Hard Drive (HDD), DVD or "mini-DV" Camcorder

"One thing I wasn't expecting was the fact that editing is actually affected by your file/data type. I never thought that a compressed MPEG might be harder for the PC to work with (than DV-AVI)"

VIDEOHELP.COM - Forum Thread Camcorders - Hard Drive vs. Tape

TRANSLATION: VIDEO FILE TYPES AFFECT VIDEO EDITING

One of the most important, if not THE most important consideration when choosing a video editing system involves choosing (or having) the right camera. While factors such as High Definition vs. Standard Definition, Zoom Levels and similar factors are important to consider, its absolutely critical to pay attention to how the camera stores the video that it records, since
this ultimately affects how the video is transferred (captured) to the computer and in turn how suitable it is for editing.

Choosing the wrong type of camera almost guarantees inconvenience and in some cases can
have disastrous consequences when its time to edit the video. The quotes on this page are just a sampling of the kind of advice being provided at web sites like http://www.videohelp.com/ on topics such as this. When doing so, keep in mind that the needs of the typical coach are not as simple as the needs of a parent or grandparent that wants to record home movies.

"DV format (MiniDV tape) gives the highest quality and is transferred to the computer at 1x speed over IEEE-1394 (aka Firewire) to a DV-AVI file. Hard Disk (HDD) camcorders record to much lower bit rate MPEG2 and can transfer a "FILE" over USB2. You give up quality for FILE convenience."

TRANSLATION: MINI-DV RECORDS HIGHER QUALITY VIDEO

"Editing MPEG2 beyond simple cuts will lower quality further. To get both quality and FILE you need to spend about $6000 for a camcorder (e.g. Panasonic HVX-200) or go for MPEG4 which is even more difficult to edit with quality."

TRANSLATION: MPEG (2 and 4) FILES ARE POOR FOR EDITING

TIP: Avoid Hard Drive (HDD) and DVD Camcorders for "serious" video editing

"The only two things in the DVD camcorder's favor is the ability to "instantly" transfer the video to the PC and also to be able to instantly take the DVD out and play it in a standalone DVD player. Great for point-and-shoot, never-to-be-edited but practically useless for any serious editing etc."

TRANSLATION: DVD's ARE POOR FOR EDITING

"A note about the HDD option - although it may be considered a file, you still have to get it into the PC. HDD camcorders really don't offer much advantage over DVD camcorders in terms of video quality and ease of editing."

TRANSLATION: HARD DRIVE CAMCORDERS ARE NO BETTER

In summary, the "storage" and "transfer" convenience offered by recording to a camcorder that stores its video on a DVD or Hard Drive in the camera is negated for "serious" video editing. This may change as the cost of camcorders that record to hard drives (and maybe some day an advanced type of DVD) with the QUALITY found in mini-DV cameras comes down into a range that is affordable to individuals and schools. Those cameras exist today, but with a cost typically exceeding $5000, they are used mainly by professional videographers and television studios.