What determines how clear a camcorder is?

What feature on a camcorder determines whether or not it can record from an external device?

• Just wondering what I need to look for on a camcorder to know whether or not it is capable of recording from an external device such as a TV? I am looking to purchase one that is able to record what is playing on the TV, either a show or video games. Does the camera need an av-out feature? Any help is appreciated. Thanks

• Answer:

  Hi Kendra: The simple answer to your Question is to look for an "A/V In" feature, not an "A/V out" on the camcorder. That is the determining factor as to whether it can record from external sources (besides the camera lens itself). As to recording from a TV, assuming it's got an internal tuner, the TV itself would need an A/V Out to patch to the camcorder's external A/V Input. On a modern camcorder and TV pairing, you'd look for HDMI connections (some HDMI ports are "out" only on the camcorder and "In" only on the TV end). For gameplay, you'd either use the TV's A/V Out (if it exists) or just insert the camcorder in between the game box and the TV. (E.g., Out from game box to input of camcorder; then out from camcorder to the TV input.) hope this helps, --Dennis C.