HDV

In 2003, Sony, JVC, Canon, and Sharp teamed up to release the HDV (high-definition video) format. This new digital video format used familiar MiniDV tapes, but MPEG-2 compression meant they could fit high-definition video at 1280 x 720 or 1920 x 1080 resolution on the same tape. This means HDV cameras could record up to 6x the resolution of MiniDV footage at 720×480 on the same tape. Another benefit of the HDV format was that it captured video in the16:9 aspect ratio which is common for modern TVs instead of the older 4:3 aspect ratio of early TVs and video tape formats.

However, the fact that MiniDV and HDV footage can be recorded on identical tapes can make it confusing to view and capture these tapes. If you attempt to play one of these tapes and you only hear audio or see nothing at all, you might need to switch from a MiniDV camera to an HDV camera or deck. To make it even more complicated, HDV tapes shot with one brand of camera might not play or capture with a different brand of camera.

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