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HDTV

HD refers to high definition television.

“High” in this context is set in contrast to standard definition television. Using standard definition NTSC as a benchmark, that system is engineered to produce a signal made up of 525 scan lines. It is important to note that not all of those lines deliver picture information which is available to the average viewer.

High definition television in the US is typically defined as being somewhere between 720 lines and 1080 lines. You can see that there is a bit of “wiggle room” in how “high” the number has to be before a format can be considered high def. Adding in other factors such as having an interlaced signal vs. a progressively scanned signal can lead to further confusion.

Suffice to say that true objectivity is sometimes hard to come by when one is trying to decide the “best” format on which to shoot a project.

Historical Overview :
Modern HDTV is about 25 years old having been first introduced by NHK in Japan in the early 1980s.The first regular broadcasts of high definition material in the United States began in the 1990s.

What It Is And What It Isn’t :

Video is not the same thing as film… even if we are talking about high definition video. Knowing that we can’t make a fair “apples to apples” comparison between the two,it is a generally accepted fact that 35mm film is superior to any video format . So why shoot video ?

The decision to go that route very often has to do with economics. The high definition cameras are less expensive to purchase or to rent. You do not have to be concerned about processing or transfer costs normally associated with film production. You can have instant playback to verify that you have a “keeper take.” Though some people would argue the point, most high definition shoots are done with lighter crews than film shoots. If you need to do “run and gun” type shooting,the high def cameras can be a good fit.

The Hardware :

All of the major equipment manufacturers have jumped onto the high definition bandwagon.
Many have even discontinued the production of standard definition gear. At the risk of oversimplification, it helps to break down cameras into two groups : the “big” cameras and the “little” cameras.

Some examples of big cameras include the Sony HDW F-900 and the Panasonic HDC- 27F. The nicknames of these cameras are the Cine Alta and the Varicam respectively. These cameras are in the $60-$100k range for purchase. They have 2/3” ccds, can accept professional lenses and record somewhere in the neighborhood of 100mbps.

The big claim to fame with the Cine Alta camera is that it was selected by George Lucas to shoot the latest installment of the Star Wars saga. Interestingly enough, the decision to shoot hi-def vs. film was based more on the graphics intensive nature of the project than the need to watch the bottom line. Perhaps because of the “Lucas Effect”,the F-900 tends to get more work on features and high end broadcast and corporate work. Panasonic devotees should not take umbrage because the HDC 27F is a wonderful camera too!

The big selling point with the Varicam is the ability to do “overcrank” or “undercrank” in the camera. Those terms are a bit of a misnomer since tape speed remains constant in the camera. Frames are “flagged” depending on whether you are looking for high or slow speed video. (Something other than normal speed.)

The camera makers have released or are about to release a new generation of high def cameras. Some examples of those will include the XDCAM HD line from Sony or the HDX-900 from Panasonic. Stay tuned for more info on those.

Some examples of the little cameras include the HVX-200 from Panasonic,the HVR-ZIU from Sony,the XL-H1 camera from Canon and the HD-100 from JVC. These cameras have smaller ccds. Lensing options are not quite as varied as those in the “big” camera world. These cameras retail for somewhere between $5k and $10k.

Having said that,all of the above cameras make fantastic pictures. The decision about which camera to go with will depend on your ultimate goal in terms of distribution and of course what your budget will allow for.

Summary:

High Definition video is not a fluke. It is here to stay. If you have not yet experienced HD, give us a call. We have a broad spectrum of products to fit every project and budget.