Can I "burn out" my new digital VideoCam?

[dwielgosz]

This is my very first post here after finding this super site via GooGle.
Just recently purchased a new Hitachi DVDCam. Specifically, the model DZ-MV580A(NTSC). I bought it for work to record about 5 minute long recordings of our products in a digital format. It does that fine and I can easily transfer those recordings to one of our servers. After the purchase, I decided that I wanted to transfer some 200 VHS recordings to a digital format for the same purposes. I was going to buy a video capture device to capture the analog output from a VCR and convert that to digital, but the $450.00 price tag caused me to look for alternatives. I found that the Hitachi DVD-Cam has a supplied cable for a "line in" function. I studied the owner's manual and it specifically said that the line in is for the purpose of capturing still images only, not video. I tried capturing video anyways and it works but not flawlessly. This is what happens: I start the VCR and then hit the Record button on the DVD-Cam as soon as a video image appears in the LCD, swing-out screen on the CAM. It records fine for about 4 or 5 minutes and then the Record (Red Light) indicator disappears from the Cam and the Cam begins acting "goofy". It won't shut off and won't respond in general. Eventually it gives a message on the LCD screen that there has been an error and please shut off and back on the Cam. It then says an error occurred in the file do I want to repair. I indicate yes, and it does it's thing for about 5 minutes and then it returns to Normal functioning. Given that it says "not for video" and all am I risking damaging the camera by doing this? Can I burn out the CCDs or something? I believe that what's happening is that the Cam doesn't have any Cache for video input through the "line in" function and it eventually "bogs down" and the error occurs. Any and all feedback will be greatly appreciated.

d

[LT. Columbo]

"am I risking damaging the camera by doing this? "

if it's not meant for that--i wouldn't be doing this. i'd call the tech support or the place where you bought it to see what they say about this....

[kimomakano]

Even if it worked okay I beleive you would still have to go through the process of converting it from an avi to an mpg format (based on my limited experience).
I similarly have a large VHS collection (home movies and educational stuff) that I wanted to transfer. I originally began doing it via a capture card and then using TMPGENc to convert and so on. This is a long and tedious task.
Recently I purchased a DVD standalone recorder (JVC) that I simply hooked up to my VCR and recorded directly to the disc. I record directly to DVD-RAM discs and then am able to copy to my PC (copy and paste) and then rename the vro file extenstion to mpg and it works perfectly.
Sooooo, I would recommend if you have that many tapes you look around for a decent to good DVD recorder. Mine also has a firewire input so I can transfer my tapes from my digital camcorder.

[ajp]

If money is what is holding you back look into a haup pauge card. For about $100 you can get a very good capture card.

[dwielgosz]

Thanks. I finally got this stupid pinnacle moviedv device to capture by uninstalling the software that comes with it and running the analog cables into the movieboxdv and using XPs windows moviemaker to capture. It's tricky but it works consistently now and it's not even dropping frames or anything like I've read so much about here. If details are needed, let me know and I'll try to help. thanks.