Looking for a digital camcorder with GOOD digital pass throu

[OptimusPrime22]

After reading about all the great encodes people are making using digital cameras and firwire I decided to go get one. I need to know what do you experienced users recommend. I got plenty of hard drive space so those aVI files will be perfect to convert to MPEG 1 or 2. Thanks in advance for any help.

[yg1968]

Just about any Sony miniDV will have good passthrough feature. I have the Sony TRV25 and I like it.

[mbellot]

Haven't actually tried it "pass-thru", but the analog inputs on my Canon ZR40 work great. However, it does (according to the manual) support pass-thru conversion.

I converted (actually captured to tape since I wanted it saved in DV format permanently) several VHS tapes I have had hanging around for many years (wedding video, kid stuff, etc).

I have no reason to believe the pass-thru would be less fabulous since its using the same A/D and codec...

And the encodes *are* great, especially with DivX 5. I can actually e-mail short video clips (about 30 seconds) to people on modem connections without any major complaints.

Good luck and enjoy!

[Banko]

My dig-Cam doesn't have pass through just analog outputs and firewire in/our usb in/out! I already tranfsered my VHS tapes to SVCD already so I don't need it plus they were pal this is NTSC. IF you really dont need the pass through get the Panasonic - DV402 just get a new battery cause of the 3.5" LCD screen the battery taht comes with the camera sucks. Best price for it, is at ibuydigital.com

[yg1968]

The Sony miniDV cameras have the added advantage that the pass through defeats macrovision. I don't believe this to be the case for the Canon ZR40. However, the Canon is less expensive. If you want to capture from analog source (VCR or TV) the pass through (or at least a video in) is essential.

[Tommy]

I use a sony mini dv and it works fine. However if your using the pass though for VHS or other low resolution stuff.... don't expect miracles.

[amarprakash]

Hi:

I am a new member to this forum and I am excited to be learning from you all....

I have many vacation and home video tapes on VHS (analog tapes). I am planning to convert them into VCD- I have the Sony PC100 Digital camcorder. I understand that I can record the VCR tapes into the Sony Digital tape using my camcorder. If this is correct, how do I hook up the VCR to my Sony digital camcorder???

Also, what is the BEST way to copy VHS tapes into VCD?? Thanks in advance guys!

Amar

[yg1968]

Almost all Sony, miniDV camcorders have a pass through feature. The manual of the camcorder tells you how to use it. The manual calls it the analog to digital conversion feature.

Anyways, here are the steps:

1- You have to hook up your RCA cable to your digital camcorder
2-Connect a firewire cable (Sony calls this an i-link cable; others a 1394 cable) from your miniDV camera to your computer's firewire card. The cable is not included with the camcorder; make sure that you buy the right one as there is more than one; you will usually need a 4pin-6pin firewire cable
3-if you don't have a firewire card, I-link or 1394 card on your computer; buy one.
4-In your camcorder's menu, select DV out.
5-Use you favorite capturing program to capture (the program is actually only transfering the file to your computer)
6- Once you have the avi (DV) file, you can convert it to mpeg1 or mpeg2 using TMPGEnc.
7- Use Nero tu burn the VideoCD. If you are burning to DVD, you need to create DVD files first, using for example ULead DMF, before burning with Nero. (The latest Nero is version 5.5.9.0).
8- You need lots of hard disk space as the DV avi file will take about 14 gigs an hour. It would be better if your hard disk was formated under the NTFS format (under Windows XP) to avoid the 2 gig or 4 gig file limitation. The DV avi file is only temporary (since you will encode it to a much smaller mpeg file) but you nonetheless need about 30 gig of free space for a two hour movie. If hard disk space is a problem some DVD authoring programs will capture directly to mpeg2 from your DV camera.

For step 5, I personally use the following freeware programs to capture the DV avi file:

http://www.pinnaclesys.com/support/display.asp?FileID=910&ProductID=438

or else:

http://www.carr-engineering.com/dvio.htm

Hope this helps,

YG

[amarprakash]

Thanks YG for your response! I appreciate it...

I was looking at the Dazzle Video Creation Station 200 (DC200) by Dazzle. It apparently converts directly into MPEG1 and MPEG2 formats without the need for that extra disk space you are referring to. I am curious to know if any of the members out there have used this Dazzle product?? On the surface, it appears to be a good product ....

[yg1968]

It seems like a good product to capure from an analog souce but if your capturing from a miniDV tape, the extra step will create some degration in the quality as you would be going from digital to analog back to digital.

Ironically, the Dazzle Creation Station 200 comes with DVD complete which supports realtime encoding to mpeg1 or mpeg2 from a DV camera which means that you may be killing two birds with one stone. In other words, DVD complete's real time encoding allows to save disk space when capturing from DV (as the DV file does not get imported on the computer). Although, apparently there is some quality loss when using real time mpeg encoding. Nevertheless, it has to be better than going from digital to analog back to digital. It can't imagine that this will give you a DVD quality image.

[Cooly-O]

Haven't actually tried it "pass-thru", but the analog inputs on my Canon ZR40 work great. However, it does (according to the manual) support pass-thru conversion.

I converted (actually captured to tape since I wanted it saved in DV format permanently) several VHS tapes...

If you want to capture from analog source (VCR or TV) the pass through (or at least a video in) is essential.

What's the difference between "video in" and "pass through"? As long as the incomming video gets converted to DV, what else would pass through do for you????

What makes you think that the ZR40 pass through doesn't nullify macrovision?

[yg1968]

With pass through, you don't need to record to miniDV tape as a first step. The signal gets passed through directly to your DV out (and therefore your computer). Not all cameras support this.

Canon owners have mentionned in other threads that their camera does not defeat macrovision. For the Sony miniDV cameras, if you try to tape a protected tape onto a miniDV tape, the camcorder will indicate that you are not allowed to do this. But if you passthrough the signal without recording to tape first, there is no protection. I guess Sony figures that it's up to the software programs to detect macrovision.

[amarprakash]

Thanks YG for your response!

So you feel that the DCS200 product is a good one and you would recommend it?? I was happy to see that this product had the ability to capture video from many sources such as VCR, SD, Memory Stick, Flash card (it has slots for everything) etc....I plan to transfer all my analog, VCR tapes into VCD or SVCD (I don't have a DVD burner yet) and my DV tapes (from Sony PC100 camcorder) into SVCD/VCD as well.

One more question I had .....Is SVCD a better quality video than VCD?? Also, how about cDVD ...will this play on my Sony DVP7000 DVD player (I know it plays VCDs; I am not sure about SVCDs or cDVDs)???

Thanks

[yg1968]

I don't know about the DCS200. I was just reading its spec on their website. I have heard good things about the DVCII (except that its apparently proned to IRQ conlicts) but I don't know about this newer Dazzle product. I think that their is a couple of other threads on the subject.

See:
http://forum.vcdhelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=100326

I believe that you will find the answers to your other questions on VCD, SVCD cDVD on the FAQ.

http://www.vcdhelp.com/faq.htm

But generally, cDVD is superior to SVCD. SVCD is superior to VCD. However, I believe VCD is the more compatible of the formats. The higher the quality, the less you can fit onto a CD.

[yg1968]

...

[rsuave5]

that was all informative, i have a sony minidv cam model trv140 im looking through the manual up and down and it says nothing about the pass through tech. i will try it how it was described though if it does not work is there a wire or what device can i use to connect my vcr directly to my computer via firewire? got a new sony vaio w/ dvd burner no rca inputs thanx

[yg1968]

In the manual, Sony calls the passthrough, an analog to digital conversion feature.

To answer your other question, you must connect your RCA cable to your miniDV camcorder. And your miniDV camcorder to your computer through a firewire cable. Sony Vaios generally have both a 4 pin and also a 6 pin firewire connections, so you can buy either a 4pin-6pin firewire or a 4pin-4pin firewire cable to connect your miniDV to your computer. You must also enable DV out from your camera's menu and you should be set to go. Incidentally, Sony calls firewire, "i-link" but it is the same thing under a different name.

[yg1968]

Actually, I have looked it up your camcorder does not have a video in. So the process described above will not work. See:

http://www.sonystyle.ca/webapp/commerce/servlet/ProductDisplay?merchant_rn=1&prrfnbr=5...s&cgrfnbr=2082