camcorder: Mini-DV or DVD media ??? Which is better?

[mrhata]

I want to get a new camcorder. But I'm not sure which is best.
Can you all help me decide what is best for me?
I have done conversions in the past - small projects, like converting VHS to DVD, DVD to DVD, etc.
I hear you can edit more with Mini-DV. I hear you can't edit DVD-R recordings.
Overall, I want to hear feedback on what people know or think about these two choices.

[BSR]

Mini-DV is better quality.
DVD-R is mpeg2 quality, but a lot easier. Record on cam and put in DVDplayer.

DVD-R is editable, but not as easy. Actually pain in As$.
DV very easy and fast to edit. Every frame is an I frame.

If you plan on editing your footage and playing with it to make a DVD then Mini-DV is the way to go.
If you don't want the hassle of converting to DVD then DVD-r is your answer.

Me personally, I own the DV cam.

[trickyman]

If u want to do any type of editing whatsoever go with DV. if all u want to do is shoot and watch the raw footage go w/ DVD.

IMHO i think the DVD camcorders are the ultimate waste of $$. i like to edit all my footage then burn to DVDs with interactive menus, can't do that w/ DVD camcorders....

[guns1inger]

Actually, you can edit mpeg-2 streams, and there are more and more editors supporting properly all the time. The favourite around here appears to be wombleVCR. It does tend to be slower because of the temporal nature of mpeg compression.

The bigger issue is that mpeg-2 compression is greater than DV (hence the much smaller file sizes), but does not handle reencoding anywhere near as well. If your edits are limited to simple cuts and joins, with no transitions or overlays, then something like wombleVCR might be just right. It doesn't reencode if it doesn't have to. If you need to do more than this, then DV is definately the way to as you can go several generations without causing great damage.