Need Some Help from Video Experts Here...

[sykestang]

Hi, this may sound stupid, but I really have not much idea when it comes to videography.

I need to get a video camera urgently this coming Friday for a webcast project, but budget must be <$500 due to some policy constraint. As of current, I identify the following are the functions I need:
i. USB out, or at least able to connect to a Sony VAIO notebook for encoding. The notebook does have a with a mini S400 port which I think it is a firewire 400 port. Also the camera must have camera twain support/driver for WinXP.
ii. A Mic-in port on the camera for plugging in audio direct from the venue's audio console, I would prefer this, as the venue may be noisy/hollow for the audio if captured from the in-built mic on the camera.
iii. Preferred HD or half-HD resolution, future proof.
iv. Preferred have background brighten function, sometimes venue backlight may be dim.

Questions:
1. Is there any video camera/model that has the above and fit in the $500 budget?
2. Would it be better if I get one of those mirrorless photography camera to do the job? ie, Panasonic GF3, Nikon J1, etc

Anyone feel free to give your suggestions and recommendations. Please don't start any flame war which that is not the original intention for starting this thread.

Thanks in advance.

 

[kandinsky]

Check out these two links, they shed some clues on the type of camera to look for:
Finding a camcorder that works with Skype is harder than you might expect | ZDNet
Livestream Store &mdash; Livestream Audio &#47; Video &#47; Internet 101

Most consumer grade camcorders don't have a "live" view connection to your PC unless you use one of the video output options (like HDMI or Component Video) on the camera. Most PC's don't have a video input option unless you add a video card with input capabilities. And to my knowledge none of them have HDMI input capability. So realistically you are talking about getting a camera and a video card with component video inputs for each person. You'd need something like a Hauppauge HD tuner video card at least.

–read from another forum

I think your options are:

1. Get an older miniDV camera with firewire output. These should meet your budget and features.
2. Get a current camera (likely with AV/ component output) but you'll need to get a additional video capturing device to capture the feed to your laptop. Something like this: ADVC110 | Grass Valley

 

[sykestang]

Check out these two links, they shed some clues on the type of camera to look for:
Finding a camcorder that works with Skype is harder than you might expect | ZDNet
Livestream Store &#8212; Livestream Audio / Video / Internet 101

I think your options are:

1. Get an older miniDV camera with firewire output. These should meet your budget and features.
2. Get a current camera (likely with AV/ component output) but you'll need to get a additional video capturing device to capture the feed to your laptop. Something like this: ADVC110 | Grass Valley

I agree. Just spend a wasted half-day in Funan yesterday trying to source a camera. According to almost all sales persons I spoken to, seems like, as nowadays camcorders already capture in digital format direct saving on memory cards/internal memory. The USB connections on the camcorders will only function like a storage device, ie, you can access the camera's memory via windows explorer as a drive.

Unlike previous miniDV camcorders, the camera will behave as a twain camera device when connect using usb/i.link firewire and the camera will behave like a webcam. Audio & Video streams can be captured digitally using your PC/Notebook installed with encoder software.

Now makes me wonder... any 720P HD camcorder in the market still use miniDV instead of memory cards? Think these camera might be cheap due to EOL and will serve my purpose in the long run. Anyone care to can comment on this?

 

[Bamboopictures]

Try renting any camcorder and the roland VR-3 USB mixer. Plug-in and skype. No driver needed. $500 ought to cover it.

 

[sykestang]

Thanks for all the advice. I use my old handycam for the project instead. Now looking for a good cond 2nd-hand Sony PD5 or PD7 for future projects.

It seems like all the current models that already recording/saving in digital format cannot be 'live' stream via the USB/i.Link ports anymore. This is sad. And I just refuse to video-out via composite/RCA/HDMI then re-convert the signal via some hardware capturing devices again to the computer which then encode and stream to my webcast server in digital again, cos it just makes sense.

Anyway thanks for all the good advice given. Thread closed.