Recording
The "format" of a given recording is simply the shorthand term for the technical process of recording at a certain image quality. Examples include 480i, 1080i, and 720p. The technical merits of any particular format are beyond the scope of this course. In fact, sometimes beginners can get too infatuated with the technical specs of their equipment, and lose track of the basics of good production.
Nonetheless, a couple recording concepts are worth knowing--at least in a very general sense.
They are "compression" and "frame rate."
Compression:
Because video files are so big, engineers have found ways to put those files on a diet so they can be more easily stored, uploaded and used.. This is called "compression." The method of compression is referred to as a "codec." Codecs go by arcane names like MPEG-4, and H.264, and RS422.
Frame Rate
Movies and television do not actually show motion. Instead, they show a series of still images, which your eye interprets as motion. Studies show that if a viewer's eye sees at least 16 images per second in rapid succession, the viewer will perceive motion. For technical reasons, higher frame rates are used in modern television and movies. The most common are (approximately) 24 frames per second and 30 frames per second, abbreviated 24 fps and 30 fps.