DVD Recorder Copying from Camcorder

I am considering purchasing a DVD recorder to go alongside Sky+. I'm heavily swaying towards the Panny E55.

I have a digital camcorder and at the minute I use my PC to convert the DV to VCD. At some point I might buy some DVD Authoring software that would allow me to capture/convert DV and author to DVD and write using my PC DVD writer. Obviously this will allow chaptering, editing, titles etc.

Obviously there is the Panny E65 (I think) that has DV-In. As well as allowing direct DV to DVD copying can you add titles etc using the DVD recorder ? I assume not.

Also with the E55 will I be able to rig my camcorder to the S-video in socket and copy to DVD that way ? If so, how bad would the PQ be compared to DV-In of the E65.

I know, quite a few questions there but I need to make an informed decision before parting with cash.

 

Don't even consider anything less than firewire if you have a Digital camcorder.

 

Dont konow about doing menu's with the Pannys... but the Toshiba DR1 does menu's.. has dv in progressive scan etc

as for see-ing the difference with camcorder footage using S/Vid V firewire in my opinion you will not detect the difference

I have used both firewire and S/vid and can see no difference with the end product

 

So is it just a case of connecting my camcorder to the s-video input on the DVD Recorder and then recording the output ? Obviously this would record in real time. Does the inclusion of a DV-IN on the DVD Recorder make this process quicker ?

 

So is it just a case of connecting my camcorder to the s-video input on the DVD Recorder and then recording the output ?
Yes

Obviously this would record in real time. Does the inclusion of a DV-IN on the DVD Recorder make this process quicker

No it records at the same speed it playsback at. so regardless of input it will still record at the same speed

 

I've got the e60 and you can add titles if you stop and start the recording. No good if you just check an hours worth of footage on though as you can't add chapters. I'm just using it to archive my camcorder stuff till I get a decent PC later on.

Make sure you record on XP setting, only gives you an hour but it's worth it.

Regards

Dude

 

What is the benefit of having DV-IN ?

If its possible to record footage from camcorder via S-Video in good quality what extra does DV-In give ?

I'm a little confused !

 

DV is a digital connection. Therefore in theory there is no loss of quality going from the camcorder to the DVD disk. In practice to get the footage onto the disk it is compressed to MPEG-2 and therefore there is some loss of quality.
If connecting to the DVD recorder via S-Video then this is an analogue connection that will result in loss of quality. The the same as above it is compressed to MPEG-2 resulting in more loss.
Wheather you see any additional loss depends on many things such as the DVD player, the connection to screen and the scree itself. I would say on a large plasma or PJ the difference may well be noticed. But as all my camcorder footage is captured via firewire to a PC and have never used a standalone DVD recorder I can not really say for sure.

Mark.

 

Sorry for asking a stupid question, but would the DV-in be used to connect to a DVD player with DVI- out? Or are these two totally different connections?

Cheers,

Mark.

 

No, they are different connections.
DV-in on a camcorder is used for copying edited footage back from a PC to the cam in its origional AVI format for safe storage. DV-in on a standalone DVD recorder would be used for copying from a camcorder to the recorder in the best possible quality as it stays at all times as digital. S-Video & composite are analogue and therefore can be a lot lower quality.

Mark.

 

Thanks Mark.
So unless i have a camcorder (which i don't), there's no need for me to pay extra for a dvd recorder with dv-in then?

Mark.

 

No reason that I can see, unless you have video files on a PC that you want to put onto DVD.

Mark.

 

Mark has hit it on the head here, for the best quality keep the video in the digital domain, if you go in via s-video from a DV camcorder you are adding two additional processes, D to A in the camcorder and A to D in the DVDR, each process will add noise to the signal and also you are more likely to end up with a/v sync problems.

Andy.