As more and more digital camcorders are released onto the market, more video formats have also been made available for the camcorder to use. Among the formats currently available are DVD, MiniDV, Flash, Digital 8 and Hard Disk Drive. Hard disk drives were once exclusive to computers but today they can be found in many electronics such as mp3 players, phones and cameras. Hard disk drive recording is one of the best formats for camcorders for many reasons.
The digital camcorders that save their video to a hard disk drive do so in MPEG-2 format. The hard disk is generally a small unit but can hold an incredible amount of video footage. This video is also easy to transfer to a PC and nothing has to be done to convert the data to make it viewable.
The general advantage to hard disk drive camcorders is that they have the ability to use compression when recording video. This means a 60GB model like the Sony HDR-SR11 can store up to 22 hours of high-definition video. So there's plenty of room for your home movies or family vacation clips.
The recording quality on a hard disk drive camcorder is also the highest of any other type available. It is the equivalent of DVD quality. Hard disk camcorders are also plug-and-play with your home computer. These camcorders also include very fast transfer rates for your videos, generally 1 hour of high-definition video can be sent to your computer in about 5 minutes.
Hard drive camcorders are more reliable than their traditional counter-parts. This is because they have no un-encased moving parts. This makes them cheaper in the end as you will have less repairs and maintenance costs.
With all the advantages of hard disk camcorders, there really is no excuse for spending a little extra for a high quality hard disk drive camcorder. Best Sony HD Camcorders has great deals on hard disk drive camcorders.