DV Tape reader
 

Does anyone use a DV tape reader to transfer information to their computers? I really do not want to burn out the motor of my GL2 just transfering information to a PC. I had heard there was one by Sony called the GVD-900DV but I could not find any information about it on thier website.

DV Tape Reader
 

Sony does make the device you want - one of them being described on the B&H site as "GV-D1000 Mini DV VCR Video Walkman With 4" LCD Screen, Analog and Firewire In/Output, Memory Stick Slot ".

I was looking for the same thing but every DV 'deck' seems to be too expensive for my purpose.

Shouldn't it be the guts of a dv camera without the optics and cost about $200. I don't need a screen or any fancy controls, my NLE takes care of that, just a quality rugged player with a firewire port.

No one seems to have built one yet. Any mech/elec engineers out there??

Tom

So many people do use their cameras that the number of decks sold is relatively small.

That said, decks normally have a much more robust mechanical structure than a camera. Frequently they have much better electronics as well since the weight and power restrictions don't apply.

People do buy low-end camcorders to use as a deck and get the added benefit of a second backup camera.

Gary,

Do you have a budget in mind?

There are several different routes you could go, based upon how much money you wanted to spend.

Have not really thought about budget. Was basically looking to see what was out there.

I like the GV-D1000 but could do without the 4" LCD screen. I would really like something a bit cheaper than that. basically I just want a read-only system with a firewire interface that I can use to read the tapes into my computer.

Here's one concern i had. I have an xl-1s and an elura 40mc. If i use the elura as my deck will there be any loss of quality or is it the same since it is digital coming right from the tape? Thanks.

You're OK. No loss of quality will happen.

I too was thrown back by cost of decks and opted for a second cam, so I shoot on my GL2 and use a ZR45 for editing. The ZR45 comes in handy for quick off the cuff kind of shooting around th ehose too where I would not normally want to break out the GL2. Of for going places where the GL2 is not put at risk. Sure a DV deck has better tape path mechanics, but I am not a pro so the second cam option was a win-win for me.

Pinnacle Systems sent me a interesting email a few weeks ago asking me to participate in a survey. I did. The questions related to how much I would be willing to pay and what features I wanted in an internal-mount, PC-based MiniDV tape drive.

It's the first time recently that I've seen a vendor looking in to this.

I do see some advantages to using a low-end camcorder for this purpose, but the truth is that I just want to avoid hauling out the GL2 just to grab a clip off a tape when I'm editing. I'd like to see tapes in my GL2 just once, when I'm shooting. The result would be a lot less wear and tear on the GL2's mechanism and a lower risk of recording problems in the future.

I was drooling over the Sony GV-D1000, though...

that would be sweet!

PC-based MiniDV tape drive
 

Has anyone heard of a PC drive for miniDV tape reading?
I would buy one that would read tapes at 2x or faster.
This would save me a lot of babysitting since my audio
and video editors slow down with larger files. I like
to keep the AVI files under 2 GBytes.

Generally, I use my VX-2000 for recording and do any
TV playback or PC capture with my older, cheaper JVC.

Just checking...
 

Hey, new to this board. I came across it by searching for minidv reader. I am looking for the same as this starter.... a minidv tape reader download to computer... don't need a display just a USB 2.0 or firewire port. If anyone knows of one of these please let me know.
thanks!

Sony made a DV tape-drive for a PC, called the DVR-1000, but discontinued it a few years ago. I don't think they sold very many of them. Someone recently posted a message on this forum about having a problem with one of them. You'd think that some company would make an internal DV/HDV drive, for both PC and Mac, as it should be a very popular item. For all the many home users who will be getting HDV camcorders, it would a good way to be able to edit and copy and keep the total cost down. Throw in a blue-laser DVD recording drive, along with all the needed software and the package could be a winner.

Perhaps when Microsoft's Vista OS is implemented, there'll be some computers that are bundled with all these things and not go over the $1,500 to $2,000. U.S. price range.

The cheapest DV tape player available now, is still one of the bottom-end camcorders that may sell for about $300. The lowest price for a DV VCR is about $700., for a JVC HR-DVS3U. It is a dual-deck with S-VHS on the other side.