Advantages of DV/Firewire cable

justnod

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I have just invested in a Panasonic PVR. I already had a digital Panasonic camcorder (about 6 years old) and have successfully transferred camcorder footage to the DVR using one of the cables provided (terminating in red, white & yellow phono plugs).

Both devices have a DV socket although they are referenced in the manuals differently. My limited research suggests that i-link, firewire, ieee-1394 all mean the same thing.

What would be the advantage of using a cable that connects these DV sockets? Better quality perhaps? Would it give me access on the PVR to the date/time display, for example?

Many thanks.
 
Your old way of connecting gives you basically nothing and has to convert DV to analogue and then the DVD recorder has to convert analogue back to DV. With Firewire you get a straight DV connection, including loads of info from the original recording. Scene breaks, Date/Time, quality video and audio connection.
 
Thanks very much for prompt reply - sounds like the way to go!
 
Hi

With Firewire you get a straight DV connection, including loads of info from the original recording.

Most of the loses come from re-compression and not the connection method with DV video.

You can't guarantee that the DV digital signal even stays in the digital domain. For example the current Pioneer models convert DV to S-Video, then encode the S-Video signal.

Since DVD recorders arrived with DV In many people found S-Video gave a better picture anyway as it was acting like a high-pass filter remove some of the edge from the DV signal making it easier to encode.

I'd say don't waste your money buying something with DV In, you will unlikely notice much difference.

Regards

Phil
 
Thanks. All I'd have to buy is the cable as both machines already have the capability. However, I'm not sure if both have s-video and I will investigate. Would s-video transfer the additional data - i.e. date/time etc?

Also, do scene breaks trasform into chapters with either DV, S-Video or both? The chapters would be an advantage for me.
 
Buy a dv cable - if u have a pound shop near you - £1

Otherwise u can get them for around £3 or less.
 
Hi




You can't guarantee that the DV digital signal even stays in the digital domain. For example the current Pioneer models convert DV to S-Video, then encode the S-Video signal.

Since DVD recorders arrived with DV In many people found S-Video gave a better picture anyway as it was acting like a high-pass filter remove some of the edge from the DV signal making it easier to encode.

I'd say don't waste your money buying something with DV In, you will unlikely notice much difference.
l

Sorry don't agree.
Firstly if transferring S-VHS or Hi-8 material to a DVD-R then yes s-video is great but firewire (i-Link IEEC ...) is far better for DV original material. Whatever most decent DVD-Rs AFAIK have firewire (DV) in as well as s-video, RGB etc.
 
With Firewire you get a straight DV connection, including loads of info from the original recording. Scene breaks, Date/Time, quality video and audio connection.
How do you view this info when you are watching a DVD?
I ask cos am considering buying a Pan EZ45 to get all my home movies, old VHS etc onto disc
 
With Firewire you get a straight DV connection, including loads of info from the original recording. Scene breaks, Date/Time, quality video and audio connection.

DV interconnection only carries this information potentially... it depends on the unit at the far end making use of such data, [ Scene breaks, Date/Time] and I don't know of any of the mainstream DVDR's that do.

As for 'quality video and audio connection' ... that is only theoretically true. In practice it may not be.
See PhillipL's post No 4 above.

In the OP's case, DV connection would unquestionably be better than the composite he has used thus far... but subjectively, given the disparity of the two video systems [ DV and MPEG2 ] he may find using an S-connection is more subjectively satisfying.
 

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