Am thinking of switching from a Mini DV camcorder to a Hard Drive one; need advice and help deciding

I am quite a novice. All I've done so far is own a JVC mini DV camcorder and record onto mini DV tapes and watch them through the camera. I wanted to advance to transferring the footage onto my PC and having a go at editing it and maybe storing it on DVDs, but before I got around to learning this the camcorder has malfunctioned and I'm told it's too expensive to bother fixing.

Meanwhile I now have a load of Mini Dv discs with all the footage of my so's first three years, family hols, etc. I can't think how I will ever be able to access this footage unless I buy another Mini Dv camera, as I never transferred them to the laptop or burned DVDs of them. But now it seems as if Mini Dv cameras are slightly going out the window and Hard Drive cameras are the new thing.

I have lots of questions:

1. If I buy another Mini Dv camcorder I've heard my old mini DV discs may not be compatible with the new camera, so I still might not be able to view my old footage; is this true?

2.Even if they are compatible, is it possible to transfer the footage from the mini DV tapes onto my laptop and burn it onto DVD to make it more durable in the long run? If so, how?

3.If it isn't compatible, are there places that will transfer your mini DV tapes to DVD for you?

4.If I get a Hard dive camcorder, how do I store the footage from it? Do I tranfer it onto the laptop then burn it onto DVD? If so, is this easy? What would i need to do it?


Sorry so many questions. I hope I've come to the right place. I am just a Mum wanting to record my son's early years, but none of it seems easy. I hope someone can clarify the options for me.

 

1. The minDVs are standard in size, so they will work with a new miniDV camcorder.

2. Yes. Connect the new camcorder, to your computer, via a firewire cable.

3. I don't know, but I would expect that there are such places, or better yet, borrow a friend's miniDV video camcorder.

4. You connect it via a USB cable, and your computer will recognize it as an external hard drive, and you just copy the folders to a folder on your "regular" hard drive.

For all you will need a video editing software, such as Roxio or N-ero.

 

Thank you!

 

You're welcome. Come back, when you have made your decision, and let us know how it goes for you.