A Quick Guide to Camcorder Formats (page 2)

S-VHS or Super VHS is an improved version of standard VHS. It looks similar (with the only visible difference being an extra slot in the tape case to verify that it is a high-band tape), but it offers superior video quality, and more editing flexibility.

S-VHS offers almost twice the video resolution of VHS. It'll give you up to 400 lines of resolution. Most S-VHS equipment also supports S-video connections. S-video connectors keep the video signal separated into grayscale (luminance) components denoted as (Y) and color (chrominance) components denoted as (C). This Y/C, or S-video, signal has less generation loss when making copies so it holds up better in the editing process than standard VHS. Finally, S-VHS supports LTC and VITC timecode which is essential in linear editing and very handy for computer editing if your system has machine control features. Unfortunately, you will find these timecode features only on the professional models.

In many ways, 8mm is great for videographers that just want to shoot some video of the family around the house and not edit. It is small, so the camcorder won't break your back lugging it around. The video quality of 8mm is about the same 250 lines of resolution that VHS offers. It has roughly the same recording time. The AFM audio on 8mm is mono, but it sounds good to the ear. All in all, as long as you don't want to do any major editing, 8mm is great.

If you do edit though, especially if you do linear editing, 8mm shows its weaknesses. First, 8mm suffers from generation loss when making copies the same as VHS. Next, 8mm doesn't offer timecode. Worst of all, 8mm cannot do audio dubs.

Just as S-VHS is an improved version of VHS, Hi8 is an improved version of 8mm. It offers 400 lines of video resolution, like S-VHS. Hi8 camcorders generally use Y/C connections also like S-VHS, so the format suffers less generation loss than standard 8mm. The format also supports time code (though not many models have this feature), which is essential for accurate linear editing or nonlinear tape logging. The Hi8 camcorder format, as with 8mm, embeds the audio into the video so audio dub is not possible without disrupting the video. Bottom line: if you want an inexpensive, good looking analog picture, Hi8 does a good job with a small camcorder.

Sony introduced Digital8 a couple of years ago. This format falls in the 8mm family, but also in the digital crew that we'll get to below. It's here because it uses Hi8 tape, but we'll give it the full treatment below.

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