Understanding Digital Video

Digital Videos (DV) capture images on CCD - Charge Coupled Devices but store them in a high-quality, endlessly reproducible, easily edited, digital format. Currently the most commonly device for capturing videos is the Digital Camcorder. The quality of the digital video is far superior to the analog counterpart. The images are sharper and the color is richer and more accurate, at least twice as good as the older VHS and almost identical to broadcast quality video as DV uses component color sampling to hold thrice the color information as a conventional analog VHS and S-VHS video. Time Base Correction stabilizes the picture thereby virtually eliminating video jitters.

Error Correction fills in missing video data and provides seamless, professional looking video. In a digital camcorder one can instantly change between video capture or playback mode without disturbing any of the other elements and can instantly review the quality of the captured video. Editing video is greatly simplified because the video can be transferred directly from the camcorder to the computer without conversion using what is called as Firewire connection. It can then be digitally edited on-line and again copied back to a digital tape. Not only it is quick and easy, there is no loss of image quality as there is in the analog world while copying and transferring.

In fact, copies of digital videos and copies of copies are still as sharp as the original. Once stored on the computer, you can also easily send short clips as e-mail attachments or post them on Web sites. Digital videos have audio that's CD quality, presently the best rated. There is a convergence between digital still cameras and digital camcorders. Many of the new digital still cameras can capture short video segments and similarly camcorders can also capture digital stills.

DV cameras are smaller than other camera of other formats, with some even slipping into a shirt pocket. DV camcorders store upto ninety minutes of digital video on small DV cartridges, which are a bit expensive. Another feature of these DV's is that images can be stored not only on digital videocassettes but also on MultiMediaCards known as Flash Cards and the images can be transferred between the two easily. In its digital mode it stores in excess of 700 still images at 640 x 480 resolution in JPEG format in either of two quality modes. High Resolution mode will store approximately 60 printable images and Standard mode will store 105 images appropriate for email attachments.

There are also zoom facilities available, which are normally 10x optical zoom and 40x digital zoom and are backed with an image stabilization system.

NamSing Then is a regular article contributor on many topics. Visit his other websites at Digital Video Resources, Color Printer and One Stop Information