Panasonic digital video camera trouble (minidvd tape format)?

Question

Power supply plug is on or battery is fully charged. OK. But play mode or record mode starts for half the second then stops immediately. Condense problem? did as manual suggested. but the problem remains. Any advice appreciated.

Answer 1

Have you tried Panasonic support??

Answer 2

miniDVD uses small optical discs and saves to VOB or VRO format that is highly compressed. IF it allows transfer, it would be via USB and some funky drivers are needed. The recommendation is to take the disc out of the camcorder and place in your computer's drawer loading DVD drive and rip the DVD with something like HandBrake:

http://handbrake.fr/

MiniDV tape uses the camcorder's DV port connected to your computer's firewire400 port with a firewire (i.Link, IEEE1394a - all the same thing) cable. USB will not work. Firewire ports are typically cheap - and easy to install. Firewire cable is not included in the box with the camcorder - but USB is. Normally, when the firewire connection is working properly, you launch MovieMaker (Windows and Capture... or iMovie (Macintosh) and Import.