Is there a digital video recorder device? Kind of like VCR, only portable.

[Artlav]

I have an RC helicopter with a camera on it that transmits video.
The video is picked up on the ground by a receiver.
The receiver gives out a composite video signal - an AV socket with PAL or NTSC.

I want to record that video signal (instead of putting another camera on the copter).

What can be used to do that?
It have to work stand-alone in a field with no computers in sight, so all the USB TV tuners that fill the Google aren't it, and it's not exactly convenient to carry an old-fashioned VCR (along with a battery and an inverter) around.
I suppose it's possible to plug one of the USB thingies into a Raspberry Pi with a battery, but surely there is already some little Chinese box with an AV port on one side and a MicroSD slot on the other, that would do just that?

If so, what would it be called?

[SL4P]

portable DVR
Magic in a box!

[Artlav]

portable DVR

That gives me a Googlefull of dashcams...

EDIT: Or not.
Found this thing: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Portable-Metal-Security-Mini-DVR-Digital-Video-Recorder-with-TF-Micro-SD-Card-/141556400965?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20f56b4345
Look like exactly what i'm looking for.

Thanks!

[warp_foo]

What is your budget?

Atomos Ninja Star is light and has pretty a good feature set. I'm not a huge fan of the storage, however.

http://www.atomos.com/ninja-star/

m

[rdl]

Those little 808 keychain cameras used to be pretty popular, not sure if they're still the best deal though.

[NiHaoMike]

Some time back, there was a gadget called an "iSee" that's basically a pocket DVR that used an iPod as memory. With a simple hack, it could use any USB storage device. I managed to pick one up for $5 at the time. Video quality is between VHS and DVD, not exactly surprising.

Nowadays, Analog Devices makes a chip that takes in composite or Svideo and outputs MIPI CSI. Someone should make a board to allow it to be used with a Raspberry Pi or even a hacked smartphone or tablet.

[tom66]

A lot of Sony camcorders offered (or still offer?) the ability to record an external video input to the DV tape/DVD etc.
I have used one myself, the quality is pretty good, although with the DVD model, if you even move the drive just a little too much during recording, you will get video skips.

[electr_peter]

Try this DVR http://www.ebay.com/itm/KS-750M-LCD-Portable-Mini-Recording-System-Button-DVR-Video-RecorderCamera-/191554809588

For RC stuff, I use two cameras - one camera has SD card with record mode on, other camera signal out only. I can choose which camera is transmitted via video TX. On video RX side I can choose to view live image from cam 1 or 2 and/or record live feed.

[Artlav]

One of these days i will learn not to expect quality from these Chinese products and avoid frustration...
One of these days...

Got the C-DVR thingy - http://www.ebay.com/itm/Portable-Metal-Security-Mini-DVR-Digital-Video-Recorder-with-TF-Micro-SD-Card-/141556400965?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20f56b4345
It's not "magic in a box", it's the most pathetic excuse for a video recorder i've ever seen.
The recording looks like a cinema projector with the mangled film - it keeps losing the frame lock, and the frame slowly pans up and around into focus.
The compression rate is absurd, resulting a lot of "JPEG artefacts" kind of pixelation.

Well, at least it was cheap.

Those little 808 keychain cameras used to be pretty popular, not sure if they're still the best deal though.

Got one of these.
Tried using it for that exact purpose back in the days of having nothing.

The performance is quite abysmal:


It stops working at random, it's very narrow angle, it's not very vibration proof (waves in the picture).
For comparison, here is a view from a common consumer camera (Samsung ES10), shot from the same platform:


Much better... But also oh so much heavier.

Anyway, 808 is an onboard camera, and i'm looking for a video signal recorder.

For RC stuff, I use two cameras

Well, i was hoping to save on weight and carry only one camera.
Also, most cameras cease working during lithobraking, so having a recorder on the ground can give some interesting footage.

What is your budget?

Not that much...
However, i wonder if it's a good idea for it to be not that much.

[Kevman]

Hm, my Live Gamer Portable would work if you could get or convert to component. It doesn't support composite or S-video (only component and HDMI), but it'll go the whole way up to 1080p 30fps, so its future-proof.

My Canon HV20 would do exactly what you want onto DV tape, though. You'd need firewire to read it off (and would have to read it off in real time).  You might find some newer cameras that don't use tape.

[pickle9000]

Easy enough to use a cheap security recorder if your willing to rig a battery.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Black-New-NTSC-PAL-SD-DVR-Digital-Video-Recorder-Surveillance-Audio-1-0A-/161681462463?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item25a4f754bf

[kezat]

I use this http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__25321__SD_DVR_High_Resolution_Digital_Video_Recorder_for_FPV.html
52$

The video is not that great but the video link is not that great anyhow, part of the reason I got it is for craft recovery. Easy way to get the GPS location or a idea where the craft had gone down.

[SL4P]

Google Ampex VR-3000
Broadcast Quality, but a bit bulky.

[RickBrant]

A lot of Sony camcorders offered (or still offer?) the ability to record an external video input to the DV tape/DVD etc.
I have used one myself, the quality is pretty good, although with the DVD model, if you even move the drive just a little too much during recording, you will get video skips.

This. Avoid the DVD models.

[Old_Tech]

http://www.readymaderc.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11_14&products_id=1204
This takes AV input PAL or NTSC, and also has a small display.  Records to SD card.