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Standard Definition vs. High Definition


clyde villegas

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Around here, broadcast is SD, TVs are SD, DVD players are SD. One could buy an LCD TV capable of HD but there's no HD video available at video rental shops. Aside from being prepared for the future of video, what advantage does an HDV camera has over an SD camera? If my videos are going to be viewed on SD players, is there still a reason for me to upgrade to HD? God bless.

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Around here, broadcast is SD, TVs are SD, DVD players are SD. One could buy an LCD TV capable of HD but there's no HD video available at video rental shops. Aside from being prepared for the future of video, what advantage does an HDV camera has over an SD camera? If my videos are going to be viewed on SD players, is there still a reason for me to upgrade to HD? God bless.

 

The biggest reason to switch is because others will just assume you offer HD when they hire you. Other than that, I agree with you.

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There really is no need for most people to buy HD equipment. About 14% of the country has a TV that can see it, but most outlets don't even broadcast in it and will not any time soon. Most of the people you hear on boards who talk about getting HD do so because they have an illusion that it will somehow make them more accepted as professionals. About the only people that need HD equipment are those that create programs for HD broadcast or realistically have options in the motion picture world. Outside of that, it's just status and fascination by most.

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There is still a virtue to oversampling. Just as 35mm looks sharper than 16mm when displayed on SD, downconverted HD can be an improvement over SD for SD display.

 

The problem is that the optics and chips of many prosumer cameras are barely up to the task of providing enough oversampling to make a visible difference. A broadcast SD camera and lens can often produce SD images that equal a prosumer HD image, when viewed in SD. And both will usually look better than the image of a prosumer SD camera that barely matches the display resolution. But step up to a professional HD camera and optics and you will start to notice the difference even on SD.

 

Of course it's a matter of degree, not to mention your skill in using the chosen format.

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Not necessarily, and especially not on a web video that one needs to compress substantially to make viable for download.

 

http://www.bluesky-web.com/sdhd.html

 

As I said, it's a matter of degree. And the question was about SD/DVD etc., not the web. In my other post about HD for the web I supported SD...

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As I said, it's a matter of degree. And the question was about SD/DVD etc., not the web. In my other post about HD for the web I supported SD...

 

Oh, I didn't read that right. I think I'm confusing another thread. I'll restate then. You will normally gain a slight visual advantage from shooting and editing in HD to standard def DVD depending on the quality of the edit system you use. But like Michael said, it will depend on a lot of things and even then it will not be night and day. In fact just trying to get the same quality DVD that you see in a commercial rental is impossible as these companies that dub use expensive stand-alone devices designed to make DVDs of far better quality than any current system you use at home could.

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  • 8 months later...

Well to some extent i must agree.

 

I think its most affordable to use SD cameras (Less expensive) and in your editing program, make sure you can filter the video for its crisp quality (if needed).

 

If someone asks you to shoot a HD video, always remind them that the quality of SD and HD are not huge. So its is cheaper to rent out an HD camera (if requested to shoot in HD) and use tapes suited for HD cameras.

 

peace

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About 14% of the country has a TV that can see it, but most outlets don't even broadcast in it and will not any time soon.

Per the FCC, there were 1427 digital stations on the air back in April. There are 1798 in all. The satellite and major cable companies have HD available (usually more $$).

 

http://www.fcc.gov/mb/video/files/dtvonair.html

 

Even in the New York DMA, where the major broadcasters lost their transmitters and personnel seven years ago today, all 23 are on the air in digital, 13 of them using their final post transition equipment.

 

http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Bu...OC-283818A1.txt

 

http://www.necrat.com/NYCTV.html

 

 

 

 

 

-- J.S.

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Oh, I didn't read that right. I think I'm confusing another thread. I'll restate then. You will normally gain a slight visual advantage from shooting and editing in HD to standard def DVD depending on the quality of the edit system you use. But like Michael said, it will depend on a lot of things and even then it will not be night and day. In fact just trying to get the same quality DVD that you see in a commercial rental is impossible as these companies that dub use expensive stand-alone devices designed to make DVDs of far better quality than any current system you use at home could.

 

Walter, by your definition, shooting 35mm for SD broadcast is a complete waste of time then. Surely, future-proofing and using the best format that you can reasonably afford is not unreasonable.

 

I think that we as an industry all have a compulsion, fascination being milder but less accurate, to control the world, capture it, and originally the two urges were to shoot as much as you could or shoot the highest resolution that you could. Now there's a further trend to manipulate your image or adjust it to make it look as "good" as you can.

 

It's an impulse that draws all of the moths to the flame. The flame or the type of flame isn't the problem, the inability to control the impulse is.

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There is something to be said, especially at this stage, of "Future Proofing". I know that something will come along in ten years (or so) superior to HD, but the projects I'm working on now (for Ad Agencies) are REQUIRED that I shoot in HD even for web content because eventually they'll need to upgrade things here or there.

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Around here, broadcast is SD, TVs are SD, DVD players are SD. One could buy an LCD TV capable of HD but there's no HD video available at video rental shops. Aside from being prepared for the future of video, what advantage does an HDV camera has over an SD camera? If my videos are going to be viewed on SD players, is there still a reason for me to upgrade to HD? God bless.

 

 

 

Love your 8mm stills! I'm starting Academy of art U in San Francisco in June. S8mm part of my program. Thanks for sharing!!!

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Hello All, Similar problems over here in 'Blighty' (England). "Not necessarily, and especially not on a web video that one needs to compress substantially to make viable for download" actually means you need to record in the best resolution you possibly can so that compression does least damage.

However I think the problem is really the same as when I was using 'professional' SVHS cameras & capturing via a superb analogue/digital converter. The finished product was indistinguishable from a digitally recorded product. But when a client asked "are you using digital cameras?" & you answered no, they did not listen any further & someone else got the job. Despite that problem I am not dashing out to get an HD camera & definitely not an HDV camera. Once the HD/HDV confusion clears & HD cameras are at a price I may be able to afford then it may be worth the change. I agree there are too many people that use the line "I must be good, look at the camera I am using". When I was shooting on SVHS cameras I thought of putting a label on the cameras saying the same line. Only I was meaning for it to be humorous by the inverted reference to the camera. My wife talked me out of the labelling!

As a side note I think your new president is going to be good for us all.

Best wishes, Albert.

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