Handicam Analog-in Question

[Shootblue]

I am looking at the Canon Optura 20. It has analog in for audio and video. I like that ability for a lipstick cam function. For a second possible use, my question is, if I am going from beta as my analog in to the camera, record that, then dump it over to my computer, edit on like the free avid software, dump it back to dv and then to beta via analog again, will I see a noticable quality difference?

[<geek>]

this has been brought up before I'm sure theres other opinions. once youve got it in digital i/e on dv tape keep it in that format capture with the firewire and export to firewire and not do any editing or copying outside of digital. their shouldn't be any genloss, other than the genloss of copy from beta. it may help to copy through a time base corrector to the consumer cam.

[<Big Shooter>]

I think what you need is a media converter. It will take the video from your beta and convert it to firewire to feed your NLE and convert firewire back to video when you are done editing

Sony and Laird both make them

[Terry E. Toller]

The Optura like most DV cameras converts the analog signal to Digital. As written above, once you dub to the Optura, feed to computer via firewire, edit and feed back via firewire. While in the digital format, you will not have degradation. You can then dub from the Optura to Betacam using analog.

[<Sycophant>]

If you are going to do this, you want the best quality possibly in the analogue stage (as others said, digital signal loss is basically non-existant) however the analogue signal can really take quite a hit.

If possible, do the dub with an S-Video connection, as you will probably see degredation if you use composite video. Also, get good cables, and reasonably short ones. The standard $5 ones from the local electronics store are okay for hooking up a VCR, but are really pretty crappy.