MicroMV

MicroMV is a proprietary videotape format introduced in October 2001 by Sony. It is the smallest videotape format — 70% smaller than MiniDV or about the size of two US quarter coins; it is also smaller than a Digital8 or DV cassette and slightly smaller than an audio microcassette. It was the first helical scan tape system using MR read head introduced to the market. Each cassette can hold up to 60 minutes of video.[1]

MicroMV
MicroMV videocassette
Media typeMagnetic cassette tape
EncodingNTSC, PAL
StandardInterlaced video
UsageHome movies
Released2001 (2001)
Rear side of MicroMV cassette

The MicroMV format does not use the "DV25" codec used by the highly popular DV & MiniDV videocassette formats. Instead, it uses 12 Mbit/s MPEG-2 compression, like that used for DVDs and HDV. Footage recorded on MicroMV format initially could not be directly edited with mainstream DV editing software such as Adobe Premiere or Apple Final Cut Pro; instead Sony supplied its own video editing software MovieShaker (for Windows PCs only). Later versions of Ulead Video Studio and several freeware applications however could capture and edit from Sony MicroMV Camcorders.

MicroMV was unsuccessful. Sony was the only electronics manufacturer to sell MicroMV cameras. In 2006, Sony stopped offering new MicroMV camcorder models.[2] In November 2015, Sony announced that shipment of MicroMV cassettes would be discontinued in March 2016.[3][4][5]

MicroMV camcorders
MicroMV camcorder and tape (top) compared to miniDV and Hi8 tapes
  • Sony DCR-IP7 (2001)
  • Sony DCR-IP5 (2001)
  • Sony DCR-IP45 (2002)
  • Sony DCR-IP55 (2002)
  • Sony DCR-IP210 (2002)
  • Sony DCR-IP220 (2002)
  • Sony DCR-IP1 (2003)

NTSC models only can play NTSC recordings, while PAL models can play both PAL and NTSC. PAL models end with an "E" (e.g. DCR-IP7E).

Software supporting MicroMV
  • MovieShaker—Sony's own video editing software originally supplied with MicroMV camcorders.
  • Vegas Movie Studio-Supports capturing video from MicroMV camcorders (in HDV mode).
  • CapDVHS-Supports capturing video from MicroMV camcorders.
  • DVgate Plus—Software by Sony for capturing clips, including MicroMV.
  • Pinnacle Studio versions 8 and 9—Captures clips and allows editing, DVD creation etc. Dropped from version 10.
  • GrabMV—Captures MicroMV clips.
  • FFmpeg—support for MPEG-TS playback
  • Blender—Video Sequencer supports editing of the MPEG-TS directly thanks to ffmpeg.
  • Apple iMovie '08 to '11 for Mac—Natively supports importing from MicroMV video cameras. Dropped from iMovie 10.x.
  • Ulead DVD Workshop 2—Includes MPEG MicroMV video capture plugin.
  • Ulead VideoStudio versions 7 to 9-Supports importing from MicroMV camcorders. Dropped from newer versions.
  • Windows Movie Maker - included free with Windows Vista Home Premium

See also

References
  1. "Product: Micro MV Tape". Sony. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  2. m.b.H., STANDARD Verlagsgesellschaft (2015-11-10). "Sony: Das Ende von Betamax naht". derStandard.at (in German). Retrieved 2017-08-03. The last camcorder with MicroMV was discontinued in early 2006.
  3. "Sony is finally killing off Betamax video tapes". The Telegraph. 2015-11-10. Retrieved 2015-11-15. "Sony will end the shipment of Betamax video cassettes and micro MV cassettes in March 2016," the company said in a Japanese-language statement on its website.
  4. "ベータビデオカセットおよびマイクロMVカセットテープ出荷終了のお知らせ" [Beta video cassette and micro MV cassette tape shipment end of announcement] (in Japanese). Sony Japan. 2015-11-10. Archived from the original on 2015-11-10. Retrieved 2015-11-15. ソニーは2016年3月※をもって、ベータビデオカセットおよびマイクロMVカセットの出荷を終了いたします。 ("Sony with a ? March 2016, will end the shipment of beta video cassette and micro cassette MV.")
  5. "40 years later, Sony finally kills Betamax". Engadget. Retrieved 2015-11-10. [Sony is] also dropping its MicroMV camcorder tapes In a bid to... make space in the warehouse, we guess.
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