At the turn of a new millennium, the new digital technology is sweeping aside all that lays in its path. Yes, your 8mm, Hi8 video camera and even your VHS-C are no longer up to date!

The new generation of digital camcorders, commonly called Mini DV, uses a magnetic tape format that resembles an 8mm cassette, but is only half the size. This is an advantage for video camera manufacturers, because they can produce camcorders that are smaller, more compact and often no larger than a Walkman.

The Mini DV format is a digital data recording tape format. This format allows an image resolution that is two times greater than VHS or standard 8mm and exceeds S-VHS and Hi8 quality by at least 25%. At the same time, color accuracy and noise resistance are much better than that of traditional analog tapes (8mm video camera, VHS and S-VHS).

The fact of rerecording on the same tape has no effect on recording quality. The advantage of digital recording is that, whatever the number of copies made, the quality remains the same. Since the recorded data are digital, they can easily be downloaded on your computer to be edited. One of the interesting possibilities is taking fixed images and storing them on a computer. Most manufacturers offer software that allows you to import and process your images on your computer.

To conclude, if you are thinking of acquiring a digital camcorder, you should know that the time has never been better. Products are compact, high performance and very reasonably priced. Some models are offered at a price as low as $799.99 . Drop in at one of our Image Zone dealers'. He will be pleased to give you a demo and let you know all the features offered by digital video. Think about it: mounting, editing, special effects: creating a quality video has never been easier.