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In 1995 when MiniDV tape was introduced it was a major milestone in the video home movies industry. Up until this point all videos were recorded in an analogue format. With the resolution recorded at 240 lines on a typical television. With DV you get twice the amount 480 scanlines per complete frame for the 60 Hz system. Of course, the tape size is smaller and more compact. The smaller tapes allowing the cameras to also be reduced in size.
As with any format things change. However, with MiniDV it is the longest everyday use format for video ever and is still used and sold all over the world today. Here are a few things you need to know about MiniDV. Since it is a digital format it is able to be directly transferred to any computer with the proper fire wire or (ieee1394) connection. Whereas VHS, Hi8 and other analogue formats would loose quality during the conversion process, digital tape does not. The quality recorded stay exactly the same regardless of the number of copies made or the number to times played.
MiniDV is a great format for a number of reason. Not only the vast improvement in quality, the obvious digital quality but as a storage medium it will not degrade. However, if you would like to skip to the next part of the video, it is still a tape. If it gets caught in the player – its still a tape.
Yes – we do repair MiniDV tapes, VHS, Hi8 and most other video tape formats.
We will run your MiniDV tapes through our cleaning process which is designed to loosen up particles and physically remove any dirt from the tape itself. It is a NON abrasive procedure that in NO WAY will effect the quality or damage your tapes. In effect we are exercising the physical tape to ensure a solid transfer. Utilizing only professional grade equipment, there are a few options:
Exporting your footageIn many cases our customers understand that DVDs although convenient, offer a fairly unsafe way to store your precious memories. They are easily scratched or damaged. Yes you can watch on your computer, however the footage you are watching is a compressed version of the original footage. By having TorontoHomeMovies.com convert your Video8 footage directly into an uncompressed AVI (for the PC) or DV (for MAC) you will obtain a high quality transfers. To review your footage we can export to one of several options.
MiniDV to DVD TransferAre you hoping to share the memories stored on your MiniDV tapes with friends and family who do not own a MiniDV camera or video player? The simple solution is to transfer your MiniDV tapes to DVD. We use a high bitrate process that ensures that your footage does not degrade. In fact, the encoding codex we use, will likely make it so you will not notice a quality difference. We guarantee your MiniDV tape to DVD transfers are of the highest quality. Using professional grade DVDs and equipment your MiniDV tape conversion will play on 99.99% of the DVD players and on most computers. We DO NOT suggest DVDs as an editing format. For more information on exporting your MiniDV footage to an editing format see the section below.
MiniDV to Hard Drive TransferOf all the conversions of Video8 video tape footage we do at TorontoHomeMovies.com MiniDV video tape to hard drive is by far the most popular. Not only does it retain the uncompressed digital MiniDV video tape footage at the highest quality, it is very easy to access. Simply plug the portable hard drive it into your computer! Be sure to advise your sales representative of the type of computer system you use, your footage either AVI (for the PC) or DV (for MAC) can be put onto your own drive (must be completely blank) or you can purchase a brand new portable hard drive directly from us.
VHS tape is by far the most popular video format of all time. Using Professional VHS, SHVS decks we convert your footage at the highest possible quality. Most VHS cassettes are 2 hours in length, however they can be as long as 6 hours if they were recorded in Extended Play (EP) Mode. Depending on you requirements we can provide a high bit-rate DVD that will play in your computer and DVD player or we can do a direct to computer upload. This will allow you to receive either an AVI file for PC or DV for Mac that can be edited into future projects.
Check our videotape section for more information about this format or see our video FAQs for more information on our video transfer services
Video8, Hi8 and Digital8 are all 8mm film formats that were popular in the 1990s. Created as a convenient compact cassette format for camcorders, a person could record 2 hours of footage in SP and up to 6 hours in EP mode. Depending on you requirements we can provide a high bit-rate DVD that will play in your computer and DVD player or we can do a direct to computer upload. This will allow you to receive either an AVI file for PC or DV for Mac that can be edited into future projects.
For more information on these formats, please check the following sections: Video8, Hi8 and Digital8. You can also read our video FAQs for more information on our video transfer services.
The MiniDV format is one of the most commonly used formats for camcorders. Leading manufacturers like Sony, Panasonic, JVC, Sharp, Canon, and many others offer MiniDV camcorders for digital video recording for usually up to 1hr of recording. Depending on you requirements we can provide a high bit-rate DVD that will play in your computer and DVD player or we can do a direct to computer upload. This will allow you to receive either an AVI file for PC or DV for Mac that can be edited into future projects.
Learn more about MiniDV
For over a decade CanadaHomeMovies.com has converted thousands of Beta and Betamax video tapes to DVD, hard drive and MiniDV. We are one of the few companies in Canada with professional Betamax decks in perfect working order. Using the latest analog to digital conversion equipment we can save your Beta and Betamax PAL and NTSC footage before it fades forever. Call us now.
MicroMV is Sony's proprietary digital videotape format. It's the smallest videotape format at about the size of two quarter coins. Each MicroMV cassette holds up to 60min of footage.DVCAM was a professional DV format that came in 2 tapes sizes. 60/90 minute tapes same as MiniDV and 184 minute large cassettes. 
Toronto Home Movies can output your transferred 8mm and 16mm footage to MiniDV Cassette for long term archival storage. We use professional grade Panasonic MiniDV cassettes.
If you have MiniDV tapes that you wish to convert to other format, such as DVD or Blu-Ray, please visit out Video Cassette Transfer section.
To learn more about MiniDV, visit the MiniDV section
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