"amer" <seymoria@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:7d1e8174.0308200633.4d26700c@posting.google.com...

> Hello David. Thanks again for your very helpful response. I would be

> groping without your help.

>

> A few more queries.

>

> RF in/out :

> They are not supplied on camcorders. But the signal from my local TV

> antenna and satellite dish antenna are all RF cables. That means I

> cannot watch / record my favorite progs in digital format directly

> from my camcorder? In other words, my camcorder cannot behave as a

> conventional TV in terms of viewing broadcast programs?

Yes. The early VX1000 would take an RF output adapter that

was powered by the camera - but it could not record analogue

from any input. You can take connections off a VHS VCR,

using the RF connection as input, though (and the VCR's tuner).

> S-video :

> I dont have any S-video connections (which you mention are for high

> quality analogue signals) either on my TV or my VCR. Does it mean I

> wont be able to connect the camcorder with those devices (except by RF

> or AV, which are both low quality)? And thus would not be able to

> watch the high quality video recorded by mini DV camcorder?

The differences are not enormous. The "S" connector gives near-digital

picture quality; the RCA composite image is a bit softer, with more aliasing

on complementary colors - but it is quite watchable...

> Firewire/i-link :

> My TV and VCR do not have any i-link/Firewire connections. Does it

> mean this feature would be useless for me?

No. FireWire is used for making lossless copies between cameras or

between a camera and computer. It is the best way for transferring

video for editing...

> AV in/out :

> Does your comment 'lowest quality analogue' apply only to the

> 'composite video' connector or generally to all AV connections?

Only to the composite video - though this is not bad...

> Serial/parallel/USB :

> My computer (an old one) only has serial, parallel and USB ports. (No

> i-link, firewire or S-video). Does this mean I wont be able to watch

> high quality video on my PC thru my camcorder? Also, then, I wont be

> able to record video on a CD thru my CD writer?

There is more to this. To edit in original quality, you need a FireWire

port on the computer (cards are as low as $15 - get one with TI chipset

[some come with editing software, too]). We got a TI-equipped card

at www.computergeeks.com for $15, with what appears to be a

nice editor (though we have not yet tested it). Computers display video

differently from TVs, so you will not get high-quality video on the TV in

any case if the video was properly shot for TV-viewing. CD-video

is very low quality compared with even so-so Mini-DV original tape

or a decent DVD copy (13-gigs/hour [which is already compressed

5:1] must be compressed to fit in under 700megs on the CD).

> Thankyou very much.

>

> With Best Regards,

> Amer

>

> p.s.

> The TRV 70 has a feature to convert analogue (VHS) video into digital

> tapes (miniDV format) which is probably a very useful feature. If I

> buy a TRV 70, will i be able to utilize this feature?

Yes - all recent Mini-DV cameras that I know of have this feature,

but why would you want to use it? Quality will not improve, and the

original VHS tapes are quite durable...

> "David Ruether" <rpn1@no-junk.cornell.edu> wrote in message news:<bhtaca$pff$1@news01.cit.cornell.edu>...

> > "amer" <seymoria@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:7d1e8174.0308180953.27198c75@posting.google.com...

> >

> > > The array of connections on camcorders of nowadays of different makes

> > > and types in the market is very confusing. I have tried to make a

> > > comprehensive list as follows.

> > >

> > > 1- Please inform which ones of these are not applicable to camcorders.

> > >

> > > 2- Please give some info on the ones marked with asterisk *.

> > >

> > > 3- Pick out the more useful ones .

> > >

> > > RF in : *

> > > RF out :

> >

> > Both not supplied, and not very useful...

> >

> > > USB in : *

> > > USB out :

> >

> > Both the same port, and useful for transfer of stills and low-quality video only

> > (as set up by the makers...).

> >

> > > S-video in :

> > > S-video out :

> >

> > Both same port, very useful for high-quality analogue video in/out...

> >

> > > IEEE13945 (i-link) in :

> > > IEEE13945 (i-link) out :

> >

> > Both same port, needed for digital transfer in/out ogf video and sound...

> >

> > > Firewire in :

> > > Firewire out :

> >

> > (Same as above...)

> >

> > > AV in :

> > > AV out :

> >

> > Same port - sometimes proprietary connector that goes to three RCA

> > plugs (audio left and right, video composite [lowest-quality analogue]).

> >

> > > Parallel port in : *

> > > Parallel port out :

> > > Serial port in : *

> > > Serial port out :

> >

> > (See USB, above...)

> >

> > > DV in : *

> > > DV out : *

> >

> > (See FireWire/IEEE above...)

> >

> > > Memory Stick :

> > > Memory Stick (with high speed transport enabled) :

> >

> > Sony proprietary memory devices - useful for higher-quality

> > stills than frame-grabs from motion-video, but not by much

> > unless using the better 3-chip models [and limited to

> > 640x480 NTSC for best quality - too small to print well...]).

--

David Ruether

d_ruether@hotmail.com

http://www.David-Ruether-Photography.com