Why exactly do videos shot on consumer grade MiniDV camcorders generally look like bad home movies as compared to that of high-end professional MiniDV cameras? What are the relevant differences between them? [more inside]
posted by iamisaid on May 3, 2009 - 16 answers

One of our DV camcorders has started giving strange output. This is direct to disk recording, so it's not a dodgy tape. The output is pixellated and highly coloured (blue/green) as in this screenshot... Any ideas what the problem might be? Has anyone seen this behaviour before?
posted by handee on Dec 10, 2008 - 7 answers

Best bang for the buck in an inexpensive digital video camera? [more inside]
posted by Alabaster on Oct 10, 2008 - 1 answer

Suggestions and research sites for DV camera? [more inside]
posted by mwhybark on Aug 27, 2008 - 7 answers

Hi all... long time listener, first time caller (poster) I have almost 100 DV/HDV tapes that I have recorded since about 2003. I have not been the best at labeling all my tapes, especially not lately since my twin sons where born. At the moment all my tapes are stored in a box in a drawer :-\ I am looking for a good method of cataloging and storing my DV/HDV tapes. Does anyone have any great, cheap and maybe do-it-yourself solutions for storing tapes. For cataloging I could imagine a google docs document or something, but if anyone has a better solution I would not mind. Stephen Copenhagen, Denmark
posted by StephenMeldalFoged on Aug 1, 2008 - 6 answers

Help me get audio from a camcorder? [more inside]
posted by dhruva on Mar 9, 2008 - 11 answers

I'd like to record live video directly from my FireWire DV camera using Windows XP. Is this possible? [more inside]
posted by russ9595 on Feb 18, 2008 - 4 answers

Looking for a windows method to take stills from a DV camera. [more inside]
posted by TheDukeofLancaster on Jan 10, 2008 - 2 answers

FinalCutProFilter: What is the best method of converting footage captured on a HVX P2 and edited in Final Cut as an HD timeline onto a MiniDV for festival usage?
posted by idledebonair on Sep 23, 2007 - 11 answers

I need to capture full-size/framerate DV + audio from a firewire source on OS X. That's the easy part. Controlling it from a script is the hard part. If this were Linux I'd use ffmpeg, but it isn't... [more inside]
posted by Alterscape on Sep 5, 2007 - 4 answers

I inherited some 70-year-old, 16mm home movies (not 8 or Super 8) and am looking for a reliable expert to transfer them to digital video. Many vendors say that they can do this. Can you comment on any from personal experience? (I have seen this thread and the links therein.) Are there any issues I should particularly look out for? Thanks.
posted by Dave 9 on Sep 4, 2007 - 15 answers

I have a project coming up where I will need to capture (digitize) a full 8-10 hours of footage (to be captured on DV tape) and make DVD copies for 3 people by the end of the next day. Ok, so I know how to go from DV to MPEG2 via either Final Cut Pro (v. 5.1.4) or Avid Xpress. What I'm wondering is, is there a way to bypass capturing the footage to DV (then converting to MPEG2) and going straight from the tape to MPEG2 so I can save myself hours of encoding from DV to MPEG2 and then burning discs? [more inside]
posted by eatcake on Aug 21, 2007 - 9 answers

I need a lot of help with DV cameras. [more inside]
posted by oddman on Aug 19, 2007 - 4 answers

What stories (short or otherwise) are begging to be adapted into a low-budget film? And, what camera should be used to film it? [more inside]
posted by nervestaple on May 13, 2007 - 34 answers

What's the best way to encode DV for playback on Mac and Windows? I'm editing in Final Cut and would like output that doesn't mess with the aspect ration (no fat/squished heads), no interlacing jaggies, and can play on a G4 ibook or Pentium4 without stuttering. (Bonus points if the file size is smaller than DV!) [more inside]
posted by kamelhoecker on Mar 5, 2007 - 14 answers

So I've come to own a Sony DCR-HC38 DV camera. What's my best options with regards to inexpensive software? [more inside]
posted by phearlez on Mar 1, 2007 - 4 answers

How do you clean up ugly DV footage? What are some specific techniques you use in Adobe After Effects to turn amateur DV footage into something cleaner? [more inside]
posted by idledebonair on Nov 8, 2006 - 12 answers

How can I export DV from iMovie without it being recompressed and pixelated? And no - DV stream isn't doing it. [more inside]
posted by BlackLeotardFront on Oct 1, 2006 - 8 answers

DV / Final Cut Pro question: We just upgraded cameras to a Panasonic DVX100B, largely for the ability to shoot in 24P. However, imported footage still appears interlaced in FCP, and it's unclear to me what our new configuration should be. How will we need to change our workflow in order to edit in 24P? (More specific inside.) On an unrelated note, we just imported a tape which appears to be corrupted. Can it be salvaged? (More details inside.) [more inside]
posted by tweebiscuit on Oct 1, 2006 - 6 answers

Where online can I find "Daydream" (or "Day Dream"), a short film by Su-Jin Kwon shown at Resfest 2004 in the US? [more inside]
posted by shortfuse on Aug 29, 2006 - 0 answers

Is there any way to recover a damaged DV tape? [more inside]
posted by GuyZero on Jul 4, 2006 - 7 answers

Is there any way to disable the red blinking light (card access indicator) when I am recording with my Canon Elura 100? [more inside]
posted by foraneagle2 on Jun 8, 2006 - 17 answers

Final Cut Pro users: What do you do with your bulky collection of project and video files when you're ostensibly done with the project?
posted by evil holiday magic on May 22, 2006 - 5 answers

DV Film Effects: Techniques & Tips [more inside]
posted by prostyle on Apr 26, 2006 - 8 answers

What is the best alternate video format to archive DV video. [more inside]
posted by cowmix on Mar 21, 2006 - 11 answers

can someone recommend an app for recording video on a mac from dv input, but in a format more compact than dv? [more inside]
posted by Silky Slim on Mar 3, 2006 - 2 answers

My 5 year old jvc dvm90 minidv/still camera just gave up. It's my only digital still camera, so I want to get another, but don't have much money now. I was always disappointed by the low light filming any way. So, do I get an equivalent for ~$300 or go for a used "prosumer" like the canon xi, Panasonic 953, etc. for about$450 to $500 if possible(craigslist, ebay)? [more inside]
posted by 445supermag on Jan 16, 2006 - 5 answers

DV video compression question - Do I have to recapture all these tapes?! [more inside]
posted by squirrel on Dec 21, 2005 - 9 answers

Help me decide between two MiniDV camcorders (please?) [more inside]
posted by pmbuko on Oct 2, 2005 - 8 answers

I'm looking for a reference movie for testing video codecs, or tips on how to create my own. [more inside]
posted by danblaker on Sep 13, 2005 - 7 answers

Mac Final Cut Express and vector graphics, maybe Flash: How to make a vector graphics motion sequence to be incorporated into a Final Cut Express video. [more inside]
posted by planetkyoto on Aug 6, 2005 - 7 answers

My Mac won't recognize my DV deck... [more inside]
posted by jtron on Apr 26, 2005 - 3 answers

I'm looking for a Digital Video camera but am at a loss as to what to look for, what technologies are on the horizon (that are, perhaps, worth waiting for), etc., etc.. [more inside]
posted by Lactoso on Mar 17, 2005 - 10 answers

Looking for a camcorder. [mi] [more inside]
posted by karen on Jan 7, 2005 - 12 answers

Digital video: Is there something I can use to open, edit and save MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 files in OSX? Bonus question: What would I need to render said files from After Effects, Final Cut Pro, etc? [more inside]
posted by erebora on Feb 25, 2004 - 8 answers