DVD or MiniDV Camcorder ?

[Quam256]

I am trying to work out what would be best for me .
But I would like to hear of people on the good and bad of both formats on ease of use ,recording time ,editing and anything else that comes to mind .
Thank You.

[RealDiamond]

DVD camcorder don't uses normal DVDs they use the smaller 8cm size DVDs and have record time of 30mins. if your DVD drive is a slot loading and not a tray, thats a no, no. (laptops and PS3 are slot loading so a transfer to Full size DVD will be needed during editing), like normal still cameras DVD have a resolution in M pixels
Proper editing needs to be done on a computer or DVD recorder any way. you cant do it on a 2.5 inch screen, So you need the usal USB/ DV firewire port free.

Mini DV is a standard, only the brands electronics will make any difference to the quality. Its below the PAL TV standard with only 500 lines
Mini DV cams have changed and added a New option of a memory card this allows recording time to change due to the ever increasing size of the cards.
Then theres the new comer. HDD Cams
Did you rule out HDD camcorder then as they have more space than DVDs and MiniDV. but its still new. so new I haven't used one.

Price
if price is a factor then it doesnt realy matter as these are all in the same price range.
Camcorders/electrical items dont get cheaper, the options on the lowest model just get increased to keep the price the same, if you want cheap then the price will drop on models that are no longer made, this is what you need to look out for in the sales.
HDD cams wont really drop only because its so new, they won't there money back and there is realy no bottom model to speak of.

order of preference
1 HDD cam
2 MiniDV due to the memory card slot now on some models and the DV firewire ports and the tapes are cheap.
3 DVD due to the crappy mini 8 cm dvd used and that if you sneeze near the disks or get one grain of dust on them, they may miss read and need re-cleaning.

[SMHarman]

I'd say miniDV the tapes are robust, while the image is slightly below broadcast, in reality it is broadcast quality, expecially if you have been used to VHS/VHSC camcorders. MiniDV is easy to edit on a PC, even microsoft make software to do so. DVD less so as the image requires decompression / recompression to edit.

MiniDV also takes 61 minutes on a tape, not the 30 of a DVD.

No Idea about HDD, but probably a lot of $$$ for more resolution that most cannot use yet.

[Chris]

MiniDV may technically be 'below' broadcast standard, but all the main broadcasters have been using top-of-the-line Sony MiniDV camcorders for years. The cams are robust and the image quality is superb. Ideal for newsgathering and recording in tight spaces, such as all those makeover shows that seem to be on constantly ... if it's good enough for the Beeb, it's good enough for anyone I say, although the top Sony model may sadly be a little beyond your pocket. It's beyond mine, that's for sure!

[daz300]

we got my bro a HDD camcorder for x mass ,it looks good and no need for dvds . it has to save you some cash some time . i have yet to see of his clips on u tube.

link

daz300