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General discussion

Confused what to buy

Dec 13, 2005 2:38AM PST

What camcorder is the easiest to work with? ie
to record, edit and send discs to others.

I was leaning towards the Panasonic GS 150 because of the good reviews but then my wife pointed out that recording straight to a disc would be better if we want to pass out movies to friends and relatives overseas.

After reading reviews on the camcorders that record directly to DVD+RW, it appears the quality is not as good as tape..would you reccommend staying way from these?

What camera is a good alternative in which I can edit movies on the camera, and/or quickly, easily transfer to a DVD disc for distribution..I don't want to spend hours editing.

I wish to keep under $600

Thanks a lot

Discussion is locked

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My 2-cents...
Dec 13, 2005 2:48AM PST

A DVD camcorder might be the best option if you are happy with what you record to disc and you don't want to edit. Then all you need to do is make copies of your recorded disc, mail them, and you're done. But, if you really want to edit and have better quality, get a mini-DV camera. If you have a PC, then you can most likely import the already-compressed MPEG movie into your computer using the USB imput, or worst case, download software that will allow you to extract the video from the DVD. Most PCs don't come equipped with a Firewire card (necessary to import full-quality DV video), so if you really want to do serious editing you will need to add that along with proper editing software. If you are using a Mac it already comes equipped with all the proper import connections and software for DV editing but does not come equipped to easily import video from a DVD.

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Other good options
Dec 13, 2005 5:49AM PST

Thanks Dan for your 2 cents worth.
Seems like tape is still way to go for best quality

With a mini-DV camcorder what is the fastest/easiest way to way to transfer movies to a DVD or CD?

Do I need to download the movie to my computer first(USB or Firewire)then transfer to a DVD or CD disc, then burn the disc to make copies?

Thank you

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Stay away from the DVD cameras!!!!
Dec 13, 2005 6:01AM PST
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What to do if no firewire on camera or computer?
Dec 13, 2005 10:16AM PST

Thanks very much for your input..it helps alot.

I am leaning towards the PV-GS150 but it has no S-Video input connector outlet...does this mean it would be difficult or slow to download movies using the USB port that it has?

My computer has no firewire outlet.
Is there an easy way around this...ie do I need to purchase a firewire cable and add something to my computer?

I appreciate your advice.

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USB
Dec 13, 2005 1:40PM PST

You will not be able to download a DV video stream using USB. Unfortunately this is what a PC is equipped with as it's not generally equipped to be a video/multi-media computer like a Mac is. If you want to do "real" video work on your computer, read through some of the posts on this forum as it has been discussed often as how to remedy your situation. Basically, purchase a Firewire card (cheap), a Firewire cable and then download or purchase a video editing program. WinDV or Movie Maker are at the beginner's level for a PC user. Do not use any video editing software that comes with a camcorder. You will find that it either doesn't work or is generally crap. Get the proper software that edits DV video. Oh my, the world of home video editing would be a much happier and easier place if more people owned Macs.

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No firewire outlet on camera - does it matter?
Dec 13, 2005 9:38PM PST

Thanks Dan for the great info.

The PV GS-150 has no firewire outlet.
Does this mean I have no option but to use its USB port for downloading movies to my computer?

Am I missing something here as a novice user?

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No Firewire? Look again!
Dec 14, 2005 1:45AM PST

I quote from Camcorderinfo.com website:

"The PV-GS150 features an A/V/headphone output, a microphone input, and a USB port located underneath a port cover on the left of the right side of the camcorder. There is a FireWire port located underneath the LCD screen. There is a hot accessory shoe located on the top of the camcorder, and an SD card port located on the bottom."

Read the instruction manual on your camera! As stated, the Firewire port is located underneath the LCD screen.

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What accessories do you recommend?
Dec 14, 2005 4:48AM PST

Thanks again Dan

What accessories do you recommend getting with this camera apart from a bag?

Are the online merchants recommended by cnet trustworthy?

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Accessories
Dec 14, 2005 5:55AM PST

I can't recommend any accessories except for maybe a tri-pod for doing scenery shooting. I have no input on the vendors who advertise here. Personally I would focus on equipping the computer properly and buying good software first, then once you have the hang of movie editing evaluate your need for accessories.

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These are my 2 cents
Dec 14, 2005 4:15PM PST

I would recommend to buy a DVD camcorder. With any miniDV cam you WILL probably spend some hours until you have created a DVD from your DV-footage.
If you have some extra money available then buy the Sony DCR-DVD403.Its the king of all DVD camcorders! It has excellent video performance and is VERY easy to use. It blasts away all panasonic cams in case you record under low-light conditions(even recording indoors with turned on room-lights is a low-light condition for a camcorder!). If you are uncertain about this cam then check out the various reviews on the internet.
Note: Also check whether your relatives in overseas use the same TV-system(NTSC or PAL) than in your country otherwise they can't view your videos. This is regardless whether you use miniDV or miniDVD.
Regards
Sektionschef

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Wind Noise
Dec 19, 2005 6:27AM PST

Doesn't Sony DVD403 suffer from a lot of wind noise? Please enlighten us with ur experience abt that?

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DVD (+RW, -RW)?????
Dec 26, 2005 12:06AM PST

Please what does all this mean? I just want to take fast and easy video of my kids- outdoors and indoors, with sound. Not interested in all the fancy editing. Would love to just play it back in my DVD player and be able to burn an easy copy in the DVD player for the grandparents. Using my low end computer would take years to do anything! I need to keep the price low as possible. I have dozens of tapes that I still need to burn to DVD- is it possible to use "tape" directly onto a DVD that can be played? Help! Wink Thank you- Elizabeth