converting minidv to DVD

i do plan to do some editing. however, i am not sure how much as i am new to this. would like to create chapters - start and end points etc - maybe once i get good mix in music etc.
my wife is due with our first child in Jan - we plan to use the camera to record growing up momemts etc

of course one of my fears is that the minidv will phased out soon

miniDV phase out.

1) DV=Digital video. It may be tape, but it is digital encoding on the tape. Not only does it continue to offer video quality superior to internal hard drive and DVD based camcorders, it is also the ONLY media that any knowledgable IT manager would deem as "acceptable" for long-term storage.

2) Do not confuse analog VHS with digital miniDV. They are very different - and while we are on that subject, everyone said BETA was dead - go to nearly any "real" TV studio and they still use BETA - and tapes are available... and while VHS might not be the movie rental choice, those blank tapes are also still readily available.

3) Personally, I think both hard drive and DVD based camcorders are interim steps. MiniDV will be around for a while after hard drive and DVD based camcorders are long gone. Either memory card or wireless link to a storage server somewhere are the right storge mechanisms... currently, memory cards are expensive (and unknown shelf life), so as long the pros stay with the media (miniDV), the media (and the tools that can read that media - miniDV tape) will be around - my take is for at least another 10 years - minimum (so that means it'll probably be around longer).

the panny pv-gs320 - except for no plugin for the external mic, i cant find much negative about it - and even with that i will probably only be doing some basic taping - so not sure if it is even a big deal.

i have browsed several posts here, and see your responses often, thought i would just direct a question back to you. - i have look through the forum for the answers. difficult to find

1. aftermarket batteries - good bad etc. are energizer consider aftermarket - BB sells these - any you recommed or where to buy

2. saw a post regarding unknown if this camera accepts filters. any update on this? if it doesnt anything else you can do to protect the original lense

awesome!

1) For extra optional batteries, yes, Energizers are considered 3rd party aftermarket as any non-Panasonic branded battery would be considered the same. I have never used batteries other than those branded by the camcorder manufacturer. I have read too many posts where the 3rd party aftermarket batteries refused to be recognized by the camcorder - but I use Sony gear, and they always make proprietary stuff. If the store that sells you the battery will take it back at full value if the camera decides it does not like that battery, then I guess that is cool - or just go with a Panasonic-branded battery and not worry about it. Yes - I know - they cost more... but at least you don't have to worry about it...

2) As for the lens filters - according to the Technical Specs at the panasonic web site for this camera:
http://www2.panasonic.com/consumer-electronics/shop/Cameras-Camcorders/Camcorders/MiniDV-Camcorders/model.PV-GS320.S_11002_7000000000000005702
It says the Filter size is 37mm... So apparently it will take 37mm filters.

Hint on audio - the closer the mics are to people speaking, the better that audio will sound - in this case, that means the camera needs to be close because the mics are built-in. So... if you are far away and the audio does not sound loud enough, at least you know why.

Hint on video: Turn digital zoom off. You really don't want to use it.

Use a tripod or monopod whenever you can. Pan (left-right and up-down) S L O W L Y. Use the zoom sparingly - and S L O W L Y. Take the lead from the network TV camera folks... pay attention to how they pan and zoom...

HAVE FUN!!!

Mini DV every time! The quality is far better and much easier to edit! Good advice from boya84 slow everything down, for most documentaries best to cut to a close up than zoom, it can make your head spin when you watch it. I don't know these cameras, but the pros us Mini DV. I use two mini DV cameras for documentaries and web videos, a canon for SD as it's auto focus and easy to use, and a JVC for HD. tried the other types but quality just wasn't there when put on a big screen! Hope this helps.

I really want to know if DV tape based camcorders still record the best quality movie as compared to DVD or HDD camcorders. I want to buy a camcorder for personal use in a price range slightly higher than the basic (upto $ 400). Please help me with the following issues :
-Which gives the best picture quality out of the three (in the same price category)?
-Which is the best in terms of storage capacity (time of recording)and also in terms of costs of storage?
-Is there a loss of quality when copying from DV tape to DVD or to HDD?
-Should one go for the DV model out of the three, if in the same price range it gives more spcs (and not fear phasing out of the tape)
- Out of Sony DCR-HC38/E , DCR-DVD608/E, DCR-SR42/E - Which one is more preferable if picture quality is the consideration and not storage capacity?
Thanks
Amar

in other posts. Please also read the Camcorder Forum sticky.

-Which gives the best picture quality out of the three (in the same price category)? MiniDV tape.

-Which is the best in terms of storage capacity (time of recording)and also in terms of costs of storage? If a single long duration recording is required, HDD. If up to 1 hour segments are acceptable - but limited by only the number of tapes you carry with you (hundreds?) and power... it takes about 8 seconds to take out the full tape, insert the new one and start recording again - miniDV tape. Costs of storage comparison could be debatable since hard drive costs are coming down so much - but most people wouldn't fill the HDD on the camcorder and go get a new camcorder... so it depends on what your definition of storage is. If I only store 5 hours of video, that is 5 tapes for a miniDV machine - and potentially fills the hard drive on a HDD machine... then what? Did I bring a computer with available hard drive space to transfer the video (13 gig per hour)? For the next five hours I need a place to dump the HDD camcorder's video - but I have 5 more tapes at ~US$2.50 each I can store that - presuming there is a power outlet or I have extra capacity batteries charged and ready to go. Yes, I have been on shoots that were 14 hour days... and filled 12 tapes... it is not a regular thing, but it has happened more than once.

-Is there a loss of quality when copying from DV tape to DVD or to HDD? It depends what format video is used to store on that media. If your video editing application allows you to choose a "Full Quality" format, then no, there is essentially no loss of video quality. DV = Digital Video - so it is a digital-digital transfer. The zeroes and ones stay the same. (This is NOT analog.) HDD and DVD based camcorders are also digital - but NOT DV. The compress a LOT. The "lots of compression" results in degraded video - the hard drive camcorders really aren't THAT bad - but DVD based are worst video quality (especially if you import to a computer for editing or transfer to another media) of the three media. Memory card camcorders (like the Sony CX7 are just now coming out - too bad it used AVCHD to compress hidef video - otherwise, it might be a nice camcorder - they will be in the realm of HDD video quality).

-Should one go for the DV model out of the three, if in the same price range it gives more spcs (and not fear phasing out of the tape) There is no reason to fear tape phase out. MiniDV tape is a digital format that is more acceptable as an archive mechanism than HDD or optical media. That it is cheap and continues to provide the best available quality and the pros continue to use it adds to its continued availability.

- Out of Sony DCR-HC38/E , DCR-DVD608/E, DCR-SR42/E - Which one is more preferable if picture quality is the consideration and not storage capacity? The one which uses miniDV tape (DCR-HC38.)

You will notice that I don't talk about DVD camcorders much - I believe they should be removed from the market. Finalize or not? Scratch the disc? Video recovery challenge. 20 minutes recording time per disc - or 40 minutes if double sided and you need to manually flip the disc - so not enough recourding time. Ripping the DVD to get to the video is the only way to edit, and the resulting quality degradation on top of the poor original quality due to the compression - well, it is icky. I no longer do "favors" for friends asking me to edit their DVD-based camcorder footage. If you are not planning to edit this footage, this might be the method you want - but I've read too many post here about DVDs with video on them turning into coasters.

The previous responders are correct about the quality and ease-of-use of continuing to use tape-based approach (such as MiniDV tape), as opposed to DVD or harddrive based solutions for amateur home video use. DVD and harddrive solutions often become an asset-management hassle, tape can still be reliable and reasonably convient. Also know that in some cases, the MiniDV format tape can now be used for High Definition camcorders (such as Canon HV10). So, some users who've shot Standard Definition on the MiniDV format in the past, can continue on with that same MiniDV tape format in certain HD cameras, too. Just a convenience factor, and still economical, and still easy to asset-manage the accumulated raw footage.

I don't agree with the article... and the "war" won't be over in 2010 with HD-DVD or BluRay formats, either. There will be "the next best thing" like cheap memory cards or "holographic memory" or HDD camcorders that use DV/HDV formatted video to store...

Ultimately, I would like to see a consumer camcorder with a transceiver (using wi-fi/WiMax or 1xEv-DO or LTE or whatever is available to transport the data) to connect to a server somewhere so what I shoot is stored on that server... and if I want to playback on the camcorder, I can play the video back on the camcorder or remotely connected computer... and edit when I get to it. That server could be a server farm somewhere or at my home... and my TV will be connected to it (with SlingBox or AppleTV type device or functionality)... and the camcorder will run on a fuel cell that draws power from hydrogen pulled from the air so we don't need to worry about recharging (or just add water)...

Meanwhile, back in the present, miniDV tape continues to provide the best available consumer camcorder video quality - and the tapes continue to be readily available - and are cheap... and will be available for many years to come... Just like 8mm, digital8 and BETA... and, even with its poor quality, VHS... All of which apparently died well over 7 years ago...