Mini DV video tapes are one of the newer formats of video tape, and one of the last tapes still in use. Due to how new the tapes are, they are one of our favorite formats to work with. Though not as widespread as VHS tapes, we still convert hundreds of these to digital every month. Here are some fun facts about this format that you may not know:
- DV stands for “Digital Video”. The information stored on these tapes is technically digital information, but we still need to run it through the same transfer process to get it onto a computer.
- Mini DVs were originally intended for amateur use but due to their high quality they have become an acceptable format for professional productions.
- Though Mini DV tapes are by far the most common, there are many different varieties of DV format, including DVCPRO, DVCAM, DVCPRO HD and more. We can digitize most of these, if you have them, give us a call!
- The DV format was launched in 1995 as a joint effort by leading manufacturers.
- These tapes look like a shrunken down version of VHS tapes. They are the same size and look, but about 20% the size of the larger format.
- Out of all of the video tape formats we work with, digitizing Mini DVs results in the highest quality digital file.
- HDV tapes came around in 2005. Some mini DV tapes are technically HDV tapes. We can transfer HD mini DV tapes to DVD as well.
- DV tapes are such high quality that some television broadcasts were filmed on the format, though not on mini DVs.
Mini DV tapes are a fun format, and because the media is already digital, it’s an easy one for us to transfer into a digital file or onto a DVD. If you have a collection of Mini DV tapes, or you have any questions about the format and our capabilities, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 617-505-1132 or email us at [email protected]
