NTSC or PAL mini DV camcorder confusion

[Paul Dickin]

Hi
An NTSC camcorder in the UK is not a good choice unless your edited products will all have to be viewed in the USA.
Standards converting its video to PAL format to work properly with UK televisions gives a quality loss.

As you say a very low price PAL camcorder bought in the UK/EU may have its DV-in facility removed, which can mean those models are unsuitable for your needs.

[Rafael Amador]

[DarkHorse] “i.e. isn’t there an issue with european DV camera’s being disabled for ‘DV-input’, and wouldn’t this disable monitoring FCP edits via the camcorder onto a TV?”
That was years ago. now all the cancorders with DV-Out have DV-In.
Don’t waist your money in a NTSC camcorder if you work in PAL -and.
Rafael

[Paul Dickin]

Hi
Not true in the EU and UK, where input-enabled video recorders have been classed differently from players, for duty purposes.
No current UK-model Sony DV cameras seem to have iLink and Mic inputs except the VX2100E.
Quote:
DCR-HC37E
Jacks
Audio Input NO
Audio Output YES
Video Input NO
Video Output YES
S-Video Input NO
S-Video Output YES
i.LINK (DV) Input NO
i.LINK (DV) Output YES
USB Terminal NO
External Microphone Input NO
Headphone Jack NO
https://www.sony.co.uk/view/ShowProduct.action?product=DCR-HC37E&site=odw_en_GB&pageType=TechnicalSpecs&imageType=Main&category=SDH+MiniDV#tab

[Walter Biscardi]

[DarkHorse] “Isn’t this going to cause me problems as over 99% of the work I do will be in PAL (mainly budget DVD authoring/editing showreels).”

Yes. You’ve ordered the wrong camera. You need a PAL camera or one that can shoot both PAL and NTSC for that 1% of work that will be NTSC.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Broadcast and independent productions.

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[Harry Powell]

Thanks for your responses. I’ve cancelled the order.

Looking back I’m not surprised that I missed the fact that the HC38 was NTSC, considering it was from a UK site selling (virtually) all PAL equipment. Hopefully you can see what I mean: http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/127420

And if indeed the (PAL) HC37 firewire input is disabled, is there not a way of ‘abling’ it? (i.e. a bit like region restricted DVD players can often be easily made multiregional). And is this just a Sony ‘quirk’?

I suppose an analogue video input is completely asking too much LOL. Am I mistaken in recalling from years ago that this was a common feature of Sony camcorders so that you could convert your old vhs tapes to DV?

It’s all a bit frustrating, but might still go for the Sony HC37 unless anyone has any alternative suggestions for the budget (i.e. in order of importance: ext mic input, FW in, analogue video in..)

Thanks
DH

[Rafael Amador]

I made a Google search about the HC37, and it seems that is a model that only has been sold in the UK.
I remember that until the year 2000 (more or less) the MiniDV cameras they were selling in the continet they had no DV-IN no analoge video in, because they had to pay some royalties or so. But I remember that when I bough mu SONY DCR PC-120, (in 2001) all the camcorders they were selling (at least in Spain) they had DV-IN-OUT and Video-IN-OUT.
Now it seems that the most of HD and DVD camcorders have not DV-Video IN.
You should have a look because they are very similar models, some with only DV-Video out, some with IN-OUT. I found the DCR-HC 40 and DCR-HC 96, that are basically the same than the DCR-HC 37, but those have DV and analoge Video in.
Cheers,
rafael