Digital Video Overview
Before jumping into the world of digital video, you need to understand the difference between digital and analog video and why analog video should no longer be considered an acceptable form of recording your video memories when there is a much higher-quality alternative available.
Analog Video vs. Digital Video
Analog video camcorders use an electrical signal to capture images on magnetic tape. A digital video signal is a pattern of 1’s and 0’s that represent the video image. There is no variation in the original signal once it’s captured, and the image does not lose any of its original sharpness or clarity—it’s an exact copy of the original. Due to the major advances in digital technology, I highly recommended that you shoot with a digital video camera over their older analog video counterparts.
Here’s why I recommend Digital Video over Analog Video:
- Analog video degrades with each copy you make. Digital video quality begins and remains digital from your digital camcorder to computer via FireWire cables.
- Digital video resolution is higher than analog because you can choose how many pixels, some of which offer as much as 410,000 or more pixels per Digital CCD (charged couple devices). No matter what digital video format you choose, they all have excellent resolution quality. Although some digital formats have higher quality than others, the quality of analog can deteriorate only after 5 years.
- Analog recordings are highly susceptible to deterioration. Although a regular analog camcorder may be cheaper in price, it is imperative to use digital video with digital camcorders so that preservation of your video lasts and remains in the best condition.