I bought a video camera just about 18 months ago; apparently right when I shouldn't have since I got one that is a tape unit as opposed to DVD unit.

So now I have several of those mini tapes that I'd like to get on to a DVD or something a bit more useable on a long term basis. I'd also like to learn more about the newer DVD units so I can buy a replacement for my 18 month old money sink.

Can anyone suggest a good forum that deals more with this sort of topic where I can learn how to get movies off the mini tapes and on to DVD's and learn more about new cameras?

DVD camcorders have poor video quality. You did fine getting the miniDV unit.

As I said, unless video quality means little to you, you don't want a DVD unit. Within the next few years, some version of consumer high-definition will be the standard, anyway. I'd wait for that.

Well, you can start right here:

http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=380543

http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=431216

http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=555381

http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=604898

http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=621122

If all you want to do is transfer, directly, your miniDV tapes to DVD, get a stand-alone DVD player/recorder. They're relatively cheap, very easy to use (connect the audio and video out of the camcorder to the audio and video in of the recorder, drop in a DVD, hit record on the DVD recorder and play on the camecorder). I believe there may be some that allow for digital transfers using the 1394 port -- that will give you the best video quality, though not as good as you'd be able to get going through the process outlined in the threads I've posted above.

Agree with PTravel 100% here. MiniDV is a better format for quality and flexibility, IMO. Many MiniDV camcorders, even mine from six years ago - one of the very early models - have a firewire/i1394/iLink port (all the same - just different names). Plug that sucker into your PC and you can transfer a perfect bit-for-bit digital copy of your recording and burn it. I even had a Humax 80gb TiVo with DVD burner that had a firewire port right on the front and it would automate the entire process for you. I believe newer macs also have good software for just this purpose. On the PC, I can't really recommend any software since I haven't done it in a few years, but it is entirely possible with MiniDV.

I just bought a new hard drive camcorder and am now faced with a similar decision as to how to convert to DVD. I am planning to buy an external DVD burner for my computer (Dell Dimension 4600). Anyone have a suggestion on a good entry-level burner (compatible with my relatively old computer) to be used for this purpose?

I have no experience doing this in Windows, but on a Mac it's pretty simple. Plug the camera in and open up iMovie. Tell iMovie to import the video and then edit it in iMovie. Send the project to iDVD, add menus, slideshows, etc and hit "burn."

Have an older Canon MiniDV and do the same with my Mac. Movie quality is much better with the MiniDV.

There are two consumer HD standards: HDV and AVCHD. HDV is, for all intents an purposes, mpeg2; AVCHD is, for all intents and purposes, mpeg4. However, though AVCHD offers a theoretical advantage, manufacturers have, solely for marketing purposes, limited its data bandwidth to between 13 and 17 mbps, whereas all consumer HDV machines push through 25 mbps. The result is that AVCHD exhibits serious compression and motion artifacts, whereas HDV does not. Canon makes a wonderful consumer HDV machine, the HV20 (and, introduced today, the HV30). The HV20 retails for between $650 and $700 and will produce absolutely stunning high definition video.

both hard drive and dvd record will soon be a thing of the past.

this is the new canon announcement:
http://www.usa.canon.com/templatedat...107_hidef.html

hf10 & hf 100. both run on avchd. both use memory chip for storage. do full 1980 x 1080i(p?)
since no moving parts, much better battery life. much lighter, since no motors.

dw-100 dvd burner. direct from someplace to blu ray disk.

I guess I should have waited. I bought the panasonic. it isn't even here yet, and it's already yesterday's technology.

Both are AVCHD limited to 17 mpbs -- poorer video than the HDV machines.