Videotape Camera Formats

VHS Video (as pictured here) is the most familiar and popular format for the consumer and most corporate and educational uses.

Home videotape cameras in recent years have offered VHS, VHS-C, S-VHS, 8mm and HI-8mm. Today, you can also find Mini-DV, DVCAM, and DVPro which are all digital tape formats.

Digital Video Formats

CD-ROM (and CD-R, CDR-W)

Almost every home computer now uses CD as the primary removable data storage device. They now come in many sizes and even shapes, all compatible with your personal computer...in most cases.

DVD

Everyone is talking about DVD these days! MPEG-2 in the digital video format you watch on your DSS or Digital Cable system. It is also the digital video format we use when making DVDs.

Quicktime & AVI

Quicktime (files ending with .mov) and AVI (files ending with .avi) digital video is perfect for websites and PowerPoint presentations, as well as general multimedia. Quicktime or AVI will NOT play back full screen/full motion on most computers.

RealMedia

RealMedia files (with the suffix .rm) use the "RealPlayer" application, and is good for web video.

MPEG-1

MPEG-1 (files with the suffix .mpg) was developed to provide "VHS" quality video. MPEG video is great for PowerPoint presentations, sales presentations, kiosks, and interactive CDs. The use of full-screen (640x480) does not always work well on all computers. We have had good luck with 480x360 and 320x240. Ask about our 640x480 interactive CD sample. See for yourself!