iPhone 3GS from AT&T. Free Shipping
Camcorders: What is going on here with the formats???
What is going on here with the formats???
by LoneVVolf - 10/19/08 2:05 AMI'm getting pretty confused/upset. I'm a Macbook owner (first-gen), and love using iMovie with my old Sony camcorder over Firewire to import/edit/upload home movies. So I was naturally really excited when the new Macbooks were announced - and upset about lack of Firewire!
So, now I'm starting to look for a new camcorder with USB - HD, of course. And now I'm getting completely screwed up from the available formats. Does no one really archive their raw footage anymore? I keep hearing how miniDV is on the way out - but that means that the only viable format option is DVD. Which only stores 20 mins. of highly compressed video. Is this a joke? Do I have to import all my media to the computer from an HDD camcorder, then save it to a full-sized DVD?
Basically, my question is, is miniDV _really_ on its way out, or can I safely buy a miniDV-based HD camcorder?
Formats ...
by Papa Echo - 10/19/08 4:59 AM In reply to: What is going on here with the formats??? by LoneVVolfminiDV is still the choice for professionals. However, manufacturers make what consumers want, and they want DVDs and Hard Disks as recording medium. In the High D range, CANON has models for mini DV and HDV tapes, in additional to Hard Disk and DVDs, but choices are few.
Mac without Firewire?
by Dan Filice - 10/19/08 10:17 AM In reply to: What is going on here with the formats??? by LoneVVolfWhat model of Macbook are you looking at that doesn't have Firewire? The only Mac that I know of that is not equipped with Firewire is the Macbook Air, which to me, is useless. Every other model of Mac laptop has Firewire. The latest Macs come with iLIfe 8, which is the dumbed-down version of previous iLife, and the new version directly accepts the new recording formats for "YouTube-Ready" cameras.
As far a camcorders, the manufacturers are "dumbing down" their products to make their camcorders and cameras "YouTube Ready", which is the lowest quality, but many people are stumped by downloading higher quality miniDV tapes then converting the video afterwards. Many people simply want their cameras to record in a compatible format for YouTube, which is why the hard-drive camcorders are common. For high quality camcorder recording, there are many HD camcorders that still record to HD tape formats, but in addition, there are high quality professional cameras that record to internal hard-drives, and there are cheaper consumer versions of these that record to hard-drives or memory sticks.
Macbooks have no Firewire
by LoneVVolf - 10/19/08 10:26 AM In reply to: Mac without Firewire? by Dan FiliceThe newly announced Macbooks have no Firewire.
The White Macbook seems to still have it
by R. Proffitt
- 10/19/08 10:28 AM
In reply to: Macbooks have no Firewire by LoneVVolf
http://www.apple.com/macbook/white/
And it's all of 999 bucks. Seems you can go cheap.
Bob
Cheap?
by LoneVVolf - 10/19/08 10:43 AM In reply to: The White Macbook seems to still have it by R. Proffitt
Sorry, not into going cheap. I would definitely get the new Macbook, except the no Firewire is a deal-breaker. And I already have a white Macbook - was looking for an upgrade. Though you're right - if I don't want the new features, I could get the cheapy one. Bah. 
The White Book is..
by R. Proffitt - 10/19/08 10:44 AM
In reply to: Cheap? by LoneVVolf
Very nice compared to your average laptop PC. But that's another story.
Wow, No Firewire!?!?
by Dan Filice - 10/19/08 2:51 PM In reply to: Macbooks have no Firewire by LoneVVolfWell, this news coincides with what I said about formats being dumbed-down to allow for instant website posting from the camera without any file conversion. For years PC's did not come with Firewire, so to me, this is bad news that Macbooks won't come with Firewire. Sad, sad, sad.
The White Macbook comes with firewire.
by R. Proffitt - 10/19/08 3:29 PM
In reply to: Wow, No Firewire!?!? by Dan Filice
Why is that being dismissed?
Firewire and computers....
by christy - 10/19/08 4:34 PM In reply to: Wow, No Firewire!?!? by Dan FiliceFirewire is required only for "capturing digital video", such as from miniDV tapes, which is increasingly not found as a recording format for 'consumers' camcorders. If you have Memory card, DVD or Hard disk as a recording medium, the files saved are already compressed mpeg2..etc., so only USB2 is necessary. The market determines your choices ... If you need Fireire, you need to add a card....
Or...
by LoneVVolf - 10/19/08 9:33 PM In reply to: Firewire and computers.... by christyOr in the case of the Macbook, buy another computer. Blech. Really a bad Apple.
| Forum legend: | |
 |
Locked thread |
 |
Moderator |
 |
CNET staff |
 |
Samsung staff |
 |
Norton Authorized Support team |
 |
AVG staff |
 |
Windows Outreach team |
 |
Dell staff |
 |
Intel staff |
