[MacDV] Hitachi DVD camcorder

[Mark M. Florida]

The only way you'd be able to edit this footage with iMovie would be to 
play it from your DVD player, through an analog-DV converter (your 
camcorder or a dedicated converter) to import it as DV footage.  That 
seems like more trouble than it's worth, *and* you would lose quality 
recompressing from DVD -> DV.

Here's my take on all these new-fangled DVD format camcorders:

- They are only good if you don't plan on editing.

- Even if you wanted to edit from them, you'd either have to convert it 
into an editable format like DV or use software capable of editing 
MPEG2 files, which usually only live on the PC in the form of either 
poor-quality consumer-oriented software or highly-priced pro-oriented 
software.

- The extra cost you pay for the new technology is jut not worth it -- 
it's not mature enough yet, the quality is still not that great (for 
DVD camcorders) and you have the added "expense" of the inflexibility 
of the DVD format (for *EDITING*! -- DVD/MPEG is a *DELIVERY* format, 
not originally intended for editing)

- If you use a Mac and iMovie and/or Final Cut Pro, just get a DV 
format camera (miniDV, Digital8, etc.) and get one that is listed on 
their compatibility page.  If you want to make DVDs of your video, then 
get an iDVD compatible Mac (eMac, iMac, G4, PowerBook) with an internal 
DVD-R (these can be added to older G4s and used with iDVD 2 -- this is 
what I do at work on a G4/500)

That's my 2 cents.

- Mark


On Monday, December 16, 2002, at 10:15  AM, Winston MacKelvie wrote:

> Hello all.
> Does anyone know if the Hitachi DVD writing camcorders can be used 
> with iMovie.
> Its a 3 inch DVD disc for one thing.
> Second there is no reference on Apple's compatibility site.
>
> Regards,
> Winston
>
>
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