I've just bought a Sony Mini DV camcorder, but haven't tried recording yet. Is it really better to record in SP rather than LP? Is the picture that much worse in LP? It's just that i'm going away for 4 weeks and the tapes are so expensive, so i was wondering whether i should record in LP.
Mini DV camcorder question
Tapes aren't that expensive - should only be between £2 and £3 a piece. Anyway, ISTR that LP doesn't lose PQ, only some features - not sure whether that's correct or not.
You'll probably find it hard to tell the difference between the 2 speeds picture wise other than that LP is prone to more "digital dropout" blockies from time to time. Best to stick to LP only when you need the length (plays etc).
The cheapest ones i can find are 10 TDK for £30 from Argos. So if i film on average an hour a day, i'm gonna need 3 packs, so that's £90. I'd call that expensive, LOL!
I'm actually going to stay with family in Oz, so i was thinking maybe i could get them a DVD recorder while i'm there (if they don't already have one) and put everything onto DVDs, which might be as cheap as using all those tapes. Plus they would get more use out of the DVD recorder than i would from 30 camcorder tapes when i get back. Would i have a problem connecting my camcorder to a DVD recorder in Oz?
I'm actually going to stay with family in Oz, so i was thinking maybe i could get them a DVD recorder while i'm there (if they don't already have one) and put everything onto DVDs, which might be as cheap as using all those tapes. Plus they would get more use out of the DVD recorder than i would from 30 camcorder tapes when i get back. Would i have a problem connecting my camcorder to a DVD recorder in Oz?
No problem, Oz use the same PAL format TV as here (a DVD recorder with a DV in would be nice but analogue in would still look great). The only variant is regarding the inbuilt tuner which won't interfere with what you want to do.
PS: If you're looking to cram the best value out of any DV tape purchase then maybe mail order would be better:
http://www.aprmedia.com/category.php?cid=5
Getting you down to £1.60 a piece!
http://www.aprmedia.com/category.php?cid=5
Getting you down to £1.60 a piece!
Originally Posted by emread:
“(a DVD recorder with a DV in would be nice but analogue in would still look great).”
“(a DVD recorder with a DV in would be nice but analogue in would still look great).”
Must disagree with you there emread.
I've got a DV camera with an I-Link socket and a DVD Recorder also with an I-Link socket.
As an experiement, I transfered the same piece of footage onto DVD, first via the S-VHS connector, then via I-Link.
The I-Link copy was far better quality.
My advice would be, if your DV camera has I-Link, get a DVD recorder fitted with I-Link.
If you haven't already got one i would think about getting a spare camcorder battery as you can have all the tapes you like but if you are out for the day and the battery runs out you will miss out on those scenes you could have shot.
If you try to transfer footage from a DV cam to a DVD recorder using the SVHS analogue connection, you only get 400 lines as opposed to the 520 (average recorded). Your best bet is to buy a DVD recorder that has a dedicated DV in connection. Sainsbury's do a nice Sony one for £180! As for you first question, I own a 3CCD Sony VX2000E Prosumer Camcorder and there is a noticeable difference in quality between SP & LP. If the footage is important to you, I would stick to the SP option and get more tapes.
Hey DS! Can we have a dedicated camcorder catagory on here please?
Hey DS! Can we have a dedicated camcorder catagory on here please?
Originally Posted by dave_fade:
“If you try to transfer footage from a DV cam to a DVD recorder using the SVHS analogue connection, you only get 400 lines as opposed to the 520 (average recorded).”
“If you try to transfer footage from a DV cam to a DVD recorder using the SVHS analogue connection, you only get 400 lines as opposed to the 520 (average recorded).”
So that's why I got better results using I-Link?
I didn't know it was because of the number of lines.
I thought it was because of the Digital-Analogue-Digital conversions.
Whatever the cause, it's gratifying to have my observations confirmed.
Asda have been doing a cyberhome recorder with DV ilink (firewire) for 68 quid, not a bad price for the features.
Originally Posted by emread:
“PS: If you're looking to cram the best value out of any DV tape purchase then maybe mail order would be better:
http://www.aprmedia.com/category.php?cid=5
Getting you down to £1.60 a piece!”
“PS: If you're looking to cram the best value out of any DV tape purchase then maybe mail order would be better:
http://www.aprmedia.com/category.php?cid=5
Getting you down to £1.60 a piece!”
Thanks for that! I don't get the bit about delivery though. It doesn't say how much it is for orders over £30:
http://www.aprmedia.com/i_delivery.php
Originally Posted by redarrow:
“If you haven't already got one i would think about getting a spare camcorder battery as you can have all the tapes you like but if you are out for the day and the battery runs out you will miss out on those scenes you could have shot.”
“If you haven't already got one i would think about getting a spare camcorder battery as you can have all the tapes you like but if you are out for the day and the battery runs out you will miss out on those scenes you could have shot.”
Yeah, we are gonna get another one. The one we got with it should last for 40 mins for normal recording (zooming in and out and switching on and off etc) and the one we're getting should last 55 mins. Plus if we want to use it in the house there, we'll plug it in.
Originally Posted by dave_fade:
“If you try to transfer footage from a DV cam to a DVD recorder using the SVHS analogue connection, you only get 400 lines as opposed to the 520 (average recorded). Your best bet is to buy a DVD recorder that has a dedicated DV in connection. Sainsbury's do a nice Sony one for £180! As for you first question, I own a 3CCD Sony VX2000E Prosumer Camcorder and there is a noticeable difference in quality between SP & LP. If the footage is important to you, I would stick to the SP option and get more tapes.
Hey DS! Can we have a dedicated camcorder catagory on here please?”
“If you try to transfer footage from a DV cam to a DVD recorder using the SVHS analogue connection, you only get 400 lines as opposed to the 520 (average recorded). Your best bet is to buy a DVD recorder that has a dedicated DV in connection. Sainsbury's do a nice Sony one for £180! As for you first question, I own a 3CCD Sony VX2000E Prosumer Camcorder and there is a noticeable difference in quality between SP & LP. If the footage is important to you, I would stick to the SP option and get more tapes.
Hey DS! Can we have a dedicated camcorder catagory on here please?”
Thanks, but i don't think they have a Sainsburys in Oz, lol!
Do you think i'd be better off taking lots of camcorder tapes and putting them on my Panny DVDR when i get back? I can stick them all in my dad's suitcase, as he probably won't be taking many clothes, LOL!
Originally Posted by dave_fade:
“If you try to transfer footage from a DV cam to a DVD recorder using the SVHS analogue connection, you only get 400 lines as opposed to the 520 (average recorded). Your best bet is to buy a DVD recorder that has a dedicated DV in connection. Sainsbury's do a nice Sony one for £180! As for you first question, I own a 3CCD Sony VX2000E Prosumer Camcorder and there is a noticeable difference in quality between SP & LP. If the footage is important to you, I would stick to the SP option and get more tapes.
Hey DS! Can we have a dedicated camcorder catagory on here please?”
“If you try to transfer footage from a DV cam to a DVD recorder using the SVHS analogue connection, you only get 400 lines as opposed to the 520 (average recorded). Your best bet is to buy a DVD recorder that has a dedicated DV in connection. Sainsbury's do a nice Sony one for £180! As for you first question, I own a 3CCD Sony VX2000E Prosumer Camcorder and there is a noticeable difference in quality between SP & LP. If the footage is important to you, I would stick to the SP option and get more tapes.
Hey DS! Can we have a dedicated camcorder catagory on here please?”
Would you still recommend using these tapes on SP?:
http://www.aprmedia.com/product.php?pid=1772
I'd not use LP at all unless a dire emergency!.... on many forums you hear about people who playback their beloved home movies that were recorded in LP and they find they get dropouts or even no playback........ I would do some serious testing before using LP.... it does work, but for me it's too risky.
I try to record carefully, not recording unless I think I'll use the footage, that way I get the most out of a tape and after all, most 60minute tapes only contain about 10 mintues of usable footage (assuming you're going to show friends/family and don't want to bore them to death with all the shaky footage that most of use record!
I try to record carefully, not recording unless I think I'll use the footage, that way I get the most out of a tape and after all, most 60minute tapes only contain about 10 mintues of usable footage (assuming you're going to show friends/family and don't want to bore them to death with all the shaky footage that most of use record!
Originally Posted by Jean Luc Picard:
“Must disagree with you there emread.
I've got a DV camera with an I-Link socket and a DVD Recorder also with an I-Link socket.
As an experiement, I transfered the same piece of footage onto DVD, first via the S-VHS connector, then via I-Link.
The I-Link copy was far better quality.
My advice would be, if your DV camera has I-Link, get a DVD recorder fitted with I-Link.”
“Must disagree with you there emread.
I've got a DV camera with an I-Link socket and a DVD Recorder also with an I-Link socket.
As an experiement, I transfered the same piece of footage onto DVD, first via the S-VHS connector, then via I-Link.
The I-Link copy was far better quality.
My advice would be, if your DV camera has I-Link, get a DVD recorder fitted with I-Link.”
What if your camcoder has I-Link and your DVD recorder has Q-Link?
Originally Posted by Coz21:
“What if your camcoder has I-Link and your DVD recorder has Q-Link?”
“What if your camcoder has I-Link and your DVD recorder has Q-Link?”
They are quite different....
I-Link = Firewire = IEE1394 - and is a digital interconnection.
Q-Link = Smart-Link (+lots of other names) - and is a protocol that is used over SCART interconnections to transfer information (such as channel or program information).
Using the I-Link connection will certainly give the better result - and may also (at least on Panasonic HDD DVD recorders) preserve each camcorder start-stop as a separate chapter maiking editing easier.
I use LP very often and have not noticed any problems - even when played on a different machine. SP is prefered to ensure inter-machine compatibility,though. I would guess that the results with LP depend on how well aligned your camcorder is.
Originally Posted by RonW:
“They are quite different....
I-Link = Firewire = IEE1394 - and is a digital interconnection.
Q-Link = Smart-Link (+lots of other names) - and is a protocol that is used over SCART interconnections to transfer information (such as channel or program information).
Using the I-Link connection will certainly give the better result - and may also (at least on Panasonic HDD DVD recorders) preserve each camcorder start-stop as a separate chapter maiking editing easier.
I use LP very often and have not noticed any problems - even when played on a different machine. SP is prefered to ensure inter-machine compatibility,though. I would guess that the results with LP depend on how well aligned your camcorder is.”
“They are quite different....
I-Link = Firewire = IEE1394 - and is a digital interconnection.
Q-Link = Smart-Link (+lots of other names) - and is a protocol that is used over SCART interconnections to transfer information (such as channel or program information).
Using the I-Link connection will certainly give the better result - and may also (at least on Panasonic HDD DVD recorders) preserve each camcorder start-stop as a separate chapter maiking editing easier.
I use LP very often and have not noticed any problems - even when played on a different machine. SP is prefered to ensure inter-machine compatibility,though. I would guess that the results with LP depend on how well aligned your camcorder is.”
So if you put a cable in the I-Link on your camcorder, where do you put the other end in your DVD recorder?
Originally Posted by Coz21:
“So if you put a cable in the I-Link on your camcorder, where do you put the other end in your DVD recorder?”
“So if you put a cable in the I-Link on your camcorder, where do you put the other end in your DVD recorder?”
Into the I-Link port on the DVD recorder perhaps?
-Chris
Originally Posted by ntlhellworld:
“Into the I-Link port on the DVD recorder perhaps?
-Chris”
“Into the I-Link port on the DVD recorder perhaps?
-Chris”
Yes, exactly, but unless it is Sony hardware, then it will probably be marked as IEEE1394 (or just 1394) , or possibly DV or DV-In. Sony call it I-Link and Apple call it Firewire! Cables are available with either 4 or 6-pin plugs on each end - typically you will need the 4-pin (on both ends) variety. Pedantically, I believe that IEEE1394 defines the connector, and that DV is the digital video data encoding (Codec) that it carries.
