Re: Syncing Video suite to your audio suite.

Well, I would think in this economy, you could get some great deals on used pro decks.

What's your budget range?

Also...keep in mind that, depending on who you're working with, you may only need the player (with TC out, as you mentioned...). Even Betacam SP players have been known to be floating around for $4K or less with a couple of miles on them.

If Betacam is a little steep for your upkeep budget, there are tons of wayward used pro SVHS decks out there with TC capabilities. I would personally recommend JVC for any SVHS purchases just from a durability point-of-view. Panasonics and Sonys have a ton of plastic parts which makes them lighter to carry, but can become maintenance-intensive as they age and wear.

I would recommend against DV, or any of the 6mm formats from a deck/tape-punishment point of view. I think you would run the deck and the tape ragged in no time in this application.

Of course, if you've got lots of budget....there are a ton of options. I just always start by assuming otherwise.

I'm sure there are other folks with ideas too....


-Tim Kolb