View source for MicroMV

{{one source|date=August 2013}}
{{short description|Proprietary videocassette format for camcorders}}
{{Infobox media
| logo = Micromv-logo.jpg
| image = MicroMV-front-1.jpg
| caption = MicroMV videocassette
| type = [[Magnetic cassette tape]]
| encoding = [[NTSC]], [[PAL]]
| capacity =
| read =
| write =
| standard = [[Interlaced video]]
| owner =
| use = [[Home movies]]
| common lengths =
| dimensions =
| extended from =
| extended to =
| released = {{Start date and age|2001}}
}}
[[File:MicroMV-rear-1.jpg|thumb|Rear side of MicroMV cassette]]

'''MicroMV''' is a [[digital video]] [[cassette (format)|cassette]] format introduced in October 2001 by [[Sony]]. It is the smallest [[videotape]] format, 70% smaller than [[DV (video format)|MiniDV]] or about the size of two US [[Quarter (U.S. coin)|quarter]] coins; it is also smaller than a [[Digital8]] or [[DV (video format)|DV]] cassette and slightly smaller than an audio [[microcassette]]. It was the first helical scan tape system using [[Disk read-and-write head#Magnetoresistance and giant magnetoresistance|MR]] read head introduced to the market. Each cassette can hold up to 60 minutes of video.<ref name="length">{{cite web|title=Product: Micro MV Tape|url=http://www.sony.co.uk/product/micro-mv/mgr-60bt|access-date=22 August 2013|publisher=Sony}}</ref>

==Overview==
{{multiple image
| direction   = vertical
| total_width = 230
| image1      = Microcassette, MicroMV, Mini-Cassette vert (cropped).jpg
| image2      = Microcassette, MicroMV, Mini-Cassette hor (cropped).jpg
| footer      = MicroMV compared to a [[Microcassette]] and [[Mini-Cassette]]
}}
[[File:MicroMV, MiniDV, Digital8 (cropped etc).jpg|thumb|MicroMV compared to MiniDV and Digital8]]
The MicroMV format does not use the "DV25" [[codec]] used by the highly popular [[DV (video format)|DV & MiniDV]] videocassette formats. Instead, it uses 12 [[Mbit/s]] [[MPEG-2]] compression, like that used for [[DVD]]s 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 [[Microsoft Windows|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.<ref name="derStandard">{{Cite web |url=http://derstandard.at/2000025414411/Sony-Das-Ende-von-Betamax-naht |title=Sony: Das Ende von Betamax naht |last=m.b.H. |first=STANDARD Verlagsgesellschaft|lang=de |date=2015-11-10 |website=derStandard.at |access-date=2017-08-03 |quote=The last camcorder with MicroMV was discontinued in early 2006.}}</ref> In November 2015, Sony announced that shipment of MicroMV cassettes would be discontinued in March 2016.<ref name='tele'>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/sony/11986020/Sony-is-finally-killing-off-Betamax-video-tapes.html|quote="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.|website=The Telegraph|date=2015-11-10|access-date=2015-11-15|title=Sony is finally killing off Betamax video tapes}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151110052125/http://www.sony.co.jp/SonyInfo/News/Press/201511/15-1110/index.html|url=http://www.sony.co.jp/SonyInfo/News/Press/201511/15-1110/index.html|language=ja|trans-title=Beta video cassette and micro MV cassette tape shipment end of announcement|quote=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.")|access-date=2015-11-15|archive-date=2015-11-10|date=2015-11-10|publisher=Sony Japan|title=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}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title = 40 years later, Sony finally kills Betamax|url = https://www.engadget.com/2015/11/10/40-years-later-sony-finally-kills-betamax/|website = Engadget| date=10 November 2015 |access-date = 2015-11-10|quote=[Sony is] also dropping its MicroMV camcorder tapes In a bid to... make space in the warehouse, we guess.}}</ref>

==MicroMV camcorders==
[[File:Micromv.jpg|thumb|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)

PAL models end with an "E" (e.g. DCR-IP7E), while Japanese models end with a "K"

==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).
* [https://www.videohelp.com/software/CapDVHS CapDVHS]-Supports capturing video from MicroMV camcorders.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100608013009/http://vaio-online.sony.com/prod_info/software/dvgate_plus_v2_1/index.html 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.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060508031023/http://grabmv.port5.com/ GrabMV]—Captures MicroMV clips.
* [[FFmpeg]]—support for MPEG-TS playback
* [[Blender (software)|Blender]]—Video Sequencer supports editing of the MPEG-TS directly thanks to ffmpeg.
* [[iMovie|Apple iMovie]] '08 to '11 for Mac—Natively supports importing from MicroMV video cameras. Dropped from iMovie 10.x.
* [http://www.ulead.com/dws/runme.htm Ulead DVD Workshop 2]—Includes MPEG MicroMV video capture plugin.
* [[Corel VideoStudio|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==
*[[Camcorder]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==

* [https://obsoletemedia.org/micromv/ MicroMV (2001 – 2006)] at the Museum of Obsolete Media

{{Homevid}}
{{Sony Corp}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Micromv}}
[[Category:Video storage]]
[[Category:Discontinued media formats]]
[[Category:Audiovisual introductions in 2001]]
[[Category:Japanese inventions]]
[[Category:Videocassette formats]]

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