Can anyone recommend the best type of equipment to film my LO's "precious moments" with? Mini Dv.?, etc. Am clueless.

[peasoup]

I had a Mini DV that I've used to film DS's first two years, snippets of him every five months or so. It's now broken it seems, and run out of warrenty. Not that I ever even figured out how to edit it, get it onto my computer, watch it thru the TV or anything-I just used to watch the tapes back through the camera. Any ideas on how to preserve the tapes so they are still watchable when he's 21? Or what format to transfer them to and how? It was a JVC Digital Videa Camera GR-DVL 167 I bought about about 7 years ago. I'd love to know what i'm doing so I can preserve these memories.
And now this ones broke can you recommend what type of format I should be using to film him, family hols ,etc.? I've never got to grips with video so would appreciate advice. Can you recommend a particular camera? Cheap ish, easy to use, and in a format that won't be obselete next month preferably. Thanks. I'm an old DOG so can't learn too many new tricks so any advice on the simplest way to do it appreciated

[peasoup]

bump

[EvelynsDad]

All the digital video cameras have software to save the video to your hard disk. They should save in one of the standard MPEG formats, which will be readable for the foreseeable future.

Once you've got them onto your PC you just need to back them up somewhere. If you can put them on a DVD and leave at a relatives/best friends house, you can always retrieve them if the worst happens.

[peasoup]

Any recommendations of equipment?

[EvelynsDad]

All I know is that our Panasonic mini-DVD camera is always having problems with the disks. Panasonic claim it's fingerprints, but I can't see any fingerprints on the last one to have problems.

[peasoup]

Cheers for that Evelyn's Dad; hope someone comes along with one they'd recommend. I only used mine about twelve times and it's buggered.

[kbaby]

In order to preserve the old tapes you have, the only way is to put them in a new video camera and then upload them to a computer. Any new camera would come with software to upload them into but most windows computers may have movie maker and that does a basic job of creating dvds.

In order to get the film from your camera to the pc you need a firewire lead and a firewire port on your pc, you will have to buy those seperatly from comet etc then all you do is put firewire port in the back of the pc and connect the cable into it and then put the other end of the cable into your camera(I got my dad to sort the firewire in the computer for me) once youve done that you upload the footage onto your pc the same way as digital photos. It does take a while though as it does it in real time.

The best cameras to get are still the tape ones as even though tape is seen as outdated it is still the best quality for the price and the tapes do not deteriate with age plus as they are so cheap you can just tape on a tape, upload it to pc and burn to a disk if you want but also keep the tape version. That means should anything happen to your pc you still have a copy also DVD can get corrupted/scratched very easily and should not be your only copy of footage.(thats why its best not to get a dvd camera)

If you can afford it the best to get would be a hard drive camera but spend £400+ if youve got less money then get a mini dv tape one.

I had a sharp camcorder which I had for 6 yrs and ive just bought a panasonic tape one for £250 which does the job well.

Should say some camera you can upload to a computer via a usb lead but theres not many around. Firewire is generally the best.

Try this website for help
www.avforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=61