Other digital formats

Although MiniDV has become the predominant standard for consumer digital camcorders, many other formats exist. In addition to Digital8 (described in the previous section), the available alternative formats include these:

• CD-R/W (Compact Disc-Recordable/reWritable): A few digital camcorders use recordable CDs as the recording medium. The main benefit of this format is that you can place a recorded video CD into any computer with a CD-ROM drive — no FireWire required. Alas, there are downsides: Recording mechanisms are large, the CDs can usually only hold 20 minutes of video, and built-in CD-R/W drives draw a heavy load from camcorder batteries. If you go this route, plan to use a lot of wall current (and a lot of discs). This format has all but disappeared from the marketplace.
• DVCAM: Originally developed by Sony for video professionals, this format is based on MiniDV but offers a more robust tape design, higher image quality, and some high-end features designed to appeal mainly to professional video producers and editors. DVCAM camcorders tend to cost about as much as a new economy car, and get much lower gas mileage.
• DVCPro: This is another expensive, MiniDV-based, professionalgrade format like Sony’s DVCAM. Panasonic is responsible for the DVCPro format.
• Digital Betacam: Here’s yet another professional format that most of us probably can’t afford. Digital Betacam (another Sony creation) is based on the dear departed Betacam SP analog format, which for years was a beloved format among professional videographers.
• MicroMV: Someone at Sony really likes to create new recording formats. (Remember Betamax?) Sony offers a few consumer-priced camcorders that use the MicroMV format. As the name suggests, MicroMV tapes are really small, allowing MicroMV camcorders to be small and light as well. (Canon somehow manages to make some tiny MiniDV camcorders, but if you must have a teensy-weensy Sony, then MicroMV is your format.) With any alternative recording format, the first two things you should consider are price and availability of recording media. If you’re considering a camcorder that uses the WhizbangDV format, ask yourself how many stores sell WhizbangDV tapes. Will you still be able to find WhizbangDV tapes five years from now?