Camcorder Terms

Common terminology to help bridge the technology gap

8mm - An analog recording format, typically used in cassette form.

Analog media - Sources that have a non-modifiable physical form, such as VHS and 8mm cassettes. Analog media degrades over time and quality is lessened when copied from one generation to the next

Assemble Editing - The process of selecting individual shots from a master tape and re-recording them onto another source in the correct sequence.

Audio Dub - Replacing the existing audio track with new audio, such as music or a commentary track

Auto Focus - A system that automatically adjusts the lens focus according to the distance of the main object in the shot

AVI - A common compressed video file-type used in digital cameras and digital camcorders

Backlight Control - A system that automatically increases the aperture when the background is brighter than the subject in order to avoid underexposure

CCD - Charged Coupled Device, the light-sensitive component of a digital camcorder, used to gather an image for capturing.

Compression - The process of condensing a large video file into a smaller size by removing extraneous data, leaving only the essential information. This results in improved storage ability at the expense of quality.

Digital8 - A common digital storage format and the successor of the popular Hi-8 format

Encode - The process in which a video file is compressed and reconfigured into another file type

Fade - A type of transistion from one scene to another that is inserted in the editing process.

IEEE-1394 - Commonly called "FireWire," a type of cable which allows for connectivity between a computer and an electronic device, such as a digital camcorders.

Image Stabilization - A mechanical system which re-adjusts the image position to compensate for slight movement of the camcorder. This removes the jumpy movement common in handheld video photography.

Insert Editing - Replacing unwanted sections of video by recording over it with new footage.

JPEG - The most commonly used file-type for recording images in digital cameras.

Megabyte - The typical unit of measurement of storage capacity on digital media

Mini-DV - A common digital storage format, available in small cassettes with high capacity.

MPEG - A family of commonly used compressed file formats created by the Moving Pictures Expert Group for a broad range of functions. 

NiCd - Nickel-Cadmium, a type of rechargeable camcorder battery.

Night Shot - A selectable mode on Sony camcorders which allows the user to record footage with very little light.

NiMH - Nickel-Metal Hydride, a type of rechargeable camcorder battery.

Photo Mode - A selectable mode on a digital camcorder in which the camcorder will only capture still images.

Picture Noise - Incorrectly colored pixels, usually found in low-light situations, caused by the camcorder's light sensor registering an incorrect value. High quality light sensors, found in professional digital camcorders, record very little noise.

Point-and-shoot - Simple use of a camcorder, using automatic settings. Generally desired by novices and casual users.

Resolution - The measurement of the quality of a digital image.

Quick Time - A type of video player developed by Apple.

USB - A common type of cable used to connect a computer to a device, such as a digital camcorder.

WMV - Microsoft's proprietary video file format.

VHS, S-VHS, S-VHS-C - Common analog video formats, found in cassette form.

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