mini DV tape deck?

[mrbios]

Need a rather specific piece of kit, we still have quite a lot of cameras that record on to mini DV tapes which are used by both the music and drama departments here, they then give the tapes to me and i use our mini dv/dvd deck to copy the contents on to a DVD (and in some cases then rip the DVD off on to PC, chop the video up and back on to multiple DVDs)

 

Two problems, one being that it looks like our current solution has died and the second being that they appear to be rare as rocking horse ****! Does anyone know where i could get either a mini DV to DVD deck or even better a mini DV drive/deck that connects directly to a PC?

 

5 years ago we had a hard enough time sourcing the one we have now, not to mention is was stupidly expensive for what it is.

[Chris_]

How about a SanDisk V-Mate (http://www.amazon.co.uk/SanDisk-SDVM1-D-E30-SANDISK-V-MATE/dp/B000L97KYO)? Plug your DV camera into it, put an SD card in and record the contents of the tape to a memory card.

[Oaktech]

what you need is a second hand panasonic ag-dv1000, you should be able to find one on ebay... or check out whatever has replaced it.

[chazzy2501]

alot of dvd recorders have a firewire input on the front, so just plug a DV camcorder into that. You can get them for around a tonne.

 

LG - DRT389H Digital TV DVD Recorder with USB 2.0 & DV: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics

 

you could seek out an older laptop that would probably have a mini dv input on it anyway then copy them to wmv and offer asx links from your mediaserver (or dump the files into your vle.)

Edited February 21, 2012 by chazzy2501

[mrbios]

what you need is a second hand panasonic ag-dv1000, you should be able to find one on ebay... or check out whatever has replaced it.

 

Would i be right in thinking i'll need a TV card in my PC in order to use that the way i want to?

 

I hate all this old technology, DV tapes remind me of cassettes

 

alot of dvd recorders have a firewire input on the front, so just plug a DV camcorder into that. You can get them for around a tonne.

 

LG - DRT389H Digital TV DVD Recorder with USB 2.0 & DV: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics

 

you could seek out an older laptop that would probably have a mini dv input on it anyway then copy them to wmv and offer asx links from your mediaserver (or dump the files into your vle.)

 

The camera's always in use for various things, it'd be hard for them to leave me the camera while i transferred everything, especially when a lot of the time the tapes sit with me for weeks before being done due to not having the time. Would have certainly been a cheaper option though.

Edited February 21, 2012 by mrbios

[laserblazer]

+1 for using a miniDV camera with IEEE1394 input and output. Most editing programs will control the camera just like a deck.

[K.C.Leblanc]

The camera's always in use for various things, it'd be hard for them to leave me the camera while i transferred everything,

 

I might have a DV Cam spare.

 

How many DV cameras do you have. You can get decent standard def SD cameras for about £150. It might be better to get new cameras.

 

EDIT: We've got Canon FS100s which have been very good. It looks like the current version is the Legria FS306.

Edited February 21, 2012 by K.C.Leblanc

[mrbios]

God knows how many we have lol they seem to be spread out between 4 departments and locked in 5-6 seperate locations. It's mental the way departments borrow them off other departments and never give them back, so many bits go missing.

 

The music department are the ones always bringing me tapes really though, and they have one camera that uses mini DV and one other new one they've just purchased (without asking us) which isn't a dedicated video camera....they've bought a panasonic lumix thing which looks more like a picture camera that they're going to use the video feature on (yet to see if it's any good mind you, though i don't hold out much hope there...)