Digital Camcorder Media Types
When buying an HD camcorder, there are many details to look for, one of the most important ones is the media type it records the video to. There are 4 well know media types/storage for digital camcorders and HD camcorders:
- The traditional tape, miniDV for standard resolution and High Definition miniDV
- Hard drive storage.
- Flash memory
- DVD (3.15″)
MiniDV Tape
Traditional media for those who like to archive tapes. This type of media offers great video quality but video transfer to a computer can be quite slow. This is a media type that will soon or later disappear.
- Widely availability
- Easy use and storage
This type of media is the most widely used, it’s recommended for anyone.
Hard Drive Storage
Hard drive based camcorders can record many hours of video without having to worry about changing the tape/card or dvd. It’s completely reusable, once full, you will simply purge the stored video and it ready to continue recording. On the downside, hard drive based camcorders are more sensitive to shock, since they have parts moving at high speeds.This types of cameras tend to be heavier than others.
- Lot’s of video storage
- No need to keep changing media
- Reusable
This type of media is more recommended for computer savvy users.
Flash Memory
With the drops in memory prices and their increasing storage size, without doubts, this is the media type of the future, which you can enjoy now. Currently, one can buy a 32GB SDHC memory card for less than $100, that’s a lot of pace in a very compact card. Memory card based camcorders can be more compact and consume less power than the other types.
- Cost effective
- Can be reused unlimited times
- Can be used in more compact designs
- Great for pictures
This type of media is more recommended for computer savvy users or for those willing to learn something new.
DVD based camcorders
DVD media is a great option for those who don’t want to waste time transferring or editing video. They tend to be costly and harder to find. Keep in mind that these 3″ discs only offer 1.4GB of storage or around 30 minutes of video.
- Easy to use
- Fast recording/viewing
- Compatible with RW discs (rewritable)
This type of media is recommendable for any type of user.
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