Re: Camcorder reviews site?

[Harry Broomhall <haeb@xxxxxxx>]

On Fri, 7 Mar 2003 10:38:54 -0000, you wrote:

I am just in the process of finalizing my choice, so some of the
things I have learnt I can comment on.

>Thanks,
>I'm more after something like http://www.dpreview.com/. Very detailed
>and still not confusing.
>
>I checked archive, and I can't find any such sites mentioned.

Go to a decent branch of WHSmiths and pick up copies of two mags:
Camcorder User
What Camcorder.

They have tables of current models for comparison.

>
>I'm after some small (very important) camcorder.

The smallest currently are microMV units.  However there are some
compatability probs with these under some circumstances.

> I don't want to have a
>big bag carrying around, because it always stays in hotel room.

I woudn't leave such a high-value item in a hotel room!

>It must be digital, and have DV-in and DV-out. And not cost arm and a
>leg.

The snag is that DV-in is only available on the more expensive
cams.

> S-video out (not composite) is also a must, to be able to connect
>it to TV decently.
>
>Any suggestions?
>
>I'm still reading about digital camcorders and I'm not sure what else
do
>I really need.
>What kind of file you get when you transfer your recording from
>camcorder to PC? Is it .avi, .mpg?

Depends on the unit.

>Some new cameras support MPEG2. I don't know what's the difference.

miniDV cameras *usualy* produce an AVI file.  microMV cams
practicaly always produce a MPG file.  In some cases the app that is
capturing the file may do MPG compression on the fly.
Some miniDV cams will compress to MPG when recording short scenes
to built-in memory, such as Sony memory stick, compact flash and the
like.

For quality, IMHO, AVI is to be preferred, it is compressed less.
MPG files usualy are compressed more.  In my case when I do the
conversion to MPG I want to be able to control how it is done.

There is a problem with many video packages in that they cannot
read the MPG files from the microMV cameras.  Such cameras ship with a
package from Sony (who currently are the only producers of such cams),
which all the reviewers seem to dislike intensely!  Ulead and Pinnacle
have recently updated their software to handle such files, but I still
see lots of complaints about it!

Regards,
Harry.


http://www.automatedhome.co.uk
Post message: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
Subscribe:  ukha_d-subscribe@xxxxxxx
Unsubscribe:  ukha_d-unsubscribe@xxxxxxx
List owner:  ukha_d-owner@xxxxxxx

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/