Best hook up for playback

[Keith Luken]

Now that I have my new GL2 I don't want to beat it up to be just a player when I import my videos for editing. I know JVC makes a player deck, but very pricey. Does anyone make an inexpensive DV player that has firewire outputs? Or am I better off finding th echeapest DV camcorder and just using that as a player on my computer?

[Chris Hurd]

Get yourself a Canon ZR40 camcorder for about $600 and use that as a deck. It's just about the least expensive option available. Make a nifty little "backyard" camera, too.

[Keith Luken]

Actually I was looking at JVC or Samsung, they both have a camera for $400 and I assume DV playback is DV Playback as it is all digital so anything that plays should be good, correct?

[Ken Tanaka]

Keith,
As long as you stay in the Land of SP, yes, you are correct. Stray into the Valley of LP or beyond and you may be facing disappointment.

[Keith Luken]

I have no intention of using LP, why take the superb image the GL2 can capture and degrade it. With the popularity of mini-DV you would think some vendors would make VHS VCR replacements using DV or incorporating DV. I have hooking the camera up in the living room and dragging cables out to show a tape. Now at least I'll import it, edit, author and burn to DVD!

[Ken Tanaka]

Just for clarity's sake, there actually is no difference between LP and SP recording from an image quality perspective. That is, the same 1's and 0's are written to the tape, albeit a bit more densely under the slower-moving LP tape speed.

We're all so accustomed to the negative effects of slowing down the tape speed with analog formats such as VHS that we naturally assume the same hazard in the digital world. The real hazard of LP is that the tolerances of the tape's speed and slight differences in head alignment can make LP more unpredictable under different brands and even different cameras of the same brand.