Camcorders forum: Request help selecting camcorder

camcorders (of which I am aware) would be those with a DV (or IEEE1394, Firewire or i.LINK) port. Generally speaking, these are miniDV tape based.

Sony's external memory device (HVR-MRC1 works well with the HDR-FX7, HVR-A1, HVR-FX1000, HVR-Z5 and others.

Canon (XLH and AH series camcorders) and Panasonic AG-DVX and AG-HVX series) camcorders work well with specific FireStore external recorders. There are Sony-compatible FireStore external recorders, too. Whether or not these external devices will work with a Canon FS400 or HV40 is a question Canon or FireStore should answer.

And... assuming the computer has a firewire port and appropriate RAM available and decent CPU speed, connecting the camcorder's DV port (not USB) to the computer's working firewire port (not USB) with a firewire cable (not USB) and launching a useful video editor will allow streaming from the camcorder directly into the video editor's clip storage section.

Thank you for the information.
My current setup uses an older camcorder (I do not have the brand or model # with me but I can get it) to act as a pass-through (that's the way I describe it...not certain if that's technically correct) from the camcorder straight to the Samsung DVD burner and a 13" monitor so I can see when to adjust the camera angle to a projected PPT display or back to the speaker. We used to have a functional remote, but for some reason (not related to the battery) it has ceased to work. We're connected via RCA connector out and splitting that off to the DVD burner and monitor. We are not using a computer in this arrangement at all.
We are also feeding this picture to remote monitors in 2 other rooms by splitting it from the record feed.

Since we no longer can control zoom with a remote AND the fact that the camcorder is approximately 10 years old, we're ready to upgrade.

not say it did not need to be portable.

You *should* be able to connect your current HDR-SR5's AV-out to the AV-in of the monitor, DVD recorder (or both with a splitter). No USB, no firewire, no computer... just a camera replacement. When you say "streaming" that is considered data - over USB or firewire - so the Sony folks are correct. Monitoring the analog, compasite video using the video-out connectivity from the SR5 is not "streaming", merely "monitoring".

BUT, here's the rub... camcorders are designed to save power, so when not in use (i.e., not recording), they have a tendency to go to sleep. In your case, if you plug the SR5 into its AC power adapter and the AC power adapter is plugged into the wall, you *might* be able to keep it from going to sleep (with some options menu selection change). The hard drive may spin down, but you do not care about that. And if I recall, you can tell the SR5 to record to a memory card - so do that, but get a big fat memory card that will hold several hours worth. You won't use the video it records, but that will prevent the camcorder from going to sleep.

And, if memory serves, the HDR-SR5 came with a wireless remote for power, zoom, focus, photo and various VCR playback type remote controls. I *think* you have what you need.