| There are way too many tape, disk and stick | | | | in very small Sony camcordersMiniDVD - a DVD |
| formats out there:VHS - The old standard, too | | | | disk in a cartridge used in some Hitachi |
| big, not digital, easily played anywhere | | | | camcorders.MPEG video in still digital |
| without conversion.VHS-C - A small cassette | | | | cameras - some still camera manufacturers |
| that fits in an adapter to play in a regular | | | | feel that you want to also record video with |
| VCR. Most people who have these older units | | | | their units. Usually you can collect snippets |
| record at the slow EP or SLP speed which | | | | of less than a minute. The results are |
| gives them borderline crummy results. Not my | | | | interesting to post on a web site, but that's |
| favorite, as you may guess, but these | | | | about it. This video is usually captured on |
| camcorders are cheap, cheap, cheap. In the | | | | whatever memory sticks or diskettes the |
| right hands, I've seen dazzling results.S-VHS | | | | camera uses -- another whole subject beyond |
| and S-VHS-C - Called "super" VHS, this format | | | | the range of this discussion.DVD - A major |
| puts more details on a VHS-like tape than | | | | playback format but not yet widely available |
| regular VHS camcorders do, but unless you | | | | in camcorders.I didn't go into all the older |
| have a VCR that plays it back, the picture | | | | formats and broadcast formats that are still |
| looks all torn and raggedy. A good | | | | lurking around: 3/4", BetaMax, BetaSP, and 1" |
| non-digital format for pros but on its way | | | | to name just a few. On top of that, if you |
| out.8mm, Hi8 and Digital8 - A popular family | | | | are sort of an international soul, you've run |
| of camcorder tapes primarily engineered by | | | | into the fact that other parts of the world |
| Sony, the small cassette looks sort of like | | | | have different TV standards. Ours is called |
| VHS-C but there is no adapter to play it in a | | | | NTSC, much of Europe is PAL, France is SECAM |
| VHS VCR. It started with 8mm, got improved by | | | | and there are subsets of these. If you are a |
| Hi8 (which used to be expensive), and went | | | | student of world history shortly after World |
| digital with Digital8. Hi8 camcorders are now | | | | War II, you can fan out these three major |
| on sale very cheaply-- they are a good choice | | | | formats to the rest of the world by who was |
| for the budget-minded. The D8 (Digital8) | | | | in charge of or aligned politically with |
| format ain't bad -- it costs less lower than | | | | whom. The tapes and disks are the same |
| some of the other digital formats, it's a | | | | mechanically, but what's recorded on them is |
| little larger (therefore more robust?), and | | | | different. It takes special equipment to |
| D8 equipment is compatible with computer | | | | translate from one format to another.A big |
| editing systems through it's Firewire plugs | | | | part of our business is dedicated to just |
| just like pro gear.MiniDV - A small tape | | | | transferring all these old and new formats to |
| format that at one time or another all the | | | | the more popular playback formats: VHS and |
| major manufacturers agreed upon (but some | | | | DVD. The digital formats are here to stay and |
| have broken ranks as you step up into pro | | | | pretty-much obsolete the older formats. As |
| gear or move to still smaller tape or | | | | this is written, high definition camcorder |
| non-tape formats). At the time this is | | | | equipment is not yet available for consumers |
| written, I'd say this is the best all-purpose | | | | -- this equipment will probably be very |
| format around. It's used in mid-range | | | | expensive when it first shows up. Get a good |
| consumer cameras up to some fine pro-gear | | | | camcorder today while everyone is still |
| used by the broadcast industry, worldwide. | | | | healthy and around, and the kids haven't |
| You can generally record one hour or so on a | | | | grown too big, and don't second guess |
| tape at normal speed and can get 50% more | | | | yourself about what might or might not be |
| time at slow speed, but watch out: tapes | | | | coming down the road.Video Kitchen can edit, |
| recorded at the slow LP speed may not play | | | | duplicate or convert your video to and from |
| back anywhere but in the camcorder that made | | | | almost any format. Our most popular services |
| them -- great 10 years from now when the | | | | are transferring photos to DVD building |
| camcorder has gone to camcorder heaven and | | | | stunning photo montages and copying VHS and |
| you want to dig out those old shots only to | | | | camcorder tapes to DVD to preserve and share |
| discover they play like your VCR has a bad | | | | those special moments.We also shoot, edit and |
| case of the hiccups.DVCAM and DVCpro - | | | | do mass duplication of VHS, DVD and CD for |
| Industrial step-ups of the MiniDV format and | | | | businesses and organizations. You can come in |
| standard. Electronically these digital | | | | and work in an edit suite with one of our |
| formats are the same as MiniDV, but the tapes | | | | editors producing a "broadcast-ready" program |
| are bigger and there are other differences | | | | or edit together a family video on a |
| that Sony and Panasonic love to argue about. | | | | self-service basis.Our wide-ranging transfer |
| We mix and match a lot of MiniDV and DVCAM at | | | | services include converting old Super 8, 8mm |
| our (primarily Sony) shop, using DVCAM in our | | | | and 16mm home movie film to video, converting |
| more expensive camcorders where we need to | | | | video footage for PowerPoint presentations |
| shoot for two or three hours without stop. | | | | and encoding clips to be shown on the |
| Panasonic's DVCpro is similar and has been | | | | Internet, to name a few.We have a location in |
| bought into by a number of broadcasters, but | | | | Louisville Kentucky's Highlands at 2323 |
| it is less compatible when mixing and | | | | Bardstown Road, Louisville, KY 40205 and one |
| matching with MiniDV (in my opinion).Then | | | | in Jeffersontown in the East End at 1917 |
| there are some emerging formats that I've | | | | Blankenbaker Parkway, Louisville KY 40299. |
| seen for sale or read about, but haven't | | | | Please browse through our pages at and feel |
| bought into yet:MicroDV - a very small tape | | | | free to call six days a week. |