Using Camcorders - Newcomers to the Format Market

Some Sony camcorders use even smaller Micro MV tapes, and recordvideo in MPEG-2 format instead of DV format. The only clear advantageof Micro MV tapes lies in their small size. MPEG-2 video produced bythese camcorders is incompatible with many video editing softwareapplications, which is reason enough to be cautious. A small number ofcamcorders use 3-inch Mini DVD-R and DVD-RAM discs.

The initial appeal of this format was overwhelming to me. When Ithought of all the hours waiting for the analog and even the digitaldownloads, and then thought that I could pop the DVD into a DVD playerand watch it, or import those files directly into my video editor, myjaw dropped. After checking into it a little, I found that there were anumber of drawbacks:

1. DVD-R discs must be formatted by the camcorder before they can beplayed back on a home DVD player. Then they are locked and no moreinformation can be stored on them. This is not a deal killer though,since the price of these Mini-DVDs is dropping fast. Depending on theamount that you buy, the price can be as low as $3 or $4 per Mini-DVD.
   
   
   
2. What I really find offensive is that the accepted consumerformat has yet to be determined. You probably will not get into troubleif you stick with the DVD-R format for now, but you certainly shouldkeep an eye on this one. Remember the BetaMax/VHS wars?

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