Well at this point, I'm still in learning mode. I have two types of miniDVDs (DVD-R and DVD+RW). My original goals had been to be able to take the miniDVD directly out of the camcorder and plug it into my home theater system AND to be able to take that miniDVD and use it on my home computer to read the files and cut out snippets to post on my sites. And additional use is to be able to edit the files, and perhaps make up some sort of compendium of the clips I have made over the time I will be using the thing.
Apparently not all goals can be easily met with what is available. Supposedly editing the files on the computer is easier with miniDV (tape) then it is with miniDVD (disk). But I don't have a device (or know what is available) to take the miniDV tapes and read them DIRECTLY into my home theater system nor my computer. The miniDV tapes are simply a storage device within the camcorder itself and not really a transportable medium that can be used elsewhere. However, I can hook up the camcorder directly to the home theater system itself through the A/V cables and play the miniDVD disks (and I assume this would work with miniDV tapes as well). Of course, USB can be used in either type of camcorder to send files to and from the computer.
Now, I have heard that the quality of the recording is better on the miniDV tapes as the bandwidth is greater and the compression less then what is used with the miniDVD disks. Without having both to do a nose to nose comparison, I don't know how important this would be to me. I played some test videos from the camcorder to the home theater system and was pretty darn impressed with what I saw.
When I get around to installing my new DVD burner, and get some decent editing software (a product called Womble was recommended for the files used in the miniDVD disks), then I will know a little bit more about that aspect of all this.
The fact of the matter that I got that Sony DVD403 a LOT cheaper then normal (the price at Circuit City was $150 more then I paid for it), may be incentive to keep it instead of just taking it back if I come to the conclusion (in the 14 day period I CAN return it) that miniDV tape is actually a better medium to use.
There are some things I don't like about the camcorder, however. Auto focus seems squirrelly. Probably my inexperience, but it seems to randomly pick parts of the screen to keep in focus. Also the auto gain control is very distracting when the center of attention goes outside of the sensor determining what the brightness balance of the frame should be. But these all may be things I have yet to learn how to control on this camera. Or else they are NOT manually controllable, and this is exactly the sort of thing I thought I was going to have to learn about in hands on useage. But regardless, this would be a handy little camera to have for outside shots in more standard settings then trying to get closeups of animals.
Oh another thing I learned. While watching the test videos I made within the reptile building, the audio pickup picked up all the fans, air conditioners, and air cleaners I have running there. The crickets chirping was right in there as well. All in all, the background noise was way too loud and distracting.
Oh well. So far I like it, but still not sure I made the right choice or not.
