DV
Digital Video (DV) is a video format launched in 1996, and, in its
smaller tape form factor MiniDV, has since become one of the standards
for consumer and semiprofessional video production. The DV
specification (originally known as the Blue Book, current official name
IEC 61834) defines both the codec and the tape format. Features include
intraframe compression for uncomplicated editing, a standard interface
for transfer to non-linear editing systems (FireWire also known as IEEE
1394), and good video quality, especially compared to earlier consumer
analog formats such as 8 mm, Hi-8 and VHS-C. DV now enables filmmakers
to produce movies inexpensively, associated with no-budget cinema.
There have been some variants on the DV standard, most notably Sony's
DVCAM and Panasonic's DVCPRO formats targeted at professional use.
Sony's consumer Digital8 format is another variant, which is similar to
DV but recorded on Hi8 tape. Other formats such as DVCPRO50 and D-5
(HD) utilize DV25 encoders run in parallel.
A high-definition version of DV has also been developed, called HDV. It
differs significantly on a technical level since it only uses the DV
and MiniDV tape form factor, but MPEG-2 for compression. MPEG-2's use
of inter-frame compression allows more efficient compression, allowing
higher resolutions at roughly the same quality (in terms of compression
artifacts).
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