# MiniDV Camcorders - need help **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 16, 2004, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minidv-camcorders-need-help/269536 "2004-10-16T10:45:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cryptic\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@cryptic\_j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cryptic_j)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2004, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minidv-camcorders-need-help/269536/1 "2004-10-16T10:45:00Z")
I’m looking to buy a MiniDV camcorder - probably Sony - - … my problem is this… I intended to wait until I go on holiday to the U.S.A - which is very soon approaching, as it works out cheaper for me… thanks to the strong old £! However one person has told me that the Camera will NOT be compatible with DV tapes over here - and another person has said that you can buy Camera’s that do both NTSC and PAL… does anybody know the Straight Dope ?? should I buy my self a cheaper camera here - - or wait and get a more expensive one over there?? any suggestions greatly received ---
**Author:** ![Popup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@Popup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Popup)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minidv-camcorders-need-help/269536/2 "2004-10-18T11:40:23Z")
(I don’t really know much on the subject, but at least it deserves a bumb.) It all depends on how you want to use it. If you want to be able to plug it straight into a telly to see the result, you might be dissapointed, but if you want to do post-processing and make DVDs I don’t think it really matters. You will still (probably) transfer the stuff to a PC, and hopefully whatever software you’re using is able to convert to/from whatever formats you need. (On the other hand, the mini-DV casettes that you can be here (in EU) all say ‘miniDV-PAL’ on them - I have no idea if this means that the actual media is different.) (All-in-all, not a very helpfull reply. Let’s hope someone more knowldgeable will come along shortly.) ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minidv-camcorders-need-help/269536/3 "2004-10-18T11:52:23Z")
The computer is a good alternative. BUT SP 2 screws my intake of video from my camcorder and doesnt accept it. Is there anything SP 2 doesnt adversely affect?? Side note: I personally want a DV for my camcorder (got it 8 days ago-- bday present) so I can go “out” and record stuff… not be tethered to my laptop. ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minidv-camcorders-need-help/269536/4 "2004-10-18T14:12:53Z")
> [@Meeko](#): > > Side note: I personally want a DV for my camcorder (got it 8 days ago-- bday present) so I can go “out” and record stuff… not be tethered to my laptop. What exactly do you mean? DV is a format, not a thing. It’s not something you add to an existing, presumably non-DV, camcorder. ---
**Author:** ![cryptic\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@cryptic\_j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cryptic_j)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minidv-camcorders-need-help/269536/5 "2004-10-18T14:26:52Z")
This is strange - - I thought I added something to this - because just after I posted I found a thread on a technical page that went into this in details - - I even posted a link… yet that post does not appear here!!! - - maybe I a) posted it in the wrong thread… or b) forgot to press submit! oh well the gist was… a miniDV tape is a miniDV tape is a miniDV tape… apparently there is no difference… and although it is possible to buy a miniDV camcorder that does both NTSC and PAL - - they are not readily available in the US… which means I’m buying mine before I leave… **Meeko** , did you mean you want a DV tape?? ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minidv-camcorders-need-help/269536/6 "2004-10-19T05:26:03Z")
Wanting a DV tape, sure, if your passing them out…