Recording Formats

There are so many different video storage formats all over the world that and the only reason is that there are many more uses for video than creating rental movies and recording shows from broadcast TV. Many of the formats below were created for professional uses in broadcasting.

The VHS tape you use at home was created to be "just good enough" for consumer use, but nowhere near the quality and resolution required by professionals. So over the years many different tape and disc formats have evolved to cover these needs. Of course, competition and new technologies create a new stream of formats every year. In fact there now are well over 100 - many still in use now. That's a lot of technology to keep track off.

As technology advances and prices continue to drop, digital entertainment through the use of DV camcorders, digital cameras and other related equipment is becoming increasingly more common in the average home. However, taking recorded video and creating stylish looking movies, in good quality and in an easily shareable format, has been a challenge since the inception of the camcorder.

In the past, most people have relied on the video stores and professional video processing shops to help transform recorded video from DV or analog camcorders into easily accessible VHS tapes or DVD/CDs. But now, as PCs become more powerful and video software become more easy to use, making your own CD or DVD movies at home is something almost anyone with a camcorder can do. With the help of the right software and hardware accessories, it is now possible for you to create DVD or CD movies even at home!