Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

This page seeks to answer frequently asked questions.

Q. I've got a miniDV or Digital8 camcorder and a PC, how do I begin?

A. Go here.

Q. I've got a PC and I want to get a video camera that I can use my PC with. What should I get/look for?

A. Depends on your budget. In the £550 to £800 range the Panasonic NV-DS29 (£550), Panasonic NV-DS30
(£600) and JVC GR-DVP5 (£800) are universally well reviewed by independent magazines. Shop around
on the Internet and in video camcorder magazines for the best deal.

There's some general advice on selecting a camcorder here.

Q. Where can I buy CD disks?

A. By the time you've paid the postage when buying off the Internet, it's perhaps best to
go to your local PC World or Dixons. If you're buying other media at the same time,
try: http://www.tapecity.co.uk/acatalog/

Q. I want to get a DVD burner. What format should I go for, DVD-R or DVD+R?

A. The jury is still out. The main issue here is compatibility with domestic DVD players.
Currently DVD-R has a very slight edge, but this might change. DVD-R blank disks
are about half the cost of DVD+R disks. If you decide on DVD-R you might consider
the Panasonc LF311 which supports both DVD-R and DVD-RAM (DVD-RAM is very
useful for archiving your hard disk allowing up to 20GB to be archived in one
operation on one DVD-RAM disk).

Q. Where can I buy DVD disks?

A. Try http://www.tapecity.co.uk/acatalog/

I recently bought a pack of 25 DVD-R disks for £24 at a market here in North Wales, so look around your
area.

Q. Where can I buy miniDV tapes?

A. Try http://www.tapecity.co.uk/acatalog/

Q. Where can I buy 30 minute VHS tapes for distributing my movies?

A. Try http://www.tapecity.co.uk/acatalog/

Q. Where can I buy SVHS tapes?

A. Try http://www.tapecity.co.uk/acatalog/

Q. Where can I purchase a miniDV tape head cleaner?

A. Try http://www.tapecity.co.uk/acatalog/

Q. I want to buy a particular camcorder -where can I get the best deal.

A. This varies according to the particular model and current stock.

Q. What are iLink, IEEE 1394 and Firewire?

A. They're all names for the same thing. A firewire card allows your video editor to talk to your camcorder via a 6-pin to 4-pin firewire cable, and to transfer (capture) video from your cmcorder to your video editing program. If your camcorder has DV-in then you can also transfer video from your video editing program back to your camcorder's tape (useful for archiving finished movies).

Q. What's all this fuss about DV-in?

A. If your camcorder has DV-in then you can transfer video from your video editing
program back to your camcorder's tape (useful for archiving finished movies).
Camcorders with DV-in are more expensive than those without because they attract
more tax when imported. Some older non-DV-in camcorders can have DV-in enabled
but it may affect your warranty. It's usually cheaper and much less trouble to pay the
extra for DV-in when you buy your camcorder.

Q. Where can I get a free video editor?

A. Microsoft Moviemaker is good value since it's free. Download from:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/moviemaker/

Editors that are "bundled" with your camcorder are rarely satisfactory.

Q. Where can I get an inexpensive editor?

A. By general consensus Puremotion's Edit Studio 3 is good value. Best way to buy is to
get a free version 2 off a magazine's front cover CD-ROM and upgrade.

Another popular inexpensive video editor is Pinnacle Studio 8. If you also need a
firewire card and cable, check on the Pinnacle site to see if there's a Studio 8
package that includes these. If you need to capture analogue video also check
for a Studio 8 package that gives you this facility.

Q. Where can I get an advanced editor?

A. By general consensus Adobe Premiere is the best advanced editor. However, it's
not an easy program to learn to use, and is expensive. Moveover, it's very easy to
get carried away with the effects that you can use - turning an otherwise good
movie into a mish-mash of "KEWL" effects.

Q. Where can I buy a firewire card?

A. Before you spend any money, first check whether your editor of choice doesn't
include a firewire card, or if there's a version of that editor that comes with a
firewire card. Also check whether the firewire card you're choosing includes
a firewire cable. The cheapest firewire card I've seen costs £11.75 from Dabs.