MiniDV/HDV tape

Like dinosaurs, tape-based camcorders once ruled the Earth but unlike those massive lizards they're not extinct. Nowadays they generally form the top and the tail of a manufacturer's camcorder line-up. Standard-def MiniDV camcorders from Canon, JVC and Sony are all AU$399 entry-level models with big zoom lenses and not much else. The high-def HDV models from Sony and Canon boast large image sensors and are fully featured.

Each MiniDV tape holds a fixed amount of footage, say 60 minutes of standard-def footage. Pop that same tape into an HDV camera and, via the magic of more compression technology, you'll be able to record 60 minutes of high-definition video. This is good news for anyone sitting on an Aladdin's cave of MiniDV tapes and wanting to step up to high-def.

A thing to remember about tape is that transferring footage to your computer for editing requires a FireWire connection — something that most PCs lack out of the box — and that video upload happens in real time, that is a 60-minute tape will take 60 minutes to transfer across. Also the linear nature of tape precludes you from deleting a random scene — say scene 10 of 31 — from a tape.

cnet.com