Tapeless device advice sought...
 

Many apologies if this is out of place!

I was directed here by another forum with you guys noted as the people to ask... :-)

OK

I'm looking to move away from tape (currently use DV tape devices) to a tapeless device and am looking for advice on what hardware to look at/purchase.

I'm considering the JVC Everio GZ-MC200 Digital Camcorder to give a ballpark of my budgets...

Please let me know what to expect and if there are any other alternatives/better kit.

My wife uses Adobe Premier Pro 1.5 and we'd like to edit in that package...

Many thanks for the advice...

Jonathan,

The most helpful advice you can get out of this sort of discussion would have to depend on your budget -- that is, the real issue at stake is, how much are you willing to spend? And then it's a matter of what do you want to do with your video... is this for home use, entertainment for your immediate family and friends, or is it something you're wanting to sell or broadcast.

You're saying that the JVC is an indicator of your budget... I think that's about a $1500 camera. The tapeless recording systems we usually discuss on this board are external add-ons to existing camera systems; mostly our discussions center on the FireStore recorders, the nNovia A2D, the QuickStream, etc. Their prices range from about $700 up to $2000 but this assumes that you already have a camcorder in the first place. If your budget is $1500 or so, then you might want to look into the lower-cost portable hard drive recorders, choose one down in the $700 range, and that will leave you roughly $800 for the camcorder. A good candidate for a camcorder in that price range would be any of the 3-CCD Panasonics, the Canon Optura series or any of the similarly priced Sonys (I'm sure JVC has models within that price range as well). Hope this helps,

Jonathan--

While the JVC is a step in the right direction (and a bold declaration of the future JVC sees coming) it might still be a little early to adopt a 'pure' tapeless solution.

Currently, the JVC records onto 4gb microdrives which cost about $176.00. One is included with the camera, but what if you go away on vacation? While the JVC drips with portability, you might still need a to bring either a laptop to download your clips to or purchase some additional 4gb cards. Plus, the JVC only records in compressed MPEG2 that, while excellent, might not fit your needs depending on the job. Once again, it all depends on your budget.

With the solution Chris outlined, you could bring with you a lightweight Quickstream 'and' still record to tape for backup/archive purposes. You'll have the exceptional quality of DV compression while enjoying the benefits of 'tapeless' recording (and zero capture time) with the Quickstream. Quickstreams max out at six hours which might be perfect for a vacation somewhere. You can always reuse the DV tapes you bring with you once the project checks out back home. This way, you save $$ on purchasing future tapes while utilizing the Quickstream (or whatever other portable device you use) as your main recording medium.

If you so go with the JVC, please let us know how it is! Good luck!