"HA" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I'm new to digital camcorders and am looking to purchase a Sony mini DV.

I have just received the Sony brochure this morning and have noticed that
the TRV33 has 1,070,000 pixels (gross) and the TRV22, 19 and 14 has 800,000.

Can someone please explain what this means. Does it mean that the video
quality will be better on the 33 as opposed to the other models or does it
merely mean that it would give better quality digital stills?

Both of your assumptions are true to some extent.

The 33 uses 690K pixels for video, the 19 and 22 use only 400K.

In addition the 33 is able to use its extra pixels to record "widescreen" video
with a 16:9 aspect ratio without vertical clipping. Image stabilisation is
reduced whilst this mode is used on the 33.

In message , Nigel
Mellor writes
"HA" wrote in message
m...
Hi,

I'm new to digital camcorders and am looking to purchase a Sony mini DV.

I have just received the Sony brochure this morning and have noticed that
the TRV33 has 1,070,000 pixels (gross) and the TRV22, 19 and 14 has 800,000.

Can someone please explain what this means. Does it mean that the video
quality will be better on the 33 as opposed to the other models or does it
merely mean that it would give better quality digital stills?

Both of your assumptions are true to some extent.

The 33 uses 690K pixels for video, the 19 and 22 use only 400K.

In addition the 33 is able to use its extra pixels to record "widescreen" video
with a 16:9 aspect ratio without vertical clipping. Image stabilisation is
reduced whilst this mode is used on the 33.

Insofar as video is concerned, there isn't a *direct* correlation
between pixel-count and the DV encoding.

Camcorders use a signal processor to convert the CCD pixel "scan" into
the miniDV format. Depending on the make/model, generally the signal
processor can do a better job with a high CCD pixel count. Sony, for
example have a patented technology they've called "HAD" (High Acuity
Definition) which does a pretty good job.

There are a couple of other issues too. The first is to give some
headroom for the "steady-shot" mechanism, where the "taken" picture is a
sort of frame that moves around inside the CCD pixel area to give you a
(sort of) steady picture when you've got shaky hands. The second is
associated with the still-shot facility that many camcorders offer - the
higher the pixel count of the CCD the better the definition of the still
photo you get.

--
Tony Morgan
http://www.rhylonline.com