Thinking about a mini DVD camcorder? You're not alone, that the rapid growth
sector of the camcorder market, with Hitachi, Sony and Panasonic all making more
mini-DVD camcorder.
These camcorders differ from regular digital video cameras, a significant --
that record video on mini-DVD, rather than DV tape. This has a number of
benefits. DVD discs are more robust than tape, and not get chewed in
camera. Although this is thankfully rare, it scares me every time I have one
strange noise from my camera, so you keep in mind.
The second advantage is that DVD discs are random access, compared to tape
where everything is recorded sequentially. This means that it is not necessary
rewind and fast forward to find the clip you want, simply select the menu.
Some cameras also allow you to perform basic editing functionsthe camera. A
additional side benefit is that a mini DVD camcorder does not have the head for
worn or dirty, as in regular mini DVD cameras.
And thirdly, you can easily watch your movies, removing the DVD
camera and light on any DVD player.
However, there are negative factors. The most siginificant is that the video is
encoded in MPEG-2 on a mini DVD camcorder, compared to the DV format. This
meansrequires specialized software to edit - you can not just use regular
video editing program (unless it specifically supports MPEG-2). And if a Mac user
you're out of luck, because there is MPEG-2 editing applications for Mac
Addition, mini DVD camcorders tend to cost more than similarly specified mini DV
cameras. And the media are also more expensive. However, if you do not intend
edit your movies and do not mind the extra cost, a mini DVD camcorder does notoffer
extraordinary convenience.
