Because your movies are recorded digitally, you can transfer them (typically via IEEE 1394 FireWire connection) to your home computer and then edit them using digital movie editing software. When you record digitally, edit digitally, and then burn your movies to digital DVDs, you keep a fully digital signal path -- which results in extremely high-quality picture and sound.
Sensing the ImageThe camcorder is two devices in one. The image is sensed by the camera part of the unit, and then recorded in the separate tape recorder section.
In the camera part of the camcorder, the process starts when the image is seen through the camera's lens. The higher quality the lens, the more light that is passed through it, without distortion of the image.
The image as seen by the lens is beamed onto a charge coupled device (CCD), which is an electronic chip that captures the light falling on it and converts the light to electrical signals. The CCD's surface is covered with hundreds of thousands of tiny light-sensitive diodes called photosites. Each photosite measures the amount of light that falls on it and translates this information into electrical charges; a brighter image creates a higher electrical charge, and a darker image creates a lower electrical charge.
Most consumer-level camcorders use a single CCD to capture the video image. Some high-end camcorders, however, use three CCDs, one for each of the primary colors (red, green, and blue), which provides better detail and color. All professional video cameras use a three-CCD design.
The electrical charges from the CCD are then fed into an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), which converts the original analog signals into a stream of digital 1s and 0s. This digital stream is then fed into the recording part of the camcorder.
Recording the VideoThe digital signal generated by the CCD (via the ADC) is transmitted to the camcorder's recording heads. These heads are positioned on a rotating drum, against which sits the MiniDV cassette.
A short section of videotape is pulled from the MiniDV cassette and pulled across the rapidly rotating drum. The drum itself is tilted in relation to the videotape, and rotates at 9,000 RPM; the tape moves at approximately 0.74 inches per second. The 1s and 0s of the digital signal are laid down diagonally on the magnetic recording tape, with 10 individual tracks necessary to record one full frame of NTSC audio and video.
A single MiniDV cassette can hold up to an hour of audio and video -- a total of 11GB of data. Each MiniDV cassette also contains a small memory chip, called memory in cassette (MIC), that is used to record a list of contents, times and dates of recordings, and sample stills from preset edit points.
Transferring the VideoOnce recorded, you can play back the MiniDV cassette in any camcorder or VCR that is compatible with the MiniDV format. You can also transfer the digital video files directly to your computer.
Transferring video is done using your camcorder and a recorded MiniDV cassette. All you have to do is connect your camcorder to your PC using an IEEE 1394 FireWire cable. The videos you shoot are transferred the same way you copy any files to and from your computer.
Once stored on your computer's hard disk, you can use a digital movie editing program, such as Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro to edit your movies and insert titles and transition effects. The edited digital movie can then be burned to DVD for further distribution.
Michael Miller is a writer and commentator on technology and digital lifestyle topics. 
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