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In the DVD (Digital Videodisc) format wars, the Sony/Philips Multimedia CD format has acquired a powerful new ally: the mail-order PC giant Gateway 2000. A recent press release stated that Gateway 2000 was the first manufacturer of home computers to endorse either DVD system. According to Ted Waitt, president of Gateway 2000, The Philips-Sony multimedia CD format will enhance applications like multimedia research, interactive home entertainment, business and finance, on-line storage and backup. For DTV videomakers, this could mean the embracement by the home computer industry of a new type of recordable CD-ROM thats highly video-compatible. But dont expect them soon--word is that the recordable Sony/Philips DVDs wont be available until 1997.

According to a recent market report, 1/2-inch videotape is still (and will continue to be) far and away the worlds leading video format. The report predicts that the worldwide consumption of T-120 VHS videotapes will exceed 2.4 billion this year, and remain above that number through 1999. The study also shows that pre-recorded video programming will total 1.4 billion units this year, with continued growth through 1998; new optical disc formats are expected to have relatively little impact on VHS pre-recorded programs through 1999.

Twenty years ago this October, Sony shipped the worlds first consumer VCR--the $2,295 Betamax. Today, the average VCR costs nearly one-tenth as much (about $250), and includes many features the original Betamax machine left out: RCA-style A/V inputs, four playback heads, universal remote, graphical menus for easy programming and a pre-set digital clock that wont blink 12:00 continually.

Samsung has entered into an agreement with General Instruments to begin development of a new dual-mode video decoder chip. The new chip will be able to decode both MPEG-2 and DigiCipher-II compressed video, and will be used in a wide range of next-generation multimedia systems, including set-top boxes for cable and satellite television, video on demand, Video CD players and digital videodiscs.

According to an EIA (Electronics Industries Association) report, consumers will buy more than 3.3 million camcorders by the end of 1995. As of May, dealers purchased 13 percent more units than in the first quarter of 1994.

Jon Clemens, president of the new consumer electronics research firm Sharp Laboratories of America, says digital video will be high on the list of Sharps future priorities. Video is tied to multimedia as well as to high-definition TV and other displays, so we will build a digital video department, Clemens said in a recent interview. The new research firm will engage in cooperative research with other companies, research labs, universities and research personnel.

Even though they've added color viewfinders, digital circuitry, image stabilization, digital zoom and a number of other features, Japanese manufacturers have succeeded in reducing the yen cost of the average camcorder exported to the U.S. more than 50% since 1990. In the same amount of time, the dollar has dropped 47% in value against the yen.

According to officials at Sharp, half of all camcorders will have built-in LCD monitors by the year 1997. They base their prediction on recent advances in LCD manufacturing methods, as well as preliminary reports of this year's sales. Last year, 7.8% of all camcorders sold had LCD monitors built in; Sharp officials expect that number to double this year, and increase to 22% in 1996.

Sharp, whose ViewCam started the LCD-monitor trend a few years ago, also predicted that total camcorder sales would steadily rise over the next few years. They predict this year's sales will reach 3.34 million units, up from last years 3.22 million.

Despite calls for peace in the DVD (digital videodisc) wars, Sony chairman Norio Ohga recently announced that his company intends to stand behind its format. Ohga responded to the industry's requests for a common standard between the Sony/Philips and Toshiba/Time Warner DVD designs, stating that the two formats should compete, leaving the final choice to the consumer. At present, Toshiba's SD (Super Density) design has gathered more than a dozen supporters in the film and consumer video industry; the Sony/Philips alliance has three.

Canon has laid the groundwork for a joint venture to manufacture and sell compact video cameras in India. A high-ranking Canon delegation visited New Delhi in early June for talks with Mahatta and Company, one of India's largest distributors of photographic products.

The domestic camera and camcorder market in India brings in about four billion rupees yearly (about 125 million dollars). At present, sophisticated cameras and equipment have to be imported (or smuggled) into the country. This venture will make Canon the second foreign camera manufacturer to set up base in India; the first was Kodak. Ricoh, Pentax, Nikon and Leica have also made plans to set up shop in India.

In a recent television interview that aired on the Discovery Channel, Bill Hendershot of Prime Image said that the push for High Definition Television (HDTV) is a push in the wrong direction. According to Hendershot, "The end user isnt demanding HDTV. Consumer products should be driven by consumer demand, and HDTV is not." Hendershot also claimed that an upgrade of image quality under the current NTSC system would provide almost as much improvement at a fraction of the cost.

RCA's 1995 camcorder lineup includes 11 models (up from 7 last year), with a strong showing in the 8mm category. All 5 8mm models (with prices ranging from $699 to $1,099) will include 24:1 digital zoom and alkaline battery operation. In addition, 3 VHS-C units ($699-$999) include one high-end model with a built-in video light and electronic image stabilization. In the full-size VHS category, 3 models offer low price ($599-$799) and a wide range of features.

In a recent survey of camcorder sales in 1994, Sony led the pack with 24.25% of the world market, followed by Panasonic (15%) and RCA (13%). These three companies have led the camcorder market in sales for a number of years, only occasionally switching places within the top three positions.

Covert Video Operations

For investigative reporting, private eye work or spy-versus-spy intrigue, nothing beats the video camera as an intelligence-gathering device.

Problem is, most camcorders are too large to easily conceal. The recorder is the hardest part of the device to hide; the camera itself can shrink to a very small size and fit inside just about anything--from a pair of sunglasses to a lipstick case.

But once they've gotten their hands on a microcamera, where do spies and private eyes go to find a microrecorder? Sony, that's where.

One of the most popular microrecorders for investigative use is the Sony EVO-220, an 8mm model about the size of a Walkman. To use it, investigators simply run a cable underneath their clothing from the microcamera to a fanny pack that holds the recorder.

Sony also offers the EVO-220 as part of a new product called the ZBOX-1. About the size of a paperback book, the ZBOX-1 includes both the EVO-220 and an incident recording adapter that can tell the recorder when to start taping--when someone enters a room, for example.

TR Manufacturing of Spring Valley, NY, is using the ZBOX-1 in its Video Illusions systems. These systems bundle the ZBOX-1 with a microcamera, microphone and motion sensors; the entire unit is then disguised to look like a book or a waste basket.

Undercover videomakers can contact TR Manufacturing at (914) 425-1800.

This Is Me Missing You

James House, a rising new country music star on the Epic Nashville label, has recorded a song (and a video) about the role of camcorders in military life.

The song, titled "This Is Me Missing You," tells the story of a young enlisted man who exchanges videotapes with his wife and young son while hes away from home. In the video, House portrays an enlisted man who uses the Sony TRV30 Handycam Vision camcorder to create--and instantly play back--his messages to and from his family.

"Home videos are the way people now capture and share their memories with family and friends," House said. "And the Handycam Vision, with its built-in LCD monitor, let us tell this story in a moving way that speaks directly to everyones emotions."

Canine Video Patrol

The Essex police force in Great Britain has come up with a novel way to sniff out criminals: strap a video camera to a German shepherd, send him into the crime scene and watch the video from a safe distance.

The dog-cam device is simple. Consisting of a lightweight camera, microphone, transmitter and battery pack, it sends images and sound back to a small hand-held monitor. This allows cops to check out everything from a crack house to a bombed building, and many other places that are inaccessible to humans.

"No way would we put dogs in danger," said Inspector Rod Barrett, who introduced the devices at Essex in April. "But this could help reduce risks to police and public."