2003-2016

HDV is a video format for recording high-definition (HD) video on DV cassettes. The format was originally developed by JVC, and later joined by Sony, Canon, and Sharp. The four companies formed the HDV Consortium in September 2003. The goal was to create an affordable HD format for digital handheld camcorders. Due to its low cost, portability, and image quality that is often acceptable for professional productions, HDV quickly became popular among amateur and professional videographers alike.

HDV encodes video and audio in digital form using lossy interframe compression. The video compression standard is H.262 / MPEG-2. Color sampling: 8-bit, 4:2:0 chrominance. Stereo audio is encoded using MPEG-1 Layer 2 compression. The compressed audio and video are multiplexed into an MPEG-2 transport stream, typically stored on magnetic tape, but can also be saved to a computer file. The audio and video data rate is constant and roughly the same as the DV format. The HDV audio bitrate (384 kbit/s) is relatively high and provides lossless quality at the perceptual level.

There are two main versions of HDV: HDV 720p (progressive, JVC) HDV 1080i (interlaced, Sony). Sony converted JVC's original progressive scan format to interlaced, which was a useful compromise for a long time: it allowed smoother motion at a lower bandwidth. Although interlaced displays have now faded into the background, it is still present in the recording and broadcast chain.

With the rise of digital filmmaking and Internet video, consumer demand for progressive recording has increased, and progressive mode has been optionally incorporated into the 1080i HDV standard. It is important to note that not all HDV 1080i cameras or players support native progressive recording/playback.

HDV 1080i (or more recently HDV 1080) cameras can record in progressive mode: 23.98 fps ("24p") and 29.97 fps ("30p") for 60 Hz regions, 25 fps ("25p") for 50 Hz regions. Video is output in true progressive format via the i.LINK (FireWire) port, and in interlaced mode on other connections to maintain compatibility with older devices.

Many Sony HDV devices can also record/play back in DVCAM format. A MiniDV cassette holds approximately 1 hour of HDV footage. The larger DV cassette can hold up to 4.5 hours. HDV is also accepted for television broadcasting – with some restrictions.