Can a Pro HD camcorder be connected to my Laptop?

Question

if i get a professional HD camcorder that cost $3,500, can it still transfer data to my Dell Inspiron E1505? My local disk has

40G of memory because i have a backup thing. Here are the cameras i might want to get :

http://www.amazon.com/JVC-GY-HD110U-Definition-Professional-Camcorder/dp/B000GT9MV8/ref=sr_1_31?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1202523251&sr=8-31

http://www.buydig.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=CNVXHA1

I'm never going to play it on TV because i have SD Tv. But i was wondering if Firewire/i-link can connect these camcorders to my laptop. I know its going to be a MPEG 4 format but i don't care. I just want to know how to connect a Pro HD camcorder to a 40G local disk Laptop.

Answer 1

Both cameras you listed are miniDV camcorders. Your computer will import the video using a Firewire400 port on your computer... over a firewire cable. Neither camcorder will record to their miniDV tapes as MPEG4. The video captured will be in HDV. Both cameras can also capture video to miniDV tape as DV - standard definition - digital video in either 4:3 or 16:9 format. By default, high definition is always 16:9.

Your local hard disk is not large enough. Get an external drive - preferably connecting via firewire, too. MINIMUM size of the external hard disc is 500 meg. One hour of standard definition video uses 13 gig of hard drive space. One hour of high definition video uses 44 gig of hard drive space.

Just because you have a standard definition TV does not mean you cannot play the video. I have been shooting high definition video for two years before I got a HDTV. Import the video, edit, when the project is finished, burn the DVD - the DVD burning application will downsample to standard definition so you can play back the clearest standard def video you have seen - in a regular DVD player. I also export the finished project back out to the camcorder... When you get a HDTV, you can connect the camera to the TV (with component or HDMI cables) and watch the project in hidef. Later, if you get around to getting high def burner and player, you can import that finished project back into the computer and burn the HD-DVD or BluRay disc...

You can also save the project as a data file (in high quality MP4) and playback using the computer connected to a HDTV with a 15 pin VGA cable (if the HDTV is so equipped - my Panasonic plasma is). It looks AWESOME.

I would suggest you go to canon.com and jvc.com and download the manuals for both cameras.

I have been editing standard definition DV video for about 6 years, and shooting with a Sony HDR-HC1 for about three years. I will be getting a new camera in the next couple of months to augment (not replace) it. My short list includes the XH-A1 and the Sony HVR-V1U. I have not seen the pros on the shoots I have been on using JVC - They use Canon (XL2, XHA1, GL2), Sony (HVR-V1U, Z1U) and Panasonic (DVX100B, HDX200). That does not mean the JVC is not a good camera - it just means I have not seen it used at all in Northern California.

Answer 2

i would'nt your camera can pick u a laptop format, then you'd have to format the memory stick and delete everything on it