[TheForge] videotaping

[Ben Barrett]

Excellent points, just wanted to offer my own varying mileage on a few,
inline bloew:

On 3/5/07, paul <forge at wi.rr.com> wrote:
> Jerry Smith wrote:
> > Bruce,
> >
> > Many years a go I ran a video van for a Cable TV
> > company, it's best to have two or three camera people
> > to follow the speaker and the action goin on. I hear
> > the digital and direct DVD recording camcorder are
> > getting really to afford ability. There is also the
> > simple thing of renting the equipment.
> >
>
> For those of you considering a new camcorder, both the hard drive and
> DVD camcorders store the video in compressed format, similar to a jpg
> photo from a digital camera. The tape style camcorders (Mini DV and
> Digital 8) store the data in the equivalent  of digital still raw
> format. If you just want to capture video there is no real drawback to
> the new tech camcorders, but if you would like to edit the video other
> than cut and paste, as in fancy fades, color balance correction and
> lighting and contrast corrections, that is best handled in the 'raw'
> video format such as the .avi extension that is stored on your PC when
> you transfer video via 'firewire' from the camcorder to the PC's hard
> drive.

Correction:  the "AVI" is a file wrapper, a "container", which does
not specify the contents' encoding on its own.  Just in case you try
different software, this will not always be indicative.  :)
Read up on video formats at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_container_formats and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_video_codecs

> If you transfer via firewire directly to a standalone DVD burner the
> conversion to mpeg (compressed video) takes place in the DVD recorders
> hardware.

Absolutely -- there are also some computer devices (PCI, USB,
FireWire) which will compress hte video outside the computer -- this
is a really good solution if you have an older computer...

> I have both Hi8 and Digital 8 and it appears that those formats are on
> the way out. My next camcorder will be MiniDV.
> MiniDV will likely be around for some time as it is in more common use
> on high end prosumer and pro 3chip camcorders.

I agree, albeit sadly, that MiniDV may survive 8mm tape (Hi- or
Digi-), due to how it has been marketed and deployed.  However,
reconsider 8mm tape -- it is more sturdy, often cheaper,
and is more robust due to not being so dense (think tracks per inch,
TPI).  I've had a great experience with them and have heard good
things from people who've relied on them much longer than I have.

> DVD's and CD's are subject to data deterioration due to dye failure when
> exposed to extreme heat or cold. Tape is more than likely the most
> stable long term storage media commonly available.

UV deterioration and oxidation, I've read that most common writable
optical media is expected to last 1-3yrs, depending on how it is
stored.  External USB drives are becoming fairly economical for
backups too.

> My local provideo shop rents Canon 3chip MiniDV cameras for about $150
> per weekend, they sell for 2K-4K. Not all that impossible, but rent one
> for a couple of shoots to see if you need all the features and quality.

A fun way to observe the difference in light-handling quality between single-ccd
systems and 3-ccd getups (and some nicer single-ccd rigs) is to "fire"
an IR remote
control at it and see how washed out it gets.  Most cheaper ccds will
completely flood
if the remote is moderately powerful.  Nicer ones will not.  On the
other end of the
spectrum, look into the forge or at very hot metal :)  Disclaimer:
I'm likely damaging
myself and my camera by trying this, dunno.  It looks normal through
an IR3 lense tho.

> It is hard to beat the convenience and transfer speeds of the Harddrive
> camcorders for less demanding use. +
> Kind of like in the old days of film cameras, which still applies to
> digital photography, nothing beats great lenses and great film ( or
> great sensors in digital toys)
> Have fun, be nice and share your video
>
> Paul
> WB9HCO

Absolutely, a quality piece of glass makes a huge difference.  Plus,
the larger the ccd (inside),
the better -- that is why those tiny cameras *have* to make up for it
with many megapixels; the
same number of megapixels in a nice fullsize is quite better.

cheerio,

ben