Re: best cheap/free scores 1.1
It's not so much the resolution that make these outdated as is the process of transferring the recorded video to a computer (provided it is a MiniDV recorder, not the old bulky VHS ones, lol ). In a lot of cases, you need a PC with Firewire and the proper drivers for the camcoder. And it's not a simple matter of just copying and pasting files; you actually have to record the video to a video file on the computer - and that takes time. Only then you can edit it and whatnot.
That said, if you are stuck with S-Video/component only, then it can get even more annoying. In my case, the MiniDV/Firewire port on my camcoder broke, so the only way I could transfer videos was with an USB capture device with component/S-Video inputs - and that's even more of a hassle, as you have to select the proper input, proper resolution (yes, I can force an improper recording resolution, and then things look bad), proper de-interlacing method, color/chroma/contrast/brightness adjustments, and a crap-ton of other small things. So essentially, if you do it that way, plan to be playing with the capture device for at least an hour or two before you get the most "optimal" capture settings. Luckily, you only need to do this once the first time you set up the capture device. After that, it's just a matter of time to record the video to the computer - so for 1 hour video, you will need... well, 1 hour of time to record, lol.
All that said, if the camera has good lens and good image sensor, you can still get some pretty good quality video out of it, despite the fact that most MiniDV camcoders are NOT HD. Of course, everyone should know by now that resolution is not the most important thing for an image. Bad colors and bad focus can ruin any image, even if taken at some astronomically high resolution.
Originally posted by jiroy
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That said, if you are stuck with S-Video/component only, then it can get even more annoying. In my case, the MiniDV/Firewire port on my camcoder broke, so the only way I could transfer videos was with an USB capture device with component/S-Video inputs - and that's even more of a hassle, as you have to select the proper input, proper resolution (yes, I can force an improper recording resolution, and then things look bad), proper de-interlacing method, color/chroma/contrast/brightness adjustments, and a crap-ton of other small things. So essentially, if you do it that way, plan to be playing with the capture device for at least an hour or two before you get the most "optimal" capture settings. Luckily, you only need to do this once the first time you set up the capture device. After that, it's just a matter of time to record the video to the computer - so for 1 hour video, you will need... well, 1 hour of time to record, lol.
All that said, if the camera has good lens and good image sensor, you can still get some pretty good quality video out of it, despite the fact that most MiniDV camcoders are NOT HD. Of course, everyone should know by now that resolution is not the most important thing for an image. Bad colors and bad focus can ruin any image, even if taken at some astronomically high resolution.
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