No doubt this question has been posted earlier, however, can the PD170 record in either the DV or DVCAM recording modes?

I'm considering purchasing a 170 but I require at least a 60 min. of recording.

Thank you.

Yes, the PD170 can record standard plain-vanilla DV in addition to DVCAM.

Not only does it record in DV, the picture quality is exactly the same as DVCAM mode. I experiemented with my PD170 the other day and manipulated the image in post with Vegas 5.

HOLY SMOKES! I dare anyone to tell me that, after using color correction and deinterlacing through Vegas 5, that the PD170 fotage didn;t look like film! DAYUM!

DVcam is DV. They change the pitch of the tape over the heads to create a more reliable take - no bad or dropped frames.
My question. Can you use a standard DV tape (hi quality of course) to record DVcam on the 170, or are you forced to use the more expensive tapes?

You can use standard tapes.

Robin

Okay one more question, if we use a high quality mini dv tap in the pd170 and record in DV can I use a different minidv camcordr to import the footage until I can get a proper deck?

I havent had much luck finding the answer to that one.

Thanks

I would think you would need at least a deck that plays back DVCam. Hey, I have an older deck let me test it. My other deck plays back DVCam but won't record it.

Yep my JVC plays back a DV cam "recorded" tape it was not, however, a DVCam tape.

Just about all Sony camcorders - even the cheap 1-chippers - are supposed to be capable of playing back DVCAM-recorded tapes, even though they can't record in DVCAM mode.

<<<-- Originally posted by Patrick Moreau : Okay one more question, if we use a high quality mini dv tap in the pd170 and record in DV can I use a different minidv camcordr to import the footage until I can get a proper deck?

I havent had much luck finding the answer to that one.

Thanks -->>>

If you record in DV, any DV camera can play back the tape. If you record in DVCam, Almost any Sony DV camera can play back the tape even if they will only record in DV.