DV is the only consumer format that allows you to clone your videotapes, a necessity if you want to preserve your work for future generations. Anything recorded to magnetic tape is subject to deterioration over time. This is true with both digital and analog recordings. Tape stretch and print-through degrade both the image and sound quality of analog tapes and will eventually cause bit errors on digital recordings. Because DV uses several layers of error correction, however, the tapes are much more stable over time than their analog cousins.

Even more of a threat than tape stretch and print-through is the phenomena known as "Sticky Shed Syndrome." Over time (10 to 20 years or more) the glue that holds the magnetic particles to the polyester base of the tape breaks down and the tape surface becomes coated with an adhesive that makes it difficult, if not impossible, to play. In some cases the magnetic material will peel or fall-off the base, leaving a clear tape and a useless pile of magnetic dust.

With analog tape you have a major problem, because every time you copy one tape to new media, you inflict a generational loss in quality. Because you can make literal clones of your digital footage, you can greatly reduce the chance of unrecoverable data loss.

DV is not a type of videotape or camcorder. Rather, it is a digital video format. It is an international standard that is supported by over 60 companies worldwide. The video data rate for DV25 is 25Mbps, while the total data rate, including error correction codes, subcodes, Insert and Track Information, and audio, give a total data rate of about 36Mbps. The video data rate for professional DV, DV50, is twice that of DV25, at 50Mbps. All consumer DV camcorders, both Mini DV and Digital8, use DV25.

Because DV is a digital format, the hardware benefits from advances in computer technology. Moore's Law states that computer processing speed doubles about every 18 months. Digital storage capacity now doubles about every nine months. At the same time, the cost of processing speed and storage capacity drops, as new and improved devices obsolete the older technologies they replace. This affects every digital technology, driving costs ever lower. In the case of digital video, it also means that the costs and effectiveness of storing and editing our video are also constantly dropping. The 200 gigabyte hard drive you buy today will store a lot of DV footage, but the 400 gigabyte drive you may be able to buy in nine months will store twice as much. DVD burners can be used to archive critical footage as data files in the raw DV format, and optical storage density is increasing at the same rate as other storage technologies. We are rapidly approaching a time when it will be practical to store all our critical master videotape footage on optical media, eliminating the worries about tape deterioration over the long term.

DV has something for everyone. There are DV camcorders for the pro, the beginner and people at every level of interest in between. Camcorders like the Canon XL1S or JVC GY-DV500U are suitable for the most demanding professional work. For the beginner, or those on a tight budget, there are DV camcorders retailing for less than $500. If you already have a library of 8mm or Hi8 videotapes, there are DV camcorders (Digital8 models) that will allow you to continue to use your old 8mm videotapes, while shooting all your new footage in the DV format, and storing it on standard 8mm videotape. Those who want a small camcorder that won't weigh them down will find the "pocket sized" DV camcorders ideal. It's hard to imagine a need that isn't filled by one or more of today's DV camcorders.