Modern HD camcorder
In today's competitive camcorder market, it is often tough for consumers to decide between DVC camcorders and HD camcorders. During the late 90s two types of camcorders emerged as the most trusted by the public; these were the DVC PRO and HD CAM. While all DVC camcorders record to tape, the modern HD camcorders record directly to memory card; however, HD CAM (the predecessor to modern HD camcorders) also records to tape.
DVC PRO
DVC PRO was developed by Panasonic in 1995. DVC PRO employs 4:1:1 chroma sub-sampling for 50 Hz and 60 Hz, as well as locked audio. This gives DVC PRO less generation loss than other DVC codecs. In layman's terms, DVC PRO, unlike the DVC codecs that came before it, can be copied many times and still retain its quality.
The Original HD CAM
First introduced in 1997, HD CAM was originally a version of Digital Betacam. The original HD CAM employs 8-bit DCT compression at 3:1:1 which allows for a 1080i-compatible downsample resolution of 1440x 1080. In layman's terms, HD CAM is high definition video crammed onto a very similar tape mechanism to that of DVC.
The Difference Between the Two Formats
Whereas DVC PRO is semi-analogue (tape) pushed to its highest quality, HD CAM uses analogue technology to store HD-quality video. There is less loss involved with an HD CAM tape than there is with a DVC PRO tape. There is often a confusion between HD camcorders and HD CAM. Whereas HD camcorders are all camcorders that record in HD, HD CAM is a specific video format. HD CAM is not an HD camcorder; however, it is a camcorder that emulates HD camcorders better then DVC PRO can.
Modern HD Camcorders
Today HD camcorders record straight to memory card. This lossless recording gives the consumer very similar (if not better) video quality than satellite television. Even the film industry has been slowly transitioning to the use of HD video cameras. By removing the analogue element once necessary with Mini DV and DV camcorders, the modern HD camcorders provide the highest possible quality video footage to the consumer.
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