What is "pixel count" and how does it affect the image quality of my camcorder?

What is "pixel count" and how does it affect the image quality of my camcorder?

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...

One of the biggest buzz words I guess or one of the biggest technical terms these days in terms of buying a camcorder or even a still camera, is what's the pixel count. Is it a six mega pixel; is it an eight mega pixel? When it comes to video, pixel count isn't as important as you might think because we're not using pixels the same way you do when you buy a still. When you buy a five mega pixel video camera, you're not using all five mega pixels to produce a video image, even a high definition image is really only between one and a half to two mega pixels of information. So, what are those additional mega pixels used for? Well, they can be used for things like color temperature for your color balancing, for your white balancing. Or, really, they're used for the still capabilities of a still camera. So, you want the best image you can get, but don't always rely on just what the pixel count is to determine if that's what you're getting your best image from.