Some people assume that a digital format such as Mini DV is better than an analog format such as Betacam SP simply because it's digital. After all, digital is better than analog, right?

Well, not exactly. Digital is better when you consider high end digital formats such as Digital Betacam, HD Cam, or MPEG-IMX. However, when you consider low end digital formats such as Mini-DV, DV Cam, or even DVC Pro, this is not the case.

Low end digital formats have several inherent flaws. First, they use a compression ratio of 5 to 1 (5:1), meaning that the image information and detail is compressed to 1/5th it's original bandwidth, thus reducing the picture's chrominance and luminance (color and brightness) information and ultimately reducing the overall picture quality.  Betacam SP on the other hand, is UNCOMPRESSED (1:1), achieving full chrominance and luminance bandwidth. High end digital formats use a mild compression ratio that is almost imperceptible.

The low end formats also sample color information in a 4:1:1environment. This means that the chrominance (color) bandwidth is sampled at 1/4 of the luminance (brightness) bandwidth. Luminance is sampled at 13.5 MHz, while the chrominance is sampled at 3.375MHz. Betacam SP and other high end formats use the 4:2:2 environment, where the chrominance is sampled at 6.75, twice the rate of the 4:1:1 format, providing higher quality and more professional images. 

Low end digital formats also use smaller and cheaper chips (CCDs) with fewer pixels per chip than Betacam SP and high end digital formats. Betacam SP and high end digital format cameras feature three 2/3 inch chips with over 520,000 pixels per chip.

Mini DV and other low end digital cameras have three 1/3 inch chips and just 270,000 pixels per chip. These cheaper and smaller chips offer less horizontal and vertical resolution, about 500 lines compared to Betacam's 900 lines. These chips are also more susceptible to vertical smear, that nasty line that runs from top to bottom of the screen when a bright object enters the frame.

In summary, simply being digital doesn't make a format better than analog. As the chart below shows, Betacam SP is still Superior, technically and aesthetically. There is just no comparison. If you care about high quality production values and the image you're projecting, call us for your next production and insist on using Betacam SP. Because we care very much about our client's image and the product we produce, we WILL NOT use low end digital formats such as Mini DV and DVCam. We will continue to use Betacam SP and high end digital formats such as Digital Betacam and MPEG IMX.