DV Video

What is DV video? DV video is a digital video format created by Sony, JVC, Panasonic and other video camera producers, and launched in 1995. Its smaller tape form factor MiniDV has become a standard for home and semi-professional video production. DV video is also used for professional purposes, such as filmmaking and electronic news gathering (ENG). DV video uses DCT intraframe compression at a fixed bitrate of 25 megabits per second (25.146 Mbit/s). It performs somewhat better than the older MJPEG codec at equal bitrates,.

The high quality of DV video images prompted the acceptance by mainstream broadcasters of material shot on DV. The low costs of DV video equipment and their ease of use put such cameras in the hands of a new breed of video journalists. There have been some variants on the DV standard, most notably Sony's DVCAM and Panasonic's DVCPRO formats targeted at professional use.