Camcorder Formats

Remember when watching a video was as easy as popping a 1/2-inch tape into the VCR – and it actually played? Yes, back in “the day”, video choices were limited and life was so much simpler. Today, watching a video involves an array of complex choices that require you to know about various formats and the media players on which you plan to view them. If you’re looking to purchase a camcorder, you first need to consider the media format choices. The three most common video formats are:

Mini-DV Tapes: like a cassette tape, inserted into a camera. Standard record time is about 63 minutes (although 80 minute tapes can be found).

Mini-DVD: a 3-inch disc is inserted into the camera and the video is captured on a disc. Standard recording length is 30 minutes.

Hard-Drive Cameras: video is recorded onto a built-in hard-drive. The recording length varies depending on the size of the hard-drive.

With choice comes the need to weigh the pro's and con's of each in order to make an informed decisions. Each of these camera formats have numerous qualities and detractors, but the following are the factors that you should be primarily concerned with:

Mini-DV Tapes: tapes are relatively inexpensive compared to other media. If the tape breaks, it can generally be repaired (McKenna video will only splice two separated ends together and will not "crack the case" any longer). There are limited options for viewing, however. Buying a dedicated player is not cost effective for most people so they must be converted to DVD or the camera must be connected to a television set to view.

Mini-DVD: to view on a "normal" DVD player, the disc must be "finalized" in the camera-a step that most people forget to do. Once completed, it can generally be viewed on most DVD players and computers with DVD drives. The downside is that the storage capacity is very small and if the disc gets damaged it generally cannot be recovered without extreme expense.

Hard-Drive Cameras: the obvious benefit is the lack of tapes or discs to purchase. But with that comes the need to transfer any video off the camera in order to make room for new video. Computers need to be compatible with the camera in order for the video to be viewed and/or edited. And finally, as with any mechanical device, it can fail. When it does, any video that hasn't already been transferred off will in most cases be lost.

When it comes time to decide, you will need to weigh the factors based on your needs and what is most important to you at that time. There is no right or wrong. However, in my opinion, there is no substitute for good, old-fashioned tape.

Blessings to you,

Chris