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Unlike a camera that imprints images on film, a camcorder records audio and video to analog or digital formats that can be downloaded to a computer, viewed on television or stored on tape. Camcorders have the ability to record, pause, stop, fast forward, reverse and zoom. Camcorders range in size and price.
- Analog formats include VHS, Super VHS, 8mm and Hi-8. Audio and video are recorded directly onto a tape, the size depending on the analog format. Analog quality is usually poorer than digital quality. The tapes can be transferred to other analog formats, copied, or the video can be viewed directly from the camcorder on a television.
- Digital formats are higher in quality and can be downloaded directly to a computer and edited with software. Digital formats also allow for online sharing and can be downloaded directly to a website. There are digital camcorders that record on Hi-8mm and DVDs. For DVD recordings, you can skip from one section of the video to another. In analog formats, you can only fast-forward.
