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Getting the most from your camcorder: tips, tricks, and new products for those who want to take better videos.
Camcorders, Tech and Random Rants Blog
Getting the most from your camcorder: tips, tricks, and new products for those who want to take better videos.
Feb 7, 2007 5:23 AM
Posted by Adam Nielson
The death of MiniDV
Posted by Adam Nielson
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Is MiniDV dying? We think the jury is still out on that one, but that question seems to be getting tossed around the net quite a bit lately. Seeing how MiniDV holds some historical significance, namely being the format that spurred the digital video revolution, we're not quite ready to let it go just yet. The versatile format narrowed the gap between home movies and production video. It even seems to have been the secret ingredient that brought desktop editing to the masses. We shudder to think about where we might be if it weren't for MiniDV, so why kill it? The truth is, there's no secret assassination attempt, or life threatening flaw hanging over the format. MiniDV is simply getting old. It's been around since 1994, and like all technology, newer and better formats are taking it's place. This is nothing new. Think of the cassette getting replaced by the CD, or movies migrating from VHS to DVD. The key difference with MiniDV is the user base has begun to erode from both sides. On the high end, video producers and top tier camcorder owners (rich people) are choosing HDV. It's only natural, since High Def is the inevitable future of video, and many of these people already own HDTVs. While HDV uses the same actual tape as MiniDV, the info getting recorded on it is very different. Interestingly, most camcorders which shoot HDV also shoot DV, which lets the format live on in a second fiddle status. Prosumers know the format is sticking around, but it's on the low end where MiniDV is seeing the biggest pressure. By all rights, the format should have enjoyed a happy retirement as a low end consumer product. Instead, DVD based camcorders are taking MiniDV's throne by force. While professionals shudder at the thought of using anything you can't edit easily, the fact that everyone and their dog owns a DVD player gives the format some traction. With MinDV, people have to hook their camcorder up to their TV, or capture the footage and burn it to a disc. Shooting directly to DVD cuts out the middle man, which is very popular with the home movie crowd. By the same token, AVCHD is fast gaining popularity, and with cheaper camcorders hitting the market, MiniDV faces even greater pressure. All of this almost makes us feel bad for the format. It's like MiniDV was an old man who couldn't keep up with the HD crowd, and spent the remainder of his life using a broom to chase DVD punks off his lawn. Hopefully, it's not as sad as all that. After all, DV will live on in larger formats, and even now delves into the HD realm. Plus there's us, the MiniDV faithful, who will recount it's tales, and write folk songs about it long after the format has been laid to rest. Technorati Tags:
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