Difference between 撮る and 記録する

Question

ドライブレコーダーにはカメラが付いていて、車の中から外の映像を撮ったり音を記録したりすることができます。
There's a camera attached to this drive-recorder and, from inside the car, it can do things like record pictures of the outside and record the sound.

I'm wondering why 音 needs its own verb here. Can I just say 外の映像と音を撮ったり? Can't 撮る be used for recording sound (I thought it could)?

記録する is a new word for me. Can I use this verb for recording pictures i.e. 映像を記録する? Would it have the same meaning as 映像を撮る?

Finally, I'm not totally comfortable with 映像. Is 映像を撮る ambiguous in that it could mean either to take a still photo, or to take a video (ignoring the context here where it presumably means take a video)?

Answer 1

I'm wondering why 音 needs its own verb here. Can I just say 外の映像と音を撮ったり? Can't 撮る be used for recording sound (I thought it could)?

I think you could say 外の映像や音を記録する*.
撮る (≂ 撮影する) is usually used for taking a (still) photo, or movie/video, but not recording sound (maybe 音を[録]{と}る instead?)

記録する is a new word for me. Can I use this verb for recording pictures i.e. 映像を記録する? Would it have the same meaning as 映像を撮る?

Yes, 映像を記録する sounds fine to me, and I think it means almost the same thing as 映像を撮る. (とる is a native Japanese word so it sounds a bit softer and less literary than 記録する/撮影する, which are Sino-loanwords.)

Finally, I'm not totally comfortable with 映像. Is 映像を撮る ambiguous in that it could mean either to take a still photo, or to take a video (ignoring the context here where it presumably means take a video)?

I think 映像 usually refers to movie or video (≂[動画]{どうが}), rather than (still) photo (I think ([静止]{せいし})[画像]{がぞう} is closer to "(still) photo/image"). So I'd interpret 映像を撮る as "taking a movie/video", not "taking a (still) photo".

_{*I think they said 車の中から外の映像を撮ったり音を記録したりすることができます probably because ドライブレコーダー can record the sound of both the inside and outside of a car. 車の中から外の映像や音を記録することができます would mean it can take a video and record the sound of the outside, which might sound like it cannot record the sound of the inside.}

Answer 2

In most case, "音を記録する" implies recording music(録音). "音を撮る" is a little bit strange expression. But it sounds like taking the sound of a volcano. You need to prepare a specific setting for taking the sound. It seems to me an expression of "音を撮る" fits in Music Video because you record music with a video camera. But I think for that case it normally is expressed as "Music Videoを 撮影する"。I think "撮る" fits in storing spatial information rather than storing quantized information.

"記録する" is usually used for recording something for official things. But It is not necessary for an official thing. If you think it is more important than a mere memo, you can use "記録する”. So, "映像を記録する" implies you feel that the video you take is somewhat important.

Edit 1:

I think "映像" normally doesn't refer to a still photo(静止写真） because a still photo itself is already complete, you are normally not able to modify it since it's already on a paper. I suppose "映像" usually refers to editable images which are not complete since you can edit it later.

Edit2:

I think 映像を撮ったり音を記録したり refers that you can change the resolution of pictures by the camera function of the drive recorder while it probably simply is able to record sound with only one format(you can't switch from one format(say Mp3) to other formats such as 256Mbps, 320Mbps and so on).