Who and why created DV cassettes?

[ConsumerDV]

This is just pure curiosity, but so far I could not find who and why created DV cassettes (not DV recording format). Originally, five companies created Video 8 - Sony, Matsushita, JVC, Philips, Hitachi. The list grew to 127 companies altogether. This means that all these companies had access to Video8 cassette and could use it in their products. I suppose, Hi8 was created by Sony alone later, which it licensed to some other brands like Canon, Samsung and Hitachi. Then... what?

Where did DV cassettes come from, in particular MiniDV? Why the DV alliance did not accept Video8 cassette? Was Video8 cassette not small enough? Did they want a family of different sizes, and Video8 could not be easily scaled? Who initiated the new cassette development? Both Sony and Panasonic were members of the DV development, and both released first DV camcorders. But then Sony retrofitted DV onto Video8 cassette. So what was the point of creating MiniDV cassette at the first place?

Links appreciated!

[Caius]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpVHy2_H798

[rrats]

You know, there's one thing called internet and it has something called a search engine

[Hoser Rob]

You know, there's one thing called internet and it has something called a search engine

+1. Plus the world is absolutely filled with theings that seemed like a good idea at the time but look pretty silly now.

[jagabo]

Royalties. Not invented here. Control.

[ConsumerDV]

Obviously, I tried googling it up but found nothing of interest. Wikipedia has a one-liner about a "consortium of video camera manufacturers led by Sony and Panasonic." Control? By whom? Many companies joined DV standard just like many companies joined Video8 standard, and Sony, Panasonic and JVC were in both of them, and Sony already led the Video8 consortium. Royalties? To whom, to Sony? One would think that royalties is a normal thing, after all everyone was paying JVC for using VHS. So, still not clear on it. I know that UMatic, Beta, Video8 were created/intiated by Sony, VHS by JVC, CD by Philips/Sony, but DV remains somewhat of a mystery to me.

I guess, I just like Video8 form factor the best out of all videotapes. MiniDV feels too tiny, almost like a precious toy Video8 is just the right size and duration. I wish they did not invent so many different formats. Hopefully, it is all behind us now. Presently, USB and SD cards rule the world. (Do I sound soap-boxy again?)

Ok, I actually did find something:

When Sony joined with almost every other video manufacturer in the early 1990s to develop DVC, the new mini-sized, consumer-oriented, digital format, they wanted to use their own Video8 cassette for it. The other DVC Consortium companies would have none of that, as they knew that using that 8mm cassette and having the format backwardly-compatible with all those Sony 8mm camcorders, would give Sony an unfair advantage. The consortium instead developed the smaller 6mm cassette for DVC, that we all know so well today. Sony had to agree to not market any digital video equipment that used the DVC codec with their 8mm cassette, until 3 years after the first sale of camcorders that used the 6mm cassette.

Using their Video8/Hi-8 cassette for mini-digital purposes, is what Sony wanted to do in the first place and if the other DVC Consortium members hadn't blocked it, we'd probably be using only the 8mm cassette, instead of the 6mm one, for DV. By 1999, DV had been established as the main consumer and semipro digital video format, so Sony kept Digital8 within the boundaries of a low to medium grade performance and cost range.

When DVC was developed, it was primarily intended to be a 100mbps mini high-definition format. A 25mbps SD version was also specified, as a secondary use for it. Later, the roadblocks that delayed the implementation of high-definition, led them to use the SD version as the primary one, as a way to more quickly turn their efforts into a profit. The 100mbps HD version has been mostly forgotten.

Ok then, unfair advantage. I wonder where all this info came from. I guess I need to dig deeper to find more reliable info in a book or a magazine. Thanks everyone!

[rrats]

You know, more than 1 person worked on DV. And, yknow, it wasn't anything revolutionary. Just standard tapes, but this time with digital video on them

[lordsmurf]

Where did DV cassettes come from

Well, when a mommy video and daddy video really love each other, the stork brings them a basket of goodness.
Inside that basket is a video tape.
And thus, DV was born.

[pchan]

At the time portable storage with sufficient capacity and density was tape. Rewritable DVD was at its infancy and so was miniature hard disk. Eventually these options were made available in the video camcorder. The disadvantage with tape is sequential transfer at real time speed i.e. a 60 minutes video takes 60minutes to transfer. Finally, solid state storage with sufficient speed and capacity has put tape into obsolescence. The advancement of silicon from 100nm to 10nm has improved speed and power efficiency and better video encoding algorithm have enable better video and reduce space requirement. Data transfer is very efficient i.e. just drag and drop.

Waste no time. Just convert videos in VHS, Video8 or mini DV tapes to hard disk while the playback devices are still in working condition.

[dellsam34]

Where did DV cassettes come from

Well, when a mommy video and daddy video really love each other, the stork brings them a basket of goodness.
Inside that basket is a video tape.
And thus, DV was born.

Wait...what? I though D-VHS married DigiBeta and they were blessed with a baby called miniDV, which grew into full size DV and passed away 2 decades ago.