The History Of Camcorder

By Author: Dori Kelsey
Total Articles: 29
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A video camera and a VCR are two inseparable devices during the time when camcorder was not yet out in the market. JVC introduced VHS while Sony launched Umatic and Betamax making video recording more mobile. The VCR comprised of a detachable cassette player and a television tuner unit. Since during that time video cameras were initially intended for TV broadcasting purposes, the introduction of portable VCR's and camera made significant impact to the broadcasting industry.

The giants that were responsible for the popularity of portable video recording made another history in 1982 when they initiated the camcorder era. JVC launched the VHS-C format Sony started selling Betacam, considered as the first professional camcorder. The VHS-C was basically a reduced-size cassette version of the VHS. On the other hand, Betacam was designed to be a standard for professional camcorders. It provided more superior images because of the component video it utilizes. But it was not accepted ...
... instantly since handling and operating of the VCR was the responsibility of a video engineer. When Betacam came to the scene, cameramen were obliged to manage both the video camera and VCR. Nevertheless this downside was immediately disregarded by the fact that cameramen have more freedom to move around because the cables between them and the VCR were eliminated. Since then Sony's Betacam promptly became the standard for studio video editing and news gathering coverage.

The Japanese corporation was not contented with the success of Betacam. In 1983, it launched the first consumer camcorder, the Betamovie. The unit was huge and is normally resting on a shoulder since one hand is not enough to hold it. A lot of other consumer camcorders were released to the market after then which are even bigger than the Betamovie. Sony's version had only optical viewfinders with no rewind or playback functionality. Using its VHS-C format, JVC soon marketed its own camcorder. The VHS-C cassette can hold tape that record 40 or 120 minutes of video whereas the mechanical adapter had playback capability. But Sony was not ready to lose the fight and redesign the Betamax lineup to build the Video8 standard. This new device used a tape that has a width almost 35% smaller that VHS and Betamax tapes. Video8 made use of an all-new metal composition vide cassette that removes the trouble of short running time. In 1986, Panasonic made an entry by releasing its full-sized VHS/S-VHS camcorders version that record up to 3 or 9 hours of video time. It was a success to many videophiles, university TV studios and industrial videographers.

Camcorders continued to evolve significantly over time and the digital era was an exception. The DV and miniDV were launched in the mid-1990s. The cassette tapes for these devices were even smaller than their Video8 predecessors. The miniDV also featured a more enhanced audio and video quality. Digital8 and MPEG2-based DVD camcorder were the succeeding variations of the DV. Currently, an entry-level camcorder will cost you about US$100.

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