What is DV (and for that matter miniDV, DVCAM, DVCPRO etc.).

There is a lot of confusion over the term DV. In short DV stands for digital video but it is also used to describe a video format. DV is a video compression system that takes a conventional video signal and turns it into digital data that can be stored on a tape or disk. In so doing some of the original picture information is actually discarded and the remaining information is compressed so that the amount of digital data produced is small enough to be easily recorded and stored.

On many occasions I get asked to shoot something on DV or DVCAM, often the client is referring to a small "palmcorder" like the PD100, but on some occasions they may mean a camera such as the D130 (or DSR570). As a result I always have to check on their exact needs. The reverse is also true, I may get a job where the client has asked me to recommend a camera/format for the shoot. Often I may recommend DVCAM as it is a very flexible format when it comes to editing and the cost is lower than Digibeta. The client then assumes I mean a "palmcorder" and doesn't understand that what I am in fact referring too is a full size professional camcorder that produces excellent broadcast quality pictures.

There are many different sub sets of the DV format, but in essence all the following formats compress and record the information in the same way and at the same quality level. There are some small differences in the speed that the tapes run at, or the physical dimensions of the cassette but essentially they all use the same DV compression system (codec).

25Mbit (that's the amount of data) DV Formats.

miniDV, DVCAM, DVCPRO.

The confusion comes from the fact that there are many different types and quality of DV cameras and camcorders available for example:

This is a Sony PD100 camcorder. It records using the DVCAM version of DV. It is a small, compact handheld "palmcorder". It has many professional features such as 3x CCD imager chips, but it suffers from a cheap low cost lens system, cannot take interchangeable lenses, has very restricted audio facilities and can be difficult to hold still. Despite this it can still produce very good looking picture given a little care and good lighting, but what it really lacks is the true range of precise manual control that you get with a true professional camera.

This is a Sony D130 camcorder. It too is a DVCAM camcorder, but this is a true professional camcorder that takes interchangeable lenses, has a whole range of user programmable functions and settings and full manual control of exposure, colour response (white balance) and focus. OK, it is larger and heavier than the PD100 but the pictures this camera produces are sharper, cleaner (less noisy) and higher contrast.

The reason these two cameras produce very different results is not because there is some difference in the format they use, there isn't. The difference is in the camera heads. The quality of the lenses, the size of the CCD chips, the sophistication of the digital processors, the amount and ease of (or lack of) manual control. So next time you are thinking of a DV or DVCAM shoot, or are offered a DV or DVCAM camcorder make sure you know what you are getting.