[P1] DVD region codes?

Joe Jones joham at jo-ham.com
Tue Jul 15 10:14:55 PDT 2003


There are two sizes for the DV format - MiniDV and full size DV. The 
mini ones are the most common, since they suit the camcorder market 
very well. As noted before, they are only 60 minutes long. This is a 
technical limitation imposed by the amount of tape they can squeeze 
into it.

In the professional version (DVCAM) the running time of the mini format 
is reduced to 32 minutes for the same amount of tape (DVCAM uses a 15 
micrometer track compared with the consumer DV format which uses 10 
micrometers, the result is less recording time but better picture 
quality).

On the large format tapes, there are more varied running times. I don't 
have any large format consumer DV tapes, but I have plenty of pro DVCAM 
tapes, they range from 60 minutes right up to 184 minutes, they are 
about half the volume of a normal VHS tape (about half as deep, 2/3 as 
wide and 2/3 across). Again, if you flip the DVCAM deck into consumer 
DV mode, recording time goes up by a third or more due to the decrease 
in the track width.

Joe

On Tuesday, Jul 15, 2003, at 13:06 Europe/London, Jack Rodgers wrote:

>
> On Monday, July 14, 2003, at 10:56  PM, Larry Kollar wrote:
>
>>> Ever notice that an 8mm digital tape only holds 1 hour,
>>> whereas an analog camcorder can record 2 hours on the SAME tape? The
>>> reason is simple:
>
> Have you ever compared the size of the VHS tape cartridge and the 
> digital cartridge?
>
> If a tape is twice as long as another, one might think it would play 
> for twice as long. This factor may not be 100% reliable due to the 
> different formats. The mini-DVD tapes are 720x420 (close) and the VHS 
> has considerably less pixels.
>
> For the digital tapes to hold two hours, there would need to be more 
> tape and thus larger cartridges and larger camera bodies. Those 
> ultra-small minid-DVD cameras are quite compelling when placed next to 
> an old VHS camera which look like a 16 wheeler next to my Honda Civic 
> hatchback.
>
>
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