History DVCAM tape and Camcorder

DV or Digital Video is a range of professional and domestic video tapes and launched in 1995. The formats in this family of video tapes are DVCam, DVCPro and Mini DV. Miniature Digital Video or Mini-DV as it has become known has become the standard format for domestic and semi professional video productions. DVCam became the standard video format for professional video productions. It can be found in both NTSC and PAL formats and tape sizes range from the small MiniDV type to the larger tapes with longer playback durations.

The DV family of tapes were easy to use and smaller than any of its predecessors. This meant that they could be transported by TV camera crews without the bulky and heavy bags. The DV camcorders were also smaller and easier to use. This led to a new generation of TV news reporting crews that could record their own stories.

The DVCAM video format, when compared to Hi8 and 8mm, was very high quality. It eradicated the unacceptable amount of video dropouts. This helped the transition for mainstream TV and Video broadcasters.

The most notable variants in the DV format are Sony’s DVCam and Panasonic’s DVCPro, both of which were targeted at professional use. The DVCam transports the tape a third faster so it has a higher track width, this leads to less dropout errors. The other advantage of DVCam is the locked audio. Because it is locked the audio synchronisation will never drift.

The MiniDVCAM tape was a popular semi-professional version of Mini-DV and the main stay of mini digital video cameras in the UK. Panasonic, JVC and Canon became the main suppliers of the camera and DVCAM recorder. The primary attraction was it's 3 CCD electronics, range of lense and size.

History DVCAM tape and Camcorder

DVCAM Transfer to DVD and DVCAM Capture to AVI