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Video Formats
- Analog Formats
Analog tape has been around for a long time and continues to see widespread use, but is quickly being replaced by digital formats. The lower cost and large supply of analog products made it the choice for many years, but the quality of digital technology has continued to get even better and become more affordable. In considering future purchases, digital is the clear choice, but it is valuable to briefly cover the current analog formats.
- VHS
The VHS tape is and has been the standard for home video ever since the VHS-Betamax wars. Actually, Betamax was a higher resolution format than VHS is, and only lost the race due to the consumer market acceptance of VHS first. VHS was cheaper and rental movies were easy to come by. The advantage of having a low cost, widely accepted standard is great--everybody has a machine, blank tapes can be bought virtually anywhere, and everybody knows what it is. VHS is quickly being replaced by digital technologies like Mini-DV, DVD and even PVR units for home use (personal video recorder, which is a disk-based VCR-like device). This is the fastest and least expensive to buy. It can by delivered in 3-5 business days and has a ready supply on hand.
- SVHS
The SVHS (Super VHS) format is based on the VHS format, but uses a higher quality recording process. The tape transport (mechanical design) is based on the VHS format and uses the same tape shell. SVHS tapes are made of a higher quality stock than VHS, but are virtually identical. SVHS can deliver up to twice the resolution of VHS--usually up to 450 lines. This format and the rest are made to order and although are higher quality they will also take longer to ship and cost more.
- 8mm
This is similar to VHS, but is a much smaller tape format (8mm wide versus ˝ inch of VHS/SVHS). It was a popular alternative to VHS with camcorders. 8mm camcorders were smaller, due to the smaller size of the tape case. VHS-C (compact) was also a smaller tape size, but 8mm was somewhat successful for camcorder sales. We do not currently sell this format.
- Hi8
Hi8 is similar to 8mm, in much the same way as SVHS is to VHS. It provides a higher quality recording process for both the video and audio. It continued to make the 8mm camcorder design popular. This format has seen professional level use, as its size enabled shooting video (and playing it back with small players) in ways the larger formats could not do. We do not currently sell this format.
- Betacam & BetaSP/BetacamSP
This is the granddaddy, most common professional format of the analog world - very tried and true, very stable and clean. It is also great for acquisition or mastering. Betacam is a professional relative of the Betamax format. BetaSP is the most common version, which uses a certain type of Beta tape stock (SP mainly refers to the metal properties). It uses a component recording method that produces a very high quality recording. We currently only sell the Beta SP format in this type.
- Digital Formats
Digital formats have gone from being very expensive and out of the hands of the masses to now being the choice of even consumers. Digital technology has become commonplace in the video world and digital formats continue to get better and less expensive. Digital technology has also made for a very large choice of formats, everything from Mini-DV to High Definition. Although digital technologies have impacted many other areas than just tape formats, we will hit on most of the tape formats here. This list does not include DVD or hard disk use or other mediums than tape, but know there are many new technologies that will continue to improve the way we do video.
A digital tape format is any videotape that records actual digital data on the tape. In the context of cameras, the camera head or camcorder converts the visual elements (light) into a digital signal or data stream. This digital form of video is then recorded to tape. The electronics use different forms and levels of compression to get the data to a manageable amount that each format can handle. This information can be transferred directly to another tape or to computer hard drives, if the technology behind the format permits. On example is IEEE 1394, better known as FireWire (Apple) or i.LINK (Sony). This technology allows the control and transfer of digital video recorded on such formats as DV or Mini-DV. This format and transfer capability makes it real attractive to users looking for a less expensive way of getting great looking results. Other digital transfers are possible with the professional formats directly from deck-to-deck or other devices, often faster than real-time playback.
There are numerous formats available. There are multiple manufacturers making multiple levels of product lines, which lead to many choices. With this kind of selection, there is always a product to fit a specific application. Although there are so many choices, most all of them are good choices and will be around for years to come. Here is a list of many of today’s digital formats:
- DV / Mini-DV
The DV (short for digital video) tape is becoming the “VHS” of home video use. The common term “Mini-DV” is just a description of the same format, but a smaller tape case or shell. Many manufacturers joined together to established this format. Many different manufacturers make this equipment using this format, with only feature differences between the cameras. The DV format is universal between manufacturers. There are, however, differences in the tapes used...the Sony tape has a chip in it that records things like iris settings, white balance settings, etc. for each shot taken. All of these functions are available only on Sony cameras using these tapes, but other manufacturers may have similar capabilities. DV tape stock is easy to come by and DV cameras are becoming quite popular. The image quality of DV is quite remarkable. It can compare in many ways to analog’s top dog, BetaSP, although this is subjective depending on how it is being compared. The format is so good that professional tape formats came out using the DV structure. These professional versions use a higher recording process and slightly different tape. All these DV-based formats use tape that is approximately Ľ inch in width, which enables very small tape sizes. Takes a little longer to ship but the high quality and easy use is hard to pass by. Even my dad uses this!
- DVCPRO / DVCPRO50 / DVCPRO HD
This is the industrial/professional/broadcast standard of the DV line from Panasonic. DVCPRO is the professional grade form of DV that is made into the three product lines. DVCPRO records at 25Mbps, DVCPRO50 at 50Mbps and DVCPRO HD (high definition) at 100Mbps. Each jump up in product line uses a higher quality recording process that is accomplished by doubling the tape speed. This enables it to put more data on tape and get a better image in the end. Most all the studio models will play back Mini-DV and even Sony’s DVCAM product. So for example, the DVCPRO HD can playback all forms of DV (DV/Mini-DV, DVCPRO, DVCAM, DVCPRO50 and DVCPRO HD). This provides a lot of flexibility in choosing a format today that will provide you with an upgrade path tomorrow, as the need for higher quality recording becomes an issue. We do not currently sell these formats.
- DVCAM
This is the industrial/professional standard of the DV line for Sony. It is most comparable to Panasonic’s DVCPRO. Most DVCAM studio equipment will also playback Mini-DV; some also does DVCPRO. This is Sony’s only professional DV-based format.
- Digital S
This is a digital format based on the SVHS transport, made by JVC. This product is most comparable to Panasonic’s DVCPRO 50 or Sony’s Beta SX. It provides a very high quality recording. This is (currently) JVC’s top of the line product and main digital format. Some of the Digital S studio equipment does playback SVHS tapes. This format uses a ˝ inch width tape. This format is good, but has not seen as much market share as other manufacturer’s products. We do not currently sell this format.
- Beta SX
Sony has four digital formats based on the ˝ inch width tape and the BetaSP tape transport. Digital Beta was the first and still is the highest quality (standard definition) digital format of the three; Beta SX came out next and is similar to Digital Betacam but uses MPEG-2 encoding/compression and is less expensive; MPEG IMX is the latest digital format to become available for use on cameras. HDCAM is Sony’s high definition format. Beta SX is most comparable to Panasonic’s DVCPRO 50. It provides for very high quality recording. This format was initially accepted in the broadcast/news circles due to its MPEG-2 based media, as MPEG-2 is highly used as a broadcast medium (high quality, compressed form of video used in broadcasting/satellite transmissions). We do not currently sell this format.
- MPEG IMX
MPEG IMX is the newest of Sony’s formats and may become the main format for those choosing Sony formats. This format is similar to Beta SX, but is more universal in its use. MPEG IMX studio equipment can playback BetaSP, Beta SX, MPEG IMX and some models even play Digital Betacam. MPEG IMX is most popular among broadcasters, but may find widespread acceptance in the production community as well. We do not currently sell this format.
- Digital Betacam
Digital Beta is the standard for high end digital tape formats (not including high definition). This format produces the highest quality recording/playback, in part due to its low compression rate. Digital Beta is to digital formats what BetaSP was to analog formats. This format is expensive in comparison to other digital formats, but represents the quality associated with the costs. We do not currently sell this format.
- HDCAM
HDCAM is Sony’s high definition format. This format is popular and has been available the longest of any HD format used with cameras. HDCAM has been made even more popular when George Lucas chose it over film stock for his current and future Star Wars films. That move gave more credibility to both the high definition form of video, as well as HDCAM as a format. This format is expensive, but does represent the highest quality video possible today. Panasonic’s DVCPRO HD is comparable to this format. We do not currently sell this format.
- Other formats
There are other digital formats, but the ones not listed here are limited to studio work. The formats listed are used with cameras, whereas studio use requires a larger studio VTR (video tape recorder). The formats not listed are only used in studio applications, often as a mastering format, used to maintain the highest quality recording. Many of these use no or very little compression in the recording process.
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“THE BASICS” copyright 1999 Willow Creek Community Church
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DVD's are coming to Willowvideo.com.
Many of you have asked for this format and we have figured out a way with our duplication facility to offer it to you for all our videos. However, with DVD recording format being fairly new, it will require a bit of explanation, so here goes.
The DVD format has several versions that are currently available to the consumer. The DVD format that you rent or buy when watching a major motion picture is created through a process called DVD Replication. DVD Replication is 100% compatible with home set-top DVD players, however the process of DVD Replication is only cost effective when the copies are made in large quantities, like 1000 or more. Since Willow videos are made to order, there is no way we could offer this in a cost effective way.
DVD's are also available in a slightly different format than the DVD Replication, this newer format is called "burning to DVD minus R (DVD-R)". Burning a DVD-R is a process of "burning" the video onto a DVD-R disc. This is a process that is only practical for one-offs, as each copy has to go through the "burning" process. There are also some new products that allow you to record video directly to a blank DVD-R or a DVD+R disc. These new decks are more like a vcr, you basically just record to them, no importing, rendering or burning necessary.
However, with two new DVD formats (DVD-R & DVD+R) battling for the market, we now have compatibility issues. Which means not all set-top DVD players can play back these new formats. There are some new DVD-R duplicators on the market now that allow you to make several DVD-R copies at once from either a burned master DVD-R or from a DVD-R deck.
Willowvideo.com has chosen the DVD-R format as the format of choice for distribution of our videos. This format has been around for two years and has a broader user base than the new DVD+R format. DVD-R is the format of choice for Pioneer, Panasonic, Apple. It is compatible with the majority of set top DVD players built since November 1999. However, there are a few exceptions.
I've included a link to a searchable database of DVD players, all you do is enter your model number and a search shows results and reviews of problems with some players.. Click here to go to this web site http://www.dvdrhelp.com/dvdplayers.php
Let us know if this is helpful.
Thanks,
Dave Cooke
Director of Video Resources
Willow Creek Community Church
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