[martin day]

I think i have part of this right!! If I want to transfer from my DV tapes to my PC then am I right in thinking that Firewire is much quicker than USB2?

But then when I want to burn to DVD is there any advantage in buying a DVD writer that has Firewire connection or is USB2 just as good as I am sure I read somewhere that there is no major improvement?

Also with regards to formats between DVD-R and DVD+R I was advised by a student who is doing video editing for a course that DVD-R should be used for PC and DVD+R for MAC. is this correct as I have never heard that before.

USB2 has a fractionally higher peak speed, however Firewire400 (as will be on a camcorder) can maintain it's speed, for sustained high data transfer Firewire is what you need (as the camcorder needs to play in real time and the drive needs to capture in real time)

A DVD drive connected though a USB2 drive is not that big a deal as sustained speed is not all that important. I use a laCie d2 DVD burner through USB2 and it's fine.

Your student mate is talking through the proverbial starfish, MAC's do not like DVD+, even the most recent superdirve will grudgingly offer playback only.
If you run a mac with a superdrive (factory/delear option, only way to use iDVD, unless you have DVD Studio Pro you will need a superdrive, DVD Studio Pro can work via a firewire) buy DVD-.

PC's can be either and in fact nowadays are usually both. If it's any odds DVD- is the most widely compatible, and is likely to be so for , oooh, at least the next couple of weeks.

[martin day]

Thanks Roy that is most helpful. By the way what software do you use for authoring. The reason I ask is that I am going to buy an external drive (LG) that has Nero 6.3 bundled with it but I already have on my PC Pinnacle Studio 8 (which came with the Wacom Graphics tablet I just bought my daughter for her graphics work) but looking at some of the threads it seems that Pinnacle has caused a few probs for people?

If you are on a PC then Pinnacle is actually ok for DVD authoring, it's a peice of pith to add your own background photo & menu links & buttons.

Try and get an update to the latest free update that you can (8.12 was the last) for the best stability. I could probably furnish you with the 8.10 upgrade if yer stuck (pm me then post a blank cd in a touch case with an SAE)

It does a no bad job for straightforward salt of the earth editing

Cheers

Most, well I be be wrong, but all DV Camera's only us USB terminal for either mass storage device(sd) or web cam functions, I don't think USB port is availible for general movie(dv tape) export function only DV terminal is used.
There again, I am a mushroom and fed sh@#!

[martin day]

PTEK can you rephrase your answer. to be honest I can't make head nor tail of it!!

[QUOTE=martin day]I think i have part of this right!! If I want to transfer from my DV tapes to my PC then am I right in thinking that Firewire is much quicker than USB2?
QUOTE]
Assumption was connecting DV camera to PC to download and edit movie.

USB function for SD card/Memory stick operation(mass storage device), ie. MPEG4 clips/Photos/web cam, and does not include DV tape playback.

DV port used for upload/download to/from PC of DV tape functions.

Hope thats clearer, still a mushroom though