Advice on what product to buy. Want a camcorder/dvr. decent quality...

[Helmutblack]

Hi all,

I'm looking for a digital camcorder that can not only record home movies, but one where I can easily hook it up to my tv and record whats playing, then easily transfer it to my pc. Looking for something that won't have shoddy quality. Someone at BestBuy said I'd have to get a Harddrive Camcorder. They are fairly expensive. Any suggestions? I'd also need to know what sort of cables I'd have to buy to make this happen and if software was in order.

Thanks alot,

Mike

[edDV]

I assume you want standard definition. In that case DV format is the highest consumer quality and is available in two tape formats, MiniDV and Digital8. Normal recording time per tape is 62min. Some DV camcorders have a LP mode for longer recordings (90min) but this mode is not recommended for long term archives. DV format camcorders transfer DV video/audio streams to the PC over IEEE-1394 (Firewire).

DVD camcorders record 30 min MPeg2 in DVD format to 3" miniDVD discs.

HD camcorders record MPeg2 in DVD format to a 30GB hard drive in various bitrates detailed in this article. http://www.videomaker.com/scripts/article.cfm?id=11264

DV format is the highest quality recording. The JVC HD camcorder has the longest recording time. MPeg2 camcorders transfer video as MPeg2 files over USB2.

The camera sections of the three formats determine the acquisition quality of home shot video. Low end models have simple low end camera sections. Better camera sections are only available with MiniDV format.

Be aware that all camcorders will block direct recording from commercial copy protected media.


PS: Most USA DV format camcorders will record from analog inputs (composite and S-Video) to tape. Models with the "Analog Pass Through" feature will allow direct recording from analog inputs to the PC hard disk through the camcorder. Pass-Through recordings can be any length but DV format consumes 13.5GB per hour.

[Helmutblack]

would you be able to recomend a specific make/model camera?

[edDV]

See camcorderinfo.com for comparisons.

DV camcorders range from $200 to >$40k.
Make sure you get the "analog pass through" feature.

[Helmutblack]

thank you