MiniDV vs. Digital8 Facts and Tips

With the popularity of shooting video with smartphones and digital cameras, the days of recording video on camcorders that use videotape have certainly faded.

However, there are still a lot of recorded tapes that need to be played, and there are still working camcorders that can record. If you fall into either of these categories or have inherited a camcorder or tapes, two formats that you may encounter are MiniDV and Digital8, which were the first digital camcorder formats that used tape for video recording.

In the late 1990s, the first digital camcorder format arrived on the consumer scene in the form of MiniDV. Manufacturers such as JVC, Sony, Panasonic, Sharp, and Canon all brought models to the market. Over a couple of years and several price downturns, MiniDV became a viable choice, along with other existing formats available at the time, such as VHS, VHS-C, 8mm, and Hi8.

In addition to MiniDV, Sony decided in 1999 to bring another digital camcorder format to the market: Digital8 (D8). Instead of a single digital camcorder format, going into the early 21st century, consumers had a choice of two digital formats.

MiniDV and Digital8 formats had some common qualities:

• Digital video recording uses the same compression/decompression standards.
• PCM audio recording.
• 500-line video resolution capability.
• 640x480 still-picture resolution.
• IEEE 1394 (Firewire, i-Link) computer interface.

Digital8 format camcorders:

• Could use HI8, 8mm, or Digital8 tape as the recording media.
• Used the same body design and size as a HI8 or 8mm camcorder.
• Had both digital and analog video in/out capability.
• Record one hour on each tape.
• Were manufactured by only one company.
• Could also playback analog 8mm and Hi8 tapes.

MiniDV format camcorders:

• Used MiniDV (6mm) tape as the recording media.
• Recorded up to 90 minutes on tape in LP mode using a standard 60-minute tape.
• Could be made much smaller than Digital8 camcorders.
• Were manufactured by several companies, including Canon, JVC, Panasonic, Sharp, and Sony.

At the time they were released, MiniDV and Digital8 were both good options, but for different reasons:

If you owned a Hi8 or 8mm camcorder, upgrading to Digital8 was a logical upgrade. Digital8 was a hybrid system that not only allowed digital video recording but also provided for playback compatibility with older 8mm and Hi8 tapes. Using the same computer IEEE1394 interface as MiniDV, Digital8 was compatible with a multitude of desktop video editing options. 

Digital8 camcorders had analog video in/out capability, which enabled the operator to make a digital video copy from any analog video source that had an RCA or S-video output. Although most MiniDV camcorders also have this ability, the feature was often eliminated on the entry-level models.

If you were starting from ground zero and were not concerned about compatibility with previous formats, or you had price concerns, then MiniDV was the better choice. The camcorders were smaller and included a host of features for video making. However, the most important factor had more to do more with politics than technology.

MiniDV was an industry standard that already had a track record by the time Sony introduced Digital8. It was supported by several major manufacturers including Canon, JVC, Panasonic, Sharp, and Sony. This allowed not only an abundant selection of MiniDV models, from tiny units not much larger than a pack of cigarettes to the large semi-pro 3CCD types used in independent film production and newsgathering, but it also allowed for more flexibility for video duplication.

The pro versions of MiniDV, referred to as DVcam and DVCpro, were standards that were used for commercial and broadcast video applications around the world.

As a result, with Sony being the only backer of Digital8, the format fell by the wayside, especially as the cost of MiniDV camcorders declined.

If you find yourself in possession of a MiniDV or Digital8 camcorder or tapes, here are some important tips.

• You cannot play MiniDV or Digital8 tapes in a VHS VCR. You cannot play back Digital8 recorder video on an analog 8mm or Hi8 camcorder.
• To play back these tapes, you need a working MiniDV or Digital8 camcorder or MiniDV or D8 VCR. No adapter allows these tapes to be played in a VHS VCR. 
• If your MiniDV or Digital8 camcorder still works, you can use it to transfer the recordings to DVD using either a DVD recorder or a PC, as long as the PC or laptop has an iEEE1394 (Firewire) connection. If not, you may have to use an analog-to-USB video converter.
• If your MiniDV or Digital8 camcorder no longer works, you may be able to find some used models on sites such as Amazon or eBay. There are no new replacements being made. You might also touch base with friends or relatives to see if they have a functional camcorder in either of these formats.

If you find yourself with a collection of MiniDV and Digital8 tapes and no way to play them back so you can transfer them to DVD, then your only option is to have the video transferred professionally by a video duplication service.