A brief overview of HDV, DVCAM, HI-8MM and VHS:
HDV: This high definition format was conceived as an affordable option for digital camcorders. Both amateur and professional videographers quickly adopted this format due to its portability, image quality and low cost.
DVCAM: This format is a variation of DV, it uses the same compression and tape type as DV as well as MiniDV but at a much higher speed, about 50% faster.
HI-8MM: 8mm (Video8), Hi-8 and Digital8 all have similar casing to one another and are typically backwards compatible, This means an 8mm can be played in a Hi-8 player and a Hi-8 in a Digital8 (but not the other way around).
VHS: The VHS tape (VHS stands for Video Home System) is a videocassette recording technology. It uses magnetic tape and was put on the market in 1976 (developed by JVC).