Tapeless camcorder
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A tapeless camcorder is a camcorder that does not use videotape to store its data. Common alternatives include flash memory, memory stick, a hard disk, or DVD media. All tapeless camcorders use digital formats to store their data.
The technique exists throughout the range of camcorders; inexpensive flash memory units including the Pure Digital camcorder available at CVS stores, while not particularly high quality, can be used as essentially disposable substitutes for a more expensive DVD or MiniDV camcorder, while similar flash technology is used on the semi-pro Panasonic HVX200 and the high-end Panasonic AJ-SPX800 for ultrafast transfer of high-bandwidth HDTV content. Hard drives can also be used, for example on the JVC Everio line.
Using DVD media as a base for a camcorder is becoming increasingly popular due to the convenience of being able to drop a disc into the family DVD player; however, DVD capability, due to the limitations of the format, is largely limited to consumer-level equipment targeted at people who are not likely to spend any great amount of effort editing their video.
Most consumer-level tapeless camcorders use MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 as encoding formats.
