--- Forwarded Message from Margo Burns <[log in to unmask]> ---
>Date: Fri, 25 Jul 2003 09:24:42 -0400
>Subject: Re: #7207.1 Digital Camcorder (!)
>From: Margo Burns <[log in to unmask]>
>To: "Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum" <[log in to unmask]>
>In-Reply-To: A<[log in to unmask]>
------------------
On Friday, July 25, 2003, "Victoria Badalamenti"
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> > I would like to know if anyone has recommendations on buying a
> > digital camcorder for the English Language Center at LaGuardia
> > Community College in NYC?
Our School has a couple of digital camcorders in the A/V department --
but the only reason I had for anyone going that way was so that they
could put video directly into iMovie for editing.
Our situation is this: all of our classrooms have, as standard
equipment, a video camera on a copy stand, which we call "visualizers"
-- like the "Elmo" used in the O.J. Simpson trial. They use it to
display objects, books, and papers on their video screens, and are very
popular in both Language and the Humanities classes. The video feed
can also be sent into the VCR attached to the system, and when the lens
is pointed out into the classroom, the teachers can videotape their
students easily on standard VHS tape. After this much flexibility,
with each teacher having a video recording system in their own
classroom, asking them to go fetch a special camcorder from the A/Viary
doesn't seem reasonable -- but I wanted them to be able to take
advantage of iMovie which, along with a VCR, is at every station in our
lab.
My solution has been a $200 analog/digital video converter box, which
allows you to send analog video from a VCR to it, where it converts it
to digital video and passes it along via FireWire to be imported
directly into iMovie for editing. It works really well! You can also
go back the other way, once you've finished your editing, and record
your finished piece onto videotape -- but I prefer burning DVDs.
This unit is also clever because with a flip of a dip switch, it can
deal with PAL standard, as well.
From
http://www.synchrotech.com/product-1394/analog-dv-converter_03.html:
> DAC-100 FireWire Digital/Analog Video Capture-Converter
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> -
> Datavideo's DAC-100 FireWireŽ Digital/Analog Video Capture-Converter
> redefines the mid-range category. This cross platform device delivers
> more features and higher quality than any device in its class.
> Futhermore, there's no need to purchase a costly separate external
> power supply the DAC-100 includes one free! Unlike competing devices
> with no PAL options or requiring purchase of separate units for NTSC
> or PAL, DAC-100 supports both. DAC-100 provides input and output for
> Composite Video (RCA), S-Video and FireWireŽ. Connect a DVD player,
> VCR, or any device with DV (iLink), Digital 8, Video 8, Hi8, VHS,
> S-VHS, VHS-C and S-VHS-C, U-Matic, etc. and capture video straight to
> Windows PC or Macintosh at full screen full motion! Convert analog
> video to native digital video (DV25), the professional video format
> used by DV camcorders for non-linear editing. It also writes digital
> video back out to any Composite or S-Video analog video recording
> device. DAC-100's hardware CODEC delivers 25 Mbit/s DV compression to
> import digital streams straight into editing software. The DAC-100
> also makes any TV iLink interface compatible allowing connections from
> DV camcorders to analog TVs.
>
> The DAC-100 works with all leading video editing software such as
> iMovie, Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere 6 on the Macintosh and Adobe
> Premiere 6, Windows Movie Maker, and Ulead VideoStudio 6 on PCs.
> Backed by Synchrotech's one year limited warranty and highly trained
> technical support, the only thing you will have to worry about is
> finding new uses for the devices!
Cheers,
Margo
Margo Burns, Director
The Language Center
St. Paul's School
Concord, NH 03301
(603) 229-4665
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