[Sigia-l] Help with video-taping tests

[James Muntone]

Hello.
 
I've searched a lot for this and haven't found any satisfactory answers so maybe you guys can help.
 
I set up a testing lab.
 
I'm using hyper cam to record screen action.
 
I want to record the subjects face with some sort of video as well.
 
I take both movies, dump them into Premiere, make the face video window a little smaller and viola' I have PNP with the visitor's face and screen activity... yeah!
 
Here's the thing:
    Option 1:  I tried using VHS.   However, converting VHS to digital involves "rendering" which can take days for like an hour of film.
 
    Option 2: I'm thinking  of trying a Digital video camera.  However, I know next to nothing about digital video. If I were to drag an hour of video off a digital movie camera and dump it into editing software (say Premiere), would I still have to render it to have it be usable?  And what kind of file sizes would I be talking? How do you store this stuff in some work-able format?
 
Any info is appreciated...
 
-j