Posted by Gene on 02/02/07 03:53

Thanks, Richard.

I have a Liteon 5005 with all the mods:-), a new Sony GX330, and a
Panasonic ES20. The ES20 has what is known as "Flexible Recording"
which lets me select 1.5 hours, the other two are the standard
1, 2 hr, etc. mode. The ES20 hangs (freezes) far too often, and
the other two create DVDs that only use a portion of the DVD-+R.
Unless you completely fill up the DVD, you are not getting the
best possible quality.

Here is my ideal set-up, a dedicated PC that:
- has two quality DVD burners
- software that will simultaneously burn two DVD-R disc
in real-time as it reads the MiniDV tape via firewire.
- chapters generated automatically ~ every 5 or 6 minutes
- the software will write the ~ 95 minutes of tape onto the two
DVD-Rs, filling each to within 95%+ of DVD capacity.
- the software will finalize both DVDs, open the DVD burner
doors, and rewind the MiniDV at EOT.

It sounds so simple. Just insert two blank DVD-Rs, place in a
MiniDV tape, and start a program (or batch file) and come back
in 1.5 hours to a finished product with maximum quality and chapters.
Unfortunately, I can't find a specific program (or programs) that will do
this without operator intervention.

And while I'm wishing: I REALLY just want a camcorder that will
write an hour of DV quality to a "LARGE" DVD-R disc - not those junky
little 30 minute ones. Imaging, writing an hour or more to super inexpensive
media, and never having to go to a PC or set-top box:-)

gene








"Richard Crowley" <rcrowley@xpr7t.net> wrote in message
news:12s5bdqimonr5ba@corp.supernews.com...
> "Gene" wrote ...
>> My problem is the 1.5 hour LP MiniDV mode - which is the only mode that I
>> want to shoot in. (Most folks are unaware that the QUALITY of a SP (1 hr)
>> and a LP (1.5 hr) is 100% the "same" - the bits are identical.
>
> Most people who record in LP mode come here crying
> and regretting the decision. Good luck. You will need it.
> I have significant doubts that your experiement will go
> as well as you think.
>
>> What specific hardware and/or software do I need to copy a 1.5hr LP mode
>> MiniDV or 1.5hr LP mode Digital-8 tape "DIRECTLY" onto inexpensive DVD-R
>> or DVD+R media for replay on most DVD player boxes connected to a TV?
>
> You need a DVD recorder with firewire input.
> I got an email from Geeks today selling them for ~$60
>
>> Another way to ask the question is: Given the current technology, how do
>> you copy a 1.5hr MiniDV tape onto a DVD-+R in REAL TIME and get the
>> MAXIMUM quality
>> possible?
>
> If you record in real-time to DVD in the "normal" mode (2 hours), there
> really isn't any range of "quality". It is what it is.
>
>> What specific hardware and/or software
>> make & models do I need to purchase to do the above?
>
> I am quite happy with the several LiteOn DVD recorders I
> have bought at Costco. <$100

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