VideoHelp Forum
+ Reply to Thread
Results 1 to 11 of 11
Thread
  1. Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Pennsylvania
    Search Comp PM
    I'm looking to buy a good quality camcorder with a line and/or microphone input to produce video for the web and dvds. Something with a zoom that gives wide angle in addition to zooming in well.

    I also need a good quality wireless microphone where the wireless receiver can plug into the camcorder. I figure some kind of microphone that can be worn on the head with the transmitter clipped to the belt would be nice.

    I want to use the video and audio clips I take with Sony video editing software, which I have heard good reports about.

    Thanks for any suggestions.
    Quote Quote  
  2. Member edDV's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Northern California, USA
    Search Comp PM
    SD or HD?

    Budget?

    For mic, start with is one as a low price model that works. Azden WMS-Pro
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYlhDGrw_eA
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Hn47WPLW-s

    Then go through these if you have more to spend
    http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=microphone+wireless&aq=f
    Last edited by edDV; 5th Dec 2010 at 01:37.
    Recommends: Kiva.org - Loans that change lives.
    http://www.kiva.org/about
    Quote Quote  
  3. Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Pennsylvania
    Search Comp PM
    Hi edDV:
    Thanks for our post.

    I'm not all that sure if I want to do SD or HD. I guess it would be HD for marketing DVDs. Maybe I only need SD for anything on the web...due to bandwidth? I'm not sure. I'm so new to this...I guess SD is standard definition? HD is probably high definition.

    I checked out the link on your post and it did help me "home in" on a wireless microphone system. While the Azden WMS Pro is nice, I also noticed the Sony UWP wireless microphone system. I might go with the Sony. You helped me out. Thanks much.

    Now that I know what microphone I want to use, now I need to find a good camcorder. I need something that can do wide angle, and also zoom in well. Do you (or anyone else reading this) have any suggestions?

    I will probably use the Sony video editing software. Am I correct in thinking that Sony video editing software is supposed pretty good? I'm only going by what I heard from one person.

    After getting all this together I will only need to be able to get ideas on what I would like to do videos of. I want to do marketing videos for my son's computer networking business. And I would like to do marketing videos about my wife's tea and etiquette business. I figure good videos will give prospects a very good idea of both businesses.

    Thanks edDV for your help.
    Quote Quote  
  4. Member edDV's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Northern California, USA
    Search Comp PM
    Budget?

    For HD you are going to need a new computer too. Budget that in.

    Edit software is a personal decision but I mostly use Sony Vegas Pro (also Final Cut and Premier Pro).
    Recommends: Kiva.org - Loans that change lives.
    http://www.kiva.org/about
    Quote Quote  
  5. Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Pennsylvania
    Search Comp PM
    Hi edDV:
    Thanks again for your reply.
    I guess my budget for the camcorder would be around $800...plus or minus a couple hundred.

    I already have a desktop computer. OS is XP Pro. 3200 MHz Intel Pentium 4. 156 G Hard drive, but I will probably be adding an external hard drive with more capacity. 1024 Meg RAM. Do you think the computer I have now will be ok?

    Thanks
    Last edited by Bob777; 6th Dec 2010 at 03:20.
    Quote Quote  
  6. Member edDV's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Northern California, USA
    Search Comp PM
    Originally Posted by Bob777 View Post
    Hi edDV:
    Thanks again for your reply.
    I guess my budget for the camcorder would be around $800...plus or minus a couple hundred.

    I already have a desktop computer. OS is XP Pro. 3200 MHz Intel Pentium 4. 156 G Hard drive, but I will probably be adding an external hard drive with more capacity. 1024 Meg RAM. Do you think the computer I have now will be ok?

    Thanks
    AVCHD format needs more computer than that.

    I suggest a Canon HV-20/30/40 series (HDV tape format) that can operate in standard def DV or HDV mode. It can even record HDV but down convert in the camera to DV format for capture. It connects to the PC with and IEEE-1394 (Firewire) port. It also will do live steaming over Firewire. The HV series also supports external wireless mic, has manual audio level control and peak meter.

    Some Sony HDV camcorders are comparable. Features may vary.
    Recommends: Kiva.org - Loans that change lives.
    http://www.kiva.org/about
    Quote Quote  
  7. Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Pennsylvania
    Search Comp PM
    Hi again edDV:
    Thanks again for your help.
    I'm not familiar what kinds of formats are used on the web and/or on dvd. I never heard of AVCHD before, but I guess it must be pretty good. I think I have heard of mpeg and avi. You can see I at a real elementary level of learning about this...lol.

    So how much ram and hard drive size, and cpu speed, etc. do you think I need for AVCHD? I'm guessing AVCHD needs the most ram and speed, etc? If so, maybe I should only go with a cam corder that only does DV and HDV? Do you think DV and HDV is all I'll need? Is it the professionals that only use AVCHD?

    Thanks much,
    Bob
    Quote Quote  
  8. Member edDV's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Northern California, USA
    Search Comp PM
    Originally Posted by Bob777 View Post
    Hi again edDV:
    Thanks again for your help.
    I'm not familiar what kinds of formats are used on the web and/or on dvd. I never heard of AVCHD before, but I guess it must be pretty good. I think I have heard of mpeg and avi. You can see I at a real elementary level of learning about this...lol.

    So how much ram and hard drive size, and cpu speed, etc. do you think I need for AVCHD? I'm guessing AVCHD needs the most ram and speed, etc? If so, maybe I should only go with a cam corder that only does DV and HDV? Do you think DV and HDV is all I'll need? Is it the professionals that only use AVCHD?

    Thanks much,
    Bob
    AVCHD is a highly compressed consumer format*, hence the need for powerful computers to edit it. Most editing software specs a Core2 quad minimum and an i7 recommended. RAM is less an issue. 4GB is fine. HDD is less an issue because the files are so small (7-12 GB/hr).

    Pros use less compressed formats (HDV, XDCAM-EX, DVCProHD, AVCIntra) so need proportionately larger hard drives.

    DV is a fine compression format for web project editing and your current computer. If you want to step up to HD, you will need to upgrade. After editing, you would compress to flash, wmv or h.264 for web distribution.


    * highly compressed to fit on flash media. If you go to a Best Buy, most camcorders will be AVCHD. You will need to buy good DV or HDV camcorders online.
    Last edited by edDV; 6th Dec 2010 at 19:12.
    Recommends: Kiva.org - Loans that change lives.
    http://www.kiva.org/about
    Quote Quote  
  9. Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Pennsylvania
    Search Comp PM
    Thanks so much. You really know this stuff.

    So it sounds like AVCHD is a lower cost consumer level type of format for camcorders? I assume lower definition?

    So I guess I should shoot for getting DV or HD camcorder to get higher quality video. Although isn't it not desirable to use too high of a video quality, since it might take a long time for the real high quality video to be displayed on peoples computers when viewing on web sites?

    Bummer...lol. I was hoping I might be ok with my computer. Now it looks like I will have to see if my wife will let me buy a new computer...lol.

    Can you recommend any good books on this video stuff?

    Thanks
    Bob
    Quote Quote  
  10. Member edDV's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Northern California, USA
    Search Comp PM
    Originally Posted by Bob777 View Post
    So it sounds like AVCHD is a lower cost consumer level type of format for camcorders? I assume lower definition?
    No it is 1920x1080 or 1440x1080 resolution but highly compressed. Resolution is only one factor in video quality.

    Originally Posted by Bob777 View Post
    So I guess I should shoot for getting DV or HD camcorder to get higher quality video. Although isn't it not desirable to use too high of a video quality, since it might take a long time for the real high quality video to be displayed on peoples computers when viewing on web sites?
    There are several steps to the result. Quality depends on each step.

    1. Shoot the video
    2. Capture or copy the video to hard drive
    3. Edit the video
    4. Encode and upload edited video to distribution server.
    5. Distribution server site will recode again for delivery on the net.

    As for shooting the video, lighting and camcorder skills are more important than the camcorder being used.

    As for capture and editing, this is where format issues and CPU power are important. You need to choose a format that matches your hardware or game over.

    Encoding after editing is done to match your server requirements. YouTube?

    Once you upload your video, they will recompress the snot out of it. End quality to the web user depends on all the steps above.

    I suggest you learn with standard def, then experiment with high def as time and budget allow.

    The good thing about HDV camcorders is you can shoot HD to tape but transfer and edit DV standard def. Later when you have the budget, you can re-edit in HD.
    Last edited by edDV; 7th Dec 2010 at 00:19.
    Recommends: Kiva.org - Loans that change lives.
    http://www.kiva.org/about
    Quote Quote  
  11. Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Pennsylvania
    Search Comp PM
    Thanks much edDV:

    The only part I feel good about is the lighting. I use to work for a TV station way back in the 60s, where we did some syndacated tv programs and lots of recorded commercials. I did a lot of the lighting for them plus running camera in the studio. It's this new camcorder stuff I really need to learn about...lol.

    I'm going to see if I can find a book on this video stuff and do some reading.

    Your help is very much appreciated. The forum is lucky to have someone like you offering help.

    Bob
    Quote Quote  



Similar Threads

Visit our sponsor! Try DVDFab and backup Blu-rays!