Can I do this with a Mini-DV?

[scp]

I'm knew the digital camcorders but am doing some training for a group later this year, and am looking for a way to:

Give each attendee their own recorded disc that they can review on their home DVD players
Record to their discs and play back for discussion immediately at times during the day
Switch discs around and add to them bit by bit during the day
(Perhaps edit on a PC at a later stage)


Is a Mini-DV cam like the Sony DCR-HC19E going to allow me to do this?
Any better suggestions or problems I've overlooked?

Many thanks

[Skyman]

I'm knew the digital camcorders but am doing some training for a group later this year, and am looking for a way to:

Give each attendee their own recorded disc that they can review on their home DVD players
Record to their discs and play back for discussion immediately at times during the day
Switch discs around and add to them bit by bit during the day
(Perhaps edit on a PC at a later stage)


Is a Mini-DV cam like the Sony DCR-HC19E going to allow me to do this?
Any better suggestions or problems I've overlooked?

Many thanks

i am not entirely shure as i don't understand your set up. is it a seminar type situation ? do you want to record the entire group or each individual ? will you have someone managing the recording and playback for you?

[scp]

Hi,
Yes, it's a seminar set up. I'd like to record individuals at different times in the day and be able to let each person have a recording of all their presentations to take away at the end of the seminar. I'd be doing the recording and playback myself for the most part.

I guess what I'm wondering is whether you can playback, load and reload Mini-DVDs without finalising them as I'd need to switch the discs around throughout the day, adding a few minutes to them at a time.

The other question is whether the mini-DVD is recorded in a format that allows editing with a PC?

PS Sorry for the typos, that first sentence should have read "I'm new to camcorders...". FWIW I am a fully certified technophile but digital video isn't an area I've strayed until now, so all advice is welcome.

Steve

[scp]

Now I see I've confused Mini-DV and Mini-DVD...my intention was to get a Mini-DVD camcorder for the purposes mentioned, hence all the references to discs. Like I say, I'm learning. Obviously the Sony DCR-HC19E won't fit the bill being DV, but the questions still stand wrt a Mini-DVD camcorder. Sorry and thanks.

[Skyman]

Now I see I've confused Mini-DV and Mini-DVD...my intention was to get a Mini-DVD camcorder for the purposes mentioned, hence all the references to discs. Like I say, I'm learning. Obviously the Sony DCR-HC19E won't fit the bill being DV, but the questions still stand wrt a Mini-DVD camcorder. Sorry and thanks.

sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you. i think the biggest hurdle for you is going to be time. everything you have asked is theoretically possible however it sounds like you would still need to download the video to a computer and edit it and this is where your time hurdle comes in. even with best practice it is still likely to take you at least double the length of the recorded session to dowload and burn to dvd (assuming there is no editing to be done) and if you are using a computer that is not expressly built for this task these times will blow out further. i don't know what you are teaching but i feel it would be problematic to teach a course and record it in a way that would suit your needs at the same time - hence the need to edit. so either mini dv or mini dvd would work (the pros and cons of these two formats have been discussed at length in other threads)