A consortium of camera manufacturers led by Panasonic and Sony launched the DV recording format in 1995. The was the start of the consumer digital video camera digital evolution. Cheap and delivering outstanding quality when compared to the various analogue formats of the time, DV was the base technology for various professional video formats such as DVCAM and DVCPRO.
A standard DV tape was typically good for up to 60 minutes in SP mode and 90 minutes in the LP mode. Most consumer grade cameras supported LP modes. Whilst professional cameras did not support the LP modes. DVCAM is essentially the same technology but with a higher tape speed.
A larger DV cassette was also available and could be played in prosumer decks of the time. This allowed for longer record times than a standard Mini DV tape.
Mini DV and DV evolved over time and with updated codecs and machinery, the HDV format was introduced in 2003. This format delivered HD video on the same DV tape. Both were soon superseded by cameras utilizing solid state storage and more efficient codes.
Pictured above is a large DVCAM cassette, identical in size and general appearance to a large DV tape.
We can transfer Mini DV, HDV and DV tape to digital files for use in archiving or editing applications. We can supply the files as compressed MP4 or uncompressed MOV.
Contact us for more information on this service.
Pricing from $50 (NZD) per hour for DV and $75 per hour for HDV
Prices include GST.
External USB storage is excluded.