Video Camera Questions, considering installing an in-car cam Options

[John]

Any advice/suggestions for mounting a video camera in our track only car? There is virtually no interior left and a bracket would be fabricated and welded into place for mounting.

Any brand/model recommendations? Any brands/models to avoid?

The car is a DE only vehicle.

What I THINK I want is a small, lightweight camera that stores video on Digital Tape, and can be powered from the car 12v system. I want something that will be easy to transfer video to a PC and then burn DVD's to be played in stand-alone players.

I want enough resolution that it will look decent full screen on a television.

It will need to be hard wired as there is no lighter plug (or dash for that matter).

Thanks in advance for your replies.

[John]

I've been playing around with my wife's DCR-HC40. I can capture the video on the PC via the DV cable (firewire) and get acceptable results (for me).

Now I just need to figure out a robust method of attaching the camera in the car. I think the camera has a remote to start/stop the recording.

I'll also have to figure out how to manually control the focus and the brightness. Looks like it may be a fun challenge.

We've wanted to put a camera in the track car now for about 15 years and it may just make it in for our last event this year (in October).

I've got to get to work on a mount.

Here is a question about the videos posted on the web such as youtube: What format and resolution are those in? AVI, MPEG??? I'm more used to making VOB files for burning to DVD's.

[turboman808]

Here is a question about the videos posted on the web such as youtube: What format and resolution are those in? AVI, MPEG??? I'm more used to making VOB files for burning to DVD's.

VOB is just another for of Mpeg. For the most part I make everything a DIVX file. It gives you the highest resolution without being to large.

When you go to upload to many sights you will find they do not accept files over 100mb or 10 minutes. So using DIVX format will resolve alot of this.

Also I use a site called Veoh.com and Stage6.com

Stage6 is the only sight I know that lets you freeely upload any length and also in High definition.

Veoh.com is really handy because when you upload to there sight it will also upload to all your other video sites. So it knocks out 6 video sites in one upload(youtube myspace aol etc). It's really handy. Plus if your friends run Veoh on there home theatre and they are subscribed to your channel they get your videos automaticaly to the home theater. Really nice!!!