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HDV records high-definition video on DV tapes:
The JVC JY-HD10U and GR-HD1 720p/30 (720 scanline, 30 frames per second) camcorders were the first HDV products available, shipping in late 2003. They used single CCDs and, sadly, performed no better than low-end JVC DV cameras of that era did, so they never really took off. JVC later developed very capable 3-chip HDV camcorders.
Sony's first 1080i HDV camcorders started shipping in late 2004,
roughly
nine years and one month after the DV revolution was started by the
DCR-VX1000. These machines had decent camera sections and very
acceptable lenses, and served as the VX1000s of the HDV era. I got one
of the first HDR-FX1 cameras shipped and the information here is based,
for the most part, on that camera (which I reviewed
for DV Magazine).
Canon offered a selection of HDV camcorders, too. Panasonic never did,
preferring to offer DVCPROHD (and later, AVC-Intra) at the high end, and
AVCHD at the low end.
As of 2011, HDV camcorders are still available in the
prosumer/broadcast marketplace, though they're nearly impossible to find
in the consumer market. Active development in both pro and consumer
markets has moved on to AVCHD (h.264) camcorders recording on
solid-state media; AVCHD image quality is substantially better than HDV
quality at a comparably bitrate.
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This page last updated 2011.11.13