft program MovieMaker (same with the Mac using iLife's iMovie). |
The secession from where?  
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Session maybe? 
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| Have you looked at the "tapeless" camcorders? They record directly to an on board hard drive or a memory card. I haven't looked that hard at them, but I think that is the way that I would go. One of the plusses is the ability to look at any part of the recording that you want, and no accidental recording over what you have recorded. |
I think there is some confusion here. MiniDV is THE industry standard consumer video camera format today. MiniDV tapes are 60 minutes long (they can be recorded in EP mode to get 90 minutes, but this isn't recommended). "DV" is the actual format of the data on the tape, and this format is used for MiniDV, DVCAM, and Digital-8mm. Digital-8mm is really a kludge, to allow some backwards playback compatibility with older 8mm and Hi-8mm tapes. They are really just 8mm designs with additional circuitry to allow the data to be encoded in DV format instead of analog. Even though Digital-8 is DV-format data, the inherent limitations of the 8mm cameras (they aren't capable of full 720x480 NTSC resolution) makes them lower quality than MiniDV cams. The analog formats (VHS, VHS-C, 8mm, and Hi-8) are definitely obsolete, and can't be transferred to a PC without an analog capture device. MiniDV (and Digital-8) cams will have a FireWire (IEEE 1394) port and can be transferred digitally to a computer using just a FireWire cable. There is also DVCAM, which is a "pro" version of MiniDV. Essentially, it's just a MiniDV tape that is run 50% faster, which helps the tapes hold up when being played back by "experienced" (read: out of date) editors who prefer to shuttle the tape back and forth instead of dumping the whole video into the computer and editing it digitally. Several hi-end pro-sumer models have a "pro" counterpart that uses DVCAM format, but is in most respect the same camera. -Troy |
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If it were memory cards or some non-moving part hd / tapeless camera, I might agree and say that would be the way to go. But even in laptops I have seen way too many hd's fail. Until it is a 100gb sd card, I will leave mine tape for those moments you want to keep. If you have a dvd camera, if you want to edit, eventually you will have to transfer it to computer. It might just be a bit faster that way, but to me you are burning 2 dvd's to get the one you want. |
So with MiniDV you have the option of either offloading it onto your computer or just taking out the disc and playing it in a MiniDV player (or just connect the camcorder to the TV and let it play from there)? |
MiniDV is a TAPE format. You can play the tape in the camcorder right on to the TV (virtually any camcorder lets you do this, regardless of format), but you can also hook the camera up to a computer via a FireWire cable and transfer the video digitally into your computer, so that you can edit it on the computer and then burn to DVD (you'll need appropriate software). You can even dump the edited version back out to a MiniDV tape, and because all this is digital, there is no quality loss. In fact, the DV data format used by MiniDV cameras is considerably higher quality than DVD, due to a higher data bitrate. The straight-to-DVD cameras are convenient if you don't ever plan to edit anything, but editing is the difference between boring ametuer-looking video and professional-looking video. You have to evaluate your needs. Look at the size of the cameras in your price range, their features (believe it or not, you pay EXTRA for more manual controls on a video camera), their light sensitivity (virtually anything indoors is "low-light", and light performance is a huge deal), battery life, recording duration, and how much editing you plan to do. All of these things will influence your decision. -Troy |
Hmm, I never knew that. How old is the MiniDV technology? Hasn't it been around for a while? That's very interesting that it's a tape format but can be edited digitally. |
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www.dvxuser.com Website dedicated to the Panasonic DVX100 series of mini-dv camcorders the 24p gives near film quality |
| Just bought a Minidv camcorder Sony HCR32, has SuperNightShot for when there is low light conditions, being we are not movie producers lighting is never perfect, it has capability for stills with the memory stick but I have a digital cam that works, I can record to dvd (Sam's club sells a deck burner for $135) through the front AV inputs or optional s-video. |
Some professional cameras use a hard drive pack (with own battery) through firewire, that usually docks on the rear of the camera, to record so they do not have to slowly copy the digital data when they are done. Also, have you guys noticed the "prosumer 3xCDD" cameras? It is a regression! Back in the day they used to have 3 CCDs with a prism to get the Red, Green, and Blue. Then along came the single color CCD. Now it has regressed. I am sure the video quality is better though, but they act like it is a "new" technology. go to B&H Photo (www.bhphoto.com) and ask them a lot of questions....they also have great prices.. |
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Unless you like to do a lot of editing I would stay away from the tapeless cameras and stick to tape or DVD. Most casual users just want to shoot and record without the fuss of downloading stuff all the time. The other bad thing is if your PC harddrive goes down your video is toast unless you backed it up. Did I mention I like video? 
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nice... |
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Sony has a new 1080 line MiniDV cam but other than FCP on a mac you are going to have issues finding software to edit the data absorbing any taped data onto a computer takes time, harddrive space & $... http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/Sony-HCR-HC1-Review.htm the tape to DVD cameras are prolly OK for most consumers, but be aware that in order to fit the data onto the ~4 gigs of DVD space the camera compresses the data further than the miniDV standard i have a fleet of MiniDV cameras at work The flagship is a Canon XL2 The rest are Sonys. TRV 900s to TRV19s & the newer .5Kbuck machines i grok the Sony UI |
Yeah, and I have used one. The quality is phenomenal. Far better than any single chip CCD's I have ever used. They are just big, and expensive, two things that made us go to a good Canon MiniDV (not sure of the model, the wife has it out filming a volley ball match of my niece's now). Geoff |
Not at all. There has yet to be a single-chip camera that can touch the quality of a 3-chip cam. All pro and prosumer cams are 3-chip, and have been since forever. -Troy |
Exactly. And Sony's QUALITY just destroys the Canons. Sony's big fault is not making an affordable camera with lots of manual controls to compete with the Canon XL's. A PD-170 takes better video, but not having direct manual control of zoom or focus is a serious limitation if you're trying to shoot effects using the camera, "movie style." Which is why the Canons are so popular, despite their other shortcomings. -Troy |
I think you misunderstood....it is not "NEW" but it is better since CCDs are way better... |