> From: John Thompson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > I have been following this thread on DVD camcorders and am now > thoroughly confused. I am currently looking at finally updating my > (very old) JVC VHS camera but after reading some of the emails on > this issue, am left to wonder what is the best way to go. I want a > unit that will be easy (for a geriatric like me) to link to my Mac > Mini and Lacie DVD Burner so I can update all my old material and > also get instant replay on my iBook G3 500 when used for sport > coaching. Any Suggestions??
Hmm. Each of the different types of cameras have advantages and disadvantages. For your situation, requiring near-instant replay on your iBook, you might be best going for an HDD camera as the transfer times from camera to computer of the footage is far faster than Mini-DV. A few seconds to copy several minutes worth of footage. In contrast it takes an hour to transfer and hour of footage from a Mini-DV camera. A DVD Camcorder (with 8cm DVD disks) could actually potentially be even faster for instant replays as you could pop the disc out of the camera and slip it into the iBook G3's tray-load DVD drive and I guess play it back in DVD player - though this is something you couldn't do with a more modern Mac containing a slot load DVD drive. Converting the video files later on to a format iMovie understands for editing would however add an extra step (and consume more time) with an HDD camera (or a DVD camcorder) that a Mini-DV camera wouldn't require as footage from the latter can be captured into iMovie directly from the camera. So if ease of use with iMovie is the priority, a Mini-DV video camera might be better, but you would lose the initial fast transfer of video feature. I guess it depends on what is your main priority. I'd probably still go with an HDD camera like the Sony DCR-SR100 myself as for me its advantages outweigh the disadvantages. -Mart -------------------------------------- Martin Hill email: mart "at" ozmac.com homepages: http://mart.ozmac.com Mb: 0417-967-969 hm: (08)9314-5242
