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Question

MiniDV Tape Formats (between two cameras)

Jul 22, 2011 1:00AM PDT

I shoot and produce video for a television broadcast at a local church with a Sony HDR-FX7 HD Handycam. Its hard mounted to a ProAim Jr. which is mounted in the balcony of the church.
Here are my concerns:
* Rendering video is a 1:1 time process and the footage is always 2+ hours so no one wants to stay after church to move the footage to a hard drive for transport.
* The camera is expensive and shouldnt be moved every week back and forth (and would be to hard to get off and on the ProAim Jr.). Add to this the wear and tear of using the camera as a player to transfer the footage from Tape to Computer.

I need an alternative thats not a $900 DV Player. So I was just going to use another, cheaper camera to use as a player for FireWire transfer. That way I could just take the tapes home after the service and do the transfer there.
The problem is that there seems to be a format difference/problem with the tapes/cameras. Ive gotten a small JVC Digital MiniDV camera and the tape from the Sony wont work in the JVC. At least not through the LCD Screen on the camera.
Im only guessing that this is because of the HD, as otherwise, both cameras seem to shoot the same 16:9 digital, and was wondering if anyone can give me a little explanation of the different formats that MiniDV cameras use, and when they changed. Or is it really just the HD part of it.
I just need a little insight before I go looking for another camera for this.

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Sometimes it works.
Jul 22, 2011 4:15AM PDT

Take a tape and ask friends to try it in their camcorders. If it plays in theirs, buy that.

When it comes to HD, Only in the same maker would I ever try that.

And let's be brutal here. If Sony will not answer your question about what other Sony will play this tape, that's a sign you can sign off Sony in the future.
Bob

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Answer
Format.
Jul 23, 2011 6:29AM PDT

If the HDR-FX7 is shooting standard definition DV format using SP mode, then there should not be an issue of an Canon or Panasonic or JVC miniDV camcorder dealing with the video. This standard def video can be 4:3 or 16:9. Just because the aspect ratio is widescreen does not make it some sort of different resolution.