Understanding Advanced Camcorder Features
Your coffee table can look like a branch of Currys; as luck would have it some brands’ remote can control a range of equiment.
Hard Disc Drive (HDD)
Although usually associated with computers, some camcorders also feature hard disc drivers(HDDs) as their method of recording video. The benefit of hard disc is a larger capacity enabling greater amounts of video and still images to be saved which can then be archived or edited ( in – camcorder sometimes ) before tranferring to a blank DVD for off cameras storage. Some camcorders offer both DVD or Blu -ray disc and HDD recording in one Unit, so you never need to use a PC or DVD recorder to Transfer material from your camcorder to a permanent home !
LCD View Screen (size in inches)
A flip – out adjustable screen that acts as a large ‘live’ viewfinder, offering you high-resolution images when shooting video and instant playback, plus it displays data such as counter, date and time and battery life. Some models have touchscreen LCDs.
Long Play
The recording times three times longer than in SP (standard play) mode, allowing you four hours’ recording on a 90-minute tape.
MPEG
MPEG is clever way for a camcorder to squeeze video and sound information to compress video and sound information to save space on memory cards, hard drives and DVs etc.This means that you have more time and space to rcord video. It’s clever becuse you don’t lose quality in the process.
Night Shot
Some Camcorders emit a short-range, infrared beam of light so you can shoot in total darknes ( or OEV to get techy!).However, the light emitted makes the subjects take on an eerie green glow
Progressive and Interlaced Scan
A TV picture is made of one single horizontal line shown at a time in quick succession. A progressive( seen as 720p or 1080p on TVs and camcorders) scan creates the picture in sequential order: an interlaced scan creates all the odd lines and then all the even lines. A progressive scan reduces the amount of flicker on the TV screen and looks smoother to watch.
Interval Recording Mode
Rather than continuous footage, if your camcorder has this feature you can record a single frame at a set interval of time. played back at normal speed, the images are very striking. You may Know it as time -lapse. Tv Producers use it quite a lot on sunsets, tidal movements, and flowers opening. You will need a tripod to use this effect.
Optical image stabiliser / super steady shot
A clever optical or electronic menchanism that detects movement in the camcorder and tries to smooth it out. It’s particularly utilitarian in low light and when using high mafnification zooming – up to about 50x. Any higher than that and image quality is so poor that it doesn’t really matter how smooth it looks!
Confused About Cables ?
A / V : An analogue connection for basic sound and video
Component Video : An analogue output that send the signals for the picture ( made up of red,green,blue) and the sound (left and right) down separate cables into your TV, DVD or Blu-ray, some can carry an HD signal.
Composite video An analogue output cable for picture only.
DV / Fire Wire / IEEE1394/ I.Link
A method for high -speed data transfer between PCs and peripheral devices, allowing speeds between 50 – 100MB/ second.
HDMI
High Definition Multmedia interface your HD – ready camcorders, TVs,DVDs and Blu -ray disc players. It carries both digital audio and video, so theres no need for other cables.
S-video An analogue cable for picture only.
USB 2.0 A connection cable for transferring digital data, with speeds of up to 60MB/second
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