What is "24p" and why would I use it?

What is "24p" and why would I use it?

Tim Smith (Camcorder Training Specialist) gives expert video advice on: How does a camcorder work?; Why don't consumer camcorders work well in low light? and more...

24p is a new feature added to cameras over the last couple of years that the filmmakers have really grabbed on to. Traditional filmmakers, and by that I mean people who actually shoot on film instead of video, are especially fond of it because it allows inexpensive video footage to have the cinematic quality captured by 'film'. When you go to a theater and you sit down in front of a screen, you're watching 24 frames being projected per second, video has always typically been 30 frames per second. Getting to 24 allows for more of a film look. We do some things in the camera, the way we sample the information off the tip, and the way we put the information on the tape, to try to get there. Now, one of the things you have to know is what's coming out of that camera is always 30, it's not 24 even if we recorded it that way. So shooting 24 frame really means 30 on tape with a 24-frame cadence.