Mini DV is a solid video format. It offers extremely high quality video and audio and has virtually no generation loss. In addition, the tape is so small that Mini DV camcorders can be extraordinarily small and portable, yet still offer long recording times.

Mini DV delivers up to 525 lines of video resolution. On the downside, you'll occasionally experience artifacts with the way Mini DV compresses video. It is especially noticeable in patterns, but also shows up in some high action shots. The untrained eye may not catch these blocky, "pixilated" artifacts as they flash through the picture quickly, but after you start to look for them, they may become noticeable.

There are four parts to a Mini DV track: video, audio, subcode and ITI (Insert and Tracking Information). The video and audio are self-explanatory. The subcode holds timecode, date and time and track numbers. The ITI holds information for doing video insert edits.

For audio, Mini DV offers two modes: a 16-bit stereo pair, or two 12-bit stereo pairs (four 12-bit tracks total). The 16-bit option offers better quality (on a par with CD), while the 12-bit option lets you do audio dubs later to the additional tracks.

Perhaps the most-important feature of Mini DV is that it can use FireWire to transfer the digital bit stream directly to another tape, or to a hard-drive for editing. Because you are just transferring the ones and zeros that make up the serial stream, you lose no audio or video quality when you do it. That means no generation loss. Any way you slice it, Mini DV is top-notch for consumer …