On 13 Aug 2002 05:02:31 -0700, linus1956@hotmail.com (linuz) wrote:

>I am deciding which DV Camcorder to buy and have a basic question
>about DV.
>
>If I understand correctly ,the DV output of the 1394 port is 720 x 480
>pixels, the same as DVD.

But the DVD image suffers higher compression...

>If a camcorder has a larger or smaller CCD,
>does the camcorder convert the picture to the 720 x 480 size
>automatically?

Whatever the active video pixel count is, it will
be converted to 720x480 for DV (NTSC); the CCD size
and pixel count are different issues...

>Does a camcorder with a larger CCD have a better DV
>output?

Not necessarily... A larger CCD does tend to favor
low-light range (pixel count and CCD type being
equal...) and better tonality (but not necessarily),
but resolution is affected more by pixel count...
You may find this comparison site interesting:
www.David-Ruether-Photography.com/camcorder--comparison.htm