Some questions about MiniDV camcorders

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I hope this helps...

by boya84 Dec 23, 2007 11:44PM PST

What kind of connection do I need to download video from a MiniDV to a computer?
Firewire. Also known as IEEE1394 and iLink. The DV port on the camcorder is used.

Do I really need to use my camcorder every time I want to watch a MiniDV on my DVD player? How hard is it to use my computer to save MiniDV on to DVD? This makes no sens. I you use the camcorder as the playback device, you need to connect the camcorder to the TV. If you imported the miniDV video to you computer and edited the footage, then burned a DVD, you use the DVD player connected to the TV.

Does one need Firewire to transfer MiniDV to a computer, or is USB sufficient? Use Firewire. The USB connection is used (successfully) only for moving stills off the memory card.

I've read some comments that firewire is necessary for transferring video, yet almost all MiniDV players seems to have both USB and firewire capabilities. Is USB only for stills? Yes, see above. There used to be drivers for certain specific camcorders to use the USB connection to import the miniDV video. They rarely worked and this forum has lots of folks posting about USB transfer failure and then being successful with Firewire... the easy way is to just bypass the common failure route.

I'm able to download video from digital camera using USB, so I would think I would be able to do the same on a camcorder... Bad assumption - keep in mind that the video store on your digital camera is in a different format than miniDV tape based camcorders. Use Firewire for transferring miniDV tape based video; USB for stills from a miniDV tape based camcorder.

Do I need an HD-TV in order to take advantage of an HDV MiniDV? If I don't have one, can I still use an HDV MiniDV? Define "advantage". If you want to watch the videos from the camcorder, you will connect using composite cables. High def video will be converted to standard def video by the camcorder. If you import the miniDV hidef video to your computer and burn a DVD (without a HD-DVD or BluRay burner, that resulting DVD will be in standard definition and can be played back on a non hidef DVD player.

If I want to take still 4x6 pictures (either for online viewing or printing) similar to the quality of my 3Mb pixel digital camera, what do I need to look for in a camcorder? Um... trick question? How about a camcorder with a "3Mb pixel digital camera". Personally, I only occasionally use the camcorder for stills - for less than $200 a 7 mega-pixel still camcorder that fits in a pocket works pretty well. As for "4x6 pictures", that depends on your still editor - You can make 4x6 pictures out of any still, whether from a < 1 megapixel camera or >7 megapixel camera... Example: Canon SD1000.

I see home reviews mentioning that a particular camcorder does not have a built in flash - do any non-HDV MiniDV camcorders have a built in flash? This one says it does... http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=11038809
After I found 1 - I stopped looking. This was the first one I searched.

If a camcorder does not have a built in flash, will I be able to take still pictures inside? Yes, but it is likely they will be grainy (especially in very low light). Just like still cameras.

Looking at the specs for the various MiniDV camcorders, it seems that the only ones with built in flashes are the HDV ones. Also, it seems that the only ones with 3Mb pixels of resolution for stills are the HDV ones. So does mean I have to buy an HDV MiniDV camcorder if I want a camcorder that takes decent stills (even if I don't care about HDV)? 3 megapixel stills aren't exactly close to being the biggest pixel count available. Example: Canon SD1000.

Also, what is the difference between:
Camcorder Effective Still Resolution
and:
Camcorder Interpolated Still Resolution
Since I don't use my HDV camcorder for stills, this does not matter to me. Maybe someone else can respond. Smells like marketese confusion to me. Up there with huge digital zoom (which you should turn OFF when you get your camcorder, by the way).

When reviews say that a camcorder does not have an "analog to digital converter", what does that mean? That I can't use the camcorder to convert my old analog VHS-C tapes to digital format? Yes... or your VHS tape machine or any other analog source.

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Thanks - some followups

by eddie-g Dec 24, 2007 8:32AM PST

Regarding the need for firewire to transfer video... Many(most?) specifications for MiniDV camcorders list USB and firewire connections, but they only list a USB cable as being included in the box (not a firewire cable). Does this mean that anyone who buys such a camcorder, and wants to transfer video to their computer, has to buy an additional cable? I find it hard to believe that almost all manufacturers would force consumers to do this... I'd probably want to transfer 30 second clips (to upload or email) - are you saying that USB really won't work for this? Yes, it's probably obvious that I don't have a firewire connection on my PC (yes, I know I can buy one... but it's just one more hassle to get everything working).

Thanks for the pointer to the Sony MiniDV that has a built in flash. Poking around a little further, Sony seems to be the only brand (or one of the only brands) that includes a built-in flash in a non-HDV MiniDV camcorder (for example, Canon and Panasonic did not have it).

Regarding the desire to take stills with a camcorder... I'd bet that 90% of the people buying a camcorder would be happy not to have a carry around a camera too, and would be happy with the still quality from a moderately priced camcorder 90% of the time. But it seems that manufacturers are clueless about this fact. My goal is to only have to carry around one device, most of the time...

Regarding the comment about needing the camcorder to watch a MiniDV... Right now I have an analog VHS-C camorder. I do not need the camcorder to watch videos. If I bought a DVD camcorder (and they actually worked (though I think this forum is scaring me off from that)), I would not need the camcorder to watch a video. But if I buy a MiniDV camcorder, I need to hook up the camcorder everytime I want to watch a video. This seems like an incredible inconvenience (I know I'm not alone, beacuse on local chat groups, I'm constantly seeing people ask for reliable local companies that will transfer MiniDV to DVD.) Do most MiniDV camcorders at least come with software that makes this job of transferring a MiniDV to a DVD a bit easier (assuming that you're willing to put in the time to do this)?

thanks

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No firewire cable in the box...

by boya84 Dec 24, 2007 9:04AM PST

but required for video transfer from miniDV camcorder to computer. Believe it. There are two types of firewire you can get on your computer - 6-pin or 4-pin. The camcorder companies keep costs contained by not including them at all.

This does not bother me as much as the fact that the camcorder manufacturers continue to make DVD based camcorders with as many problems and as bad as their video is... Now THAT is unbelievable.

Importing video from the camcorder to the computer is not difficult. Assuming the computer is already on...

1) Connect camcorder to computer with Firewire cable.
2) Power on camcorder - select "Playback" mode.
3) Launch video editing application.
4) Import.

It is not a big deal. Then...

5) Edit. (cut unwanted video, add transitions - cuts, crossfades, wipes - add titles, credits... add soundtracks, other audio as needed.)
6) Export to .AVI or .MOV or prep to burn DVD

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Thanks, so one more naive question...

by eddie-g Dec 24, 2007 10:04AM PST

If there are 2 types of firewire, 6-pin and 4-pin, how does one know which kind of card to get for their computer? That is, will a camcorder have both 4-pin and 6-pin firewire connections? Or am I mis-understanding something pretty basic about firewire?

thanks

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The DV port on the camcorder

by boya84 Dec 24, 2007 1:54PM PST

is always a 4-pin firewire/IEEE1394/iLink connector.

The Firewire port on the computer can be either 4-pin or 6-pin depending on what you get. On an Apple Macitosh, the 6-pin has been standard for many years. On traditional Windows computers, it is whatever you configure them to be when ordered or when you add the port.

http://shop4.outpost.com/search?search_type=regular&sqxts=1&query_string=firewire+card&cat=&submit.x=0&submit.y=0

Remember, we are working in Forewire400 - not Firewire800 or any other variant.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firewire

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Best editing software?

by MrBorrower Feb 26, 2009 2:39PM PST

By the way, your answer on mini-dv to dvd was very helpful. I'm shooting with a cam using mini-dv tapes. At what stage can I edit video; after transferring to a computer or before. do we need editing software?

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"Editing" means changing what you captured.

by boya84 Feb 26, 2009 10:13PM PST

If you import ALL the video from the camcorder to the computer, you have started the editing process.

If you select only parts of that video to transfer from the camcorder to the computer, you are editing.

Yes, you want editing software - most computers have some bundles application. What computer and operating system version are you using?

Editing in the camcorder is a pain, so I just don't bother.

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