I'm considering the purchase a new camcorder to take video's of my grandchildren's baseball and soccer games.

I'm looking at two basic types: the Samsung miniDVD type and the SD memory card type.

I'm assuming the SD memory card type would be better because it should be able to hold more video depending on what size SD card I have in the camera...am I thinking correctly?

The miniDVD is only 1.4G so each minidvd will only hold 30 minutes of video. That's not much video is it?

Am I looking at this in the right way? Better yet, what advantages and disadvantages do both types offer?

Price is a big factor for me.....have to keep my cost down....and both types are on sale now (or was) for $200.

Would another type be better?

Could you specify which camcorders exactly? So we can check out the specs you know. If not I would say I've had better quality videos using the miniDVD type. SD does have upgradeable memory but quality is not as good.

SC DC173U is the Samsung miniDVD camcorder.

SC-MX10 SD Samsung camcorder.

Thanks HG27

P.S. I'm out of town and this motel computer won't let me copy and paste the actual website URL. Sorry.

No problem, quick google pulled some sites up. ;)

SC DC173U is the Samsung miniDVD camcorder

Found the miniDVD version on amazon for $259.99 (new) and $169.99 (used). Amazon's customer satisfaction was a 2 1/2 stars (5 being the highest). It has the ability to record video straight to the miniDVD, which you can then watch on your computer or DVD player. You can also record videos/still images to either an SD card or MMC, so you don't have to use only miniDVD's. Biggest thing I saw customers complain about was the battery life. Here is the link.

SC-MX10 SD Samsung camcorder

This one comes in two flavors, main difference being a built in 8GB of flash memory.
The one without the built in flash memory will set you back $212.99 (new) and $189.95 (used). This one also comes in two different colors (pink and silver) though pink is $17 more for some reason. Overall customer satisfaction was 3 1/2 stars. This one has the option of recording to SD/MMC as well as the above camcorder. Main thing I saw customers complain about on this one:
-cost of accesories
-ability to record during less than ideal weather conditions
Here is the link.

The one that comes with 8GB of built in flash memory goes for $459.90 (new) and $435.00 (through elvistech). This camcorder only has 10x optical zoom (other ones above all have 34x) but that is because it is HD. This one is also SDHC compatible so you can use memory cards bigger than 2GB. Amazon's customer satisfaction score of 3 stars. A couple of customers claimed having problems viewing their vids on their computer. This camcorder also has the ability to record video and still images (SD/MMC), so no problem there.
Here is the link.

Main disadvantage I can see with miniDVD is the laser. Camcorder can't be shaken up too much (bad for the laser), whereas memory card based camcorders don't have that problem. If your going for long videos, memory card based is probably your best bet. Price wise memory cards tend to be more expensive than miniDVD's.
Here is a thread with many interesting links on minDVD camcorders and memory card based camcorders.

I'd stick with miniDV tape camcorders, because of their superior video quality.

I use one to video my grandkids, whatever they are doing.

Originally posted by GrandpaBW:

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I'd stick with miniDV tape camcorders, because of their superior video quality

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Others have agreed with you on this point GrandpaBW.....but it's soooo time consuming to put the video on a DVD for other family members.....I'm keeping an open mind however.

HG27, thank you for the in-depth analysis.....that's the type of information I need. I really appreciate that......now I need to make a decision.....sooner or later.

Originally posted by burnselk:

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Originally posted by GrandpaBW:

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I'd stick with miniDV tape camcorders, because of their superior video quality

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Others have agreed with you on this point GrandpaBW.....but it's soooo time consuming to put the video on a DVD for other family members.....I'm keeping an open mind however.

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Having great videos of your grandkids, and sharing a nice quality finished DVD with them, is worth the effort, IMHO.

Originally posted by GrandpaBW:

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Originally posted by burnselk:

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Originally posted by GrandpaBW:

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I'd stick with miniDV tape camcorders, because of their superior video quality

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Others have agreed with you on this point GrandpaBW.....but it's soooo time consuming to put the video on a DVD for other family members.....I'm keeping an open mind however.

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Having great videos of your grandkids, and sharing a nice quality finished DVD with them, is worth the effort, IMHO.

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+1
except for the grandkids part, don't have any myself.