Best Camcorder for Simple VIdeo & Burning DVD

Hi all. I've had a MiniDV camcorder for about 10 years that just broke. Since only 1 camcorder is sold with MiniDV, I'm nervous that I'll need to find a new storage medium for our existing movies. I'd like to buy a new camcorder to take videos of kids etc and have the ability to burn to DVD for future storage.
I don't think I'll plan on editing (but would like the capability) and I've seen the list of Apple supported products and all of the discussions here which have just made my head spin. I'm really just looking to take decent video, put the SD Card into my computer, and burn it to a good quality (not internet) DVD. I was leaning towards either the Canon FS200 or the Sanyo with iFrame but I've seen mixed reviews (which may have just been from Pros).
Lastly, we have a new (2009) MacBookPro with iMovie '09 and iDVD '09.
Any help or advice would be appreciated.

This may sound counter intuitive but I and others I know get fine results using just a Canon point-and-shoot camera. A friend and I have spent some time comparing the cost and results from "dedicated" popular-priced video cams compared to our (we both own the same model) Canon S3-IS cameras. If anything - the video quality is a bit better with our "still" cameras. The current version of the S3 can be found at the Canon website. Oh - From S3 onward, this model line takes the high capacity SD cards up to (at least) 8 GB. This size memory card provides over 60 minutes of video at "full size" (640 x 480).
I carry the S3 almost daily - just in case I get a photo op or a "video op" like a fire or other emergency. I've shot video downtown with just street lights for light source: the videos need very little lightening if any under those conditions. My camera has 12 X optical zoom and the latest version has 20X optical zoom. I also like that this model line continues to use 4, AA size batteries (you can use rechargeable NiMb AA, of course). Shop around, I'm pretty sure you can get the latest version for under $400.
Other points: I find the built in microphones in these cameras to be very good - as good as any in a camera in that price range. Downloading (the AVI / QT .mov) files can be done with a simple card reader or with the connect-to-camera USB cable supplied with the Canon camera. I use a card reader - just on the thought that having the camera on while downloading drains the batteries a bit.
The Canon downloader software works fine with Macs - but I use Adobe Bridge because it gives more options for naming files, etc. I would NOT recommend GraphicConverter for downloading / organizing video: it handles digital photos okay but sometimes just "screws up" video files for no apparent reason. Some people now like Picasa for Mac - but I haven't used it much so I can't say myself.
I go with the others responding here when it comes to editing: iMovie HD seems to be the last gasp from Apple when it comes to low-cost (but practical) movie editing.
I did like iMovie 09 - mainly for the "jiggle remover." But the little update (to 8.0.5) really messed up iMovie 09 for me and quite a few other people.

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What's the best camcorder for taking video to edit in final cut express?

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J

Not sure this is "rubbish" as you say Tom. FCE 4 has to take files directly from the camera. Works fine when I have the files I want to work with on the camera, does not work fine when I saved them to my hard drive, and want to import them later.
In case you don't believe my personal experience, here's another souce that has had the same conslusion:
"Incidentally, Final Cut Express will not transcode the native .MTS files directly; it needs to take the footage from the camcorder. However, a $30 utility called Voltaic can do the job outside Final Cut Express; it works on PowerPC Macs, too."
http://www.macworld.com/article/131409/2008/01/finalcutexpress4.html
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What I would like to know, is there a camcorder out there that saves files in a format that I can drop on my local hard drive, and then pull into FCE later. I would love to hear from someone who has done that, what camera they are using.

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function(){return A.apply(null,[this].concat($A(arguments)))}
bmiller0525 wrote:
What are the best settings for exporting video in Premiere Pro Cs5.5 in HD MP4 format?
Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks
thats way too vague of a question... best what? quality? size? playback?
best quality then use high bitrate, small size use low bitrate.

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For a high rated camcorder for beginners, look below:
Pure Digital - Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder - Black
Product Features
From our expanded online assortment; not available in all Best Buy stores
2x digital zoom
Brings you up close to distant objects.
1.5" color LCD monitor
Provides a clear view of the action you're recording or reviewing.
1/4" CMOS image sensor
For stunning detail and clarity with both video and still images. Offers 640 x 480 resolution at 30 fps.
One-touch recording
Record what you want with the simple touch of a button.
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For beginners, for an hour of video, thats not bad at all, and the fact that its MPEG 4 video makes things clearer at half the file size of MPEG 2!
I dont think you can go wrong with this!
Let me know if theres anything else in mind.
*******DISCLAIMER********
I am not an employee of BBY in any shape or form. All information presented in my replies or postings is my own opinion. It is up to you , the end user to determine the ultimate validity of any information presented on these forums.

What's the best compression setting for exporting video to DVD?

My QT self contained file from FCP is 13 GB (1:02 min long) when I use DV NTSC while exporting. When iDVD finished encoding it, it went down to 3.4 GB (that includes video files in my iDVD menus).
*Since the DVD media is 4.7 GB can I make better quality DVD by lessening compression while exporting from FCP?*
I don't think there is a way to tweak compression in iDVD. And my second question:
*Is "self contained" file better quality than just a reference file?*
*I would like to make the best possible quality DVD and am looking for some tips on what settings would help me achieve it.*

Hi Joby,
Compressor is what you need.
Import your file, choose DVD best quality 90 minutes from the settings tab (lower left window in Compressor). This will allow your movie to be converted as MPEG 2 and ac3 dolby stereo (best compression for DVD audio).
The inspector window (lower right window) will allow you to decide/arrange settings as you like.
If you are not sure about best bit rate choice use the [Bit Budget|http://www.kenstone.net/fcphomepage/bitbudget.html]
As you can see the inspector window offers a range of customizable settings if you are not familiar with those the manual (main menu>help>user manual) will answer all your questions. Simply type a word or definition in the search area and most likely the manual will provide the info you seek.
Self contained means that you create a file with exact copies from your original frames and edit on the timeline, a self-contained file becomes independent from your timeline. A reference movie as the definition says totally refers to your FCP project and wouldn't work on a different machine without referenced media files.
There is no difference in quality between the two QTmovie options.
Hope that helps
G.
PS. Extra info about Compressor and h the best way to create your DVD [here|http://www.kenstone.net/fcphomepage/fcp_homepageindex.html#dvd]

Best choices for optimizing video quality and playability

I'm shooting family videos with a Panasonic TM-900 camcorder. I absolutely love the look of video shot in 1080p 60fps, but I'm not sure of the best way to process this video in FCPX for output. I prefer playing back edited videos on a HTPC connected to a NTSC HDTV, but I also distribute videos to family members on DVD. So my questions are: what are the best settings for FCPX to achieve a good balance of video quality and playability. Best frame rate for output files? Best codec? Will H.264 compression compromise video quality? My experiments so far have yielded wildly different results. Depending on the codec used and output frame rate selected, file sizes can be huge or reasonable; playability (via home theater programs like Plex and XBMC) can be superb, jerky, or non-existent. And of course, quality seems to suffer when outputting these files to DVD. Please share your thoughts and experiences on the best way to approach this challenge.

Working with H.264 is probably not going to give the best results if outputting to DVD. If you optimize media and let FCP determine your clips project settings, that will set the stage for several successful workflows.
If you're OK with a basic menu, you could simply use Share DVD and let FCP do all the work. It will change the frame rate to 29.97, and the quality should be pretty decent.(If you want more control over the quality settings, Compressor can do a similar job; output a master file and bring that into Compressor.)
If you want a more complex DVD and menu, what Al said about Master File>iDVD.
Also as he indicated, you could also consider using either FCP or Compressor to create AVCHD disks if your movies are under about 40 minutes in length. Your family will need Blu Ray players of some sort to be able to view them.
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Russ

Best Format for Archiving Video Files

I am importing old VHS and 8mm family videos for my cousin, to both burn them to DVD, and to archive the movies in case he wants to edit them later.
I am planning on purchasing for him, a "write once," external HDD, probably firewire, (though I am open to suggestions), to put both the backup Video TS folders on, as well as the Quicktime movies themselves.
My guess is, the best format for the QT movies would be their original DV-NTSC, but at around 13GB an hour, this can add up pretty fast.
The h264 .mov codec looks great, takes forever to render, and it seems the file size difference to DV-NTSC is nominal at best.
Obviously the future is some kind of HD, so these movies will never look great years from now, but I want them to be preserved for him at the best quality possible, at the smallest file size, if it will not compromise the quality too much.
I know I can render them significantly smaller as h264 .mp4 files, or as DIVX, (which also takes a long time), but I imagine they are of significantly reduced quality that would be visible in future video editing he might do.
If DV-NTSC is the only way to go, so be it. But if not, then any suggestions for what other format I could use to save these QT files, without visible loss of quality is greatly appreciated.

Thanks for all the advice. And I mean everyone.
Here is my latest dilemma.
Though 15 years old, the original Vhs's play beautifully. Aside from some (expected) glitches in the beginning or end of some of the shots, the video has not degraded appreciably. This is great news, as my cousin wanted to make back ups before degradation begins.
First, I captured the Vhs movies and corrected some bad color, mostly due to poor white balancing, and on the computer, they looked great in comparison. I burned DVD's and they looked terrible in comparison with the originals. Now I know I am going to lose some resolution when going to DVD, but it seemed harsh, so I ran some tests.
I burned a DVD of the original capture, with no color correction, just the raw footage and the DVD did not look much better, so it wasn't the color correction.
Not satisfied, I made a copy from the FCP timeline straight to Vhs, (I should note, through the ADVC-110.) This looked significantly degraded as well.
Finally, I made a straight dub from Vhs to DVCam, figuring that had to look good, and that also looked significantly degraded, compared to the, (now looking pristine), Vhs original.
As the original Vhs looks so good, what good would a TBC do? Or a proc amp?
Is there some secret to capturing and exporting Vhs that I am missing? Or, will it always look significantly degraded, even straight to DVCam?
+David Murray wrote: There is an industrial way to get good VhS copies but it is extremely expensive+
I don't know what this is, but I am sure it is clearly out of our league, but David M., if you are still following this thread, I'm curious, would this ultra expensive method actually result in a dub that looks like the original? I am actually really shocked at how bad the straight DVCam dub looks. It really does not look much better than the color corrected, computer exported version.
The Vhs tapes of my cousins daughter are as precious to him as anything he has.
As they date back 15 years, he is concerned about the longevity of the tapes.
As there are over forty hours of them, he wants them to be in an editable format, so later he or his daughter can make a highlight reel, or whatever. So thus the QT movie archive/backup on HD.
Whether as Finalcutter said, that this drive, even if unused, and put in a cool dry safe, might not function years down the line, makes it iffy, but what other choice is there for editable versions, unless I break the QT movies up into 20 minute chunks and archive them to over a hundred DVD's instead. Perhaps that is the safest solution, though certainly time consuming.
As failure of the HDD somewhere in the future is likely, though not certain, I am still not sure that the HDD holding all his QT movies for future editing is the wrong way to go.
As it is a digital version, and not an analog copy, I get that a DVCam backup of the originals is the best option. I will suggest to him that we do this as well, even though he does not have DVCam himself. But again, is there something I am missing here? Why does the Vhs to DVCam copy look so degraded? Is there anything I can do to keep the original quality, or will it die with his original Vhs as it slowly degrades over time?

Best Mac for fast video encoding?

Wondering which Mac may be the best choice for fast (at at least faster) encoding of video files and creation of disc image and then burning a dvd disc. I'm doing home videos with my digital camera, about 50 minutes long.
On my Dual 1ghz G4 PM, it seems to take forever, maybe 6-8 hours. Anyone know or can quess how long it takes for the new iMac Core 2 duo versus a low end Mac Pro?

on my antiqué hard/software (450Mega!Hz, 1GB RAM, 10.3.) combo, iDVD encoding needs 8 - 10x of the length of project... (1h project= 8h encoding)
sooo, to improve speed:
* make sure, you're within specs of iApps - avoid compressed material, stay with .DV encoded video, .aiff encoded audio, .pic encoded stills...
* make sure, you have at last 10 - 15GB free on internal drive (ext. doesn't matter for this issue)
* make sure, all project data are located on internal drive
* … if not, make sure ext. drive is firewire connected and formatted to "MacOsExtended/hfs"...
* avoid other CPU/harddrive consuming tasks, as ripping CDs, rendering 4D animations, Spotlight indexing...
I've seen überMacs, Intel quads/4GBRam, encoding in less then realtime...
if you don't need fancy iDVD menus, playout movie (=realtime...) to some DVD/Harddrive standalone as from Pioneer (<<link to commercial website!), my 520 does the (hardware accelerated) encoding/burning of 1h video in about 5-10minutes...

Best Options for Raw Video in Onlocation CS4? ...and Stuff.

Hi...I am running out of time for this project because I cannot get the JVC GY-110 camera to match the settings in Adobe Premiere Pro CS4. In other words, I can’t get my footage off the DV Tape! However, the “workaround” I found is to use Adobe OnLocation CS4. I easily got OnLocation to record live video. It’s glorious. It is recording in .AVI and I am wondering how to get this to record in MPEG2? I read that it can do that but cannot figure out how. I want to do this, 1) to edit in Premier Pro CS4 and 2) for the local TV station that wants it in that format. Can anyone please provide some insights here? Is MPEG format even what I should be doing or is .AVI ok?
The project is going to be used online and on a local TV station so the plan is to use Adobe Media Encoder CS4 to create formats for each.
Finally, to create overlays (I guess that is what you would call them) such as photographs, news info bars in the lower 3rd portion of the screen (etc) do you suggest I use Premiere Pro or Encore CS4?
In summary, my questions are:
1) Should I be using .AVI or .MPEG formats in OnLocation?
2) How do you get OnLocation CS4 to record in MPEG?
3) Is Encoder CS4 the best way to export video for multiple formats? If so, what is the best starting format?
4) What is the best way to create overlays like news bars?
Thank you in advance for any help you can offer.
Sincerely,
~A Desperate Nooby

You should import the files, captured with OL, into your PR project. Now you have two choices, either use dynamic link to Encore and have Encore do the encoding for you or you can encode yourself. This requires a basic understanding of bitrate settings, which you can easily gain from using a bitrate calculator, like http://dvd-hq.info/bitrate_calculator.php?PHPSESSID=6501b6b2b31f4c4a295bc8c2ba1e6f57
Encore is included with PR, so why not use it? It is so easy and you can add menu structures, subtitles, etc. to your DVD's. For other export formats, like WMV, H.264 etc. you don't need Encore, unless you want to burn to BR. Just use AME.
DV AVI type2 has the advantage that it is extremely easy to edit, does not put a lot of strain on your computer and will not show any noticeable degradation in quality when exporting.
Hope this helps.

Best Camcorder for Simple VIdeo & Burning DVD

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