MiniDV

MiniDV tapes, introduced by Sony in 1995, are currently the most commonly used digital video tapes. They record video in DV format, which allows them to be edited without much difficulty. The video recorded onto MiniDV tapes is easily sent to a computer through a Firewire connection. With 500 lines of resolution, MiniDV offers much higher quality than previous analog formats. MiniDV tapes are also very small in size compared to older tapes, hence the name. MiniDV Tapes are generally available in 60 and 80 minute lengths. LP, or Long Play can be used to make tapes go 50% longer, with some loss of quality. On normal speed (SP), DV is stored at 3.6 MB per second, or 12.9 gigabytes per hour.