Super 16

[Pavan Deep]

The BBC has increased it's programmes on their i-player and one of the shows they have put on is Spooks which ran from 2002-2011 [I think]. After watching it I can see why Super 16 has become popular again,, the entire series was shot on Super 16, I’m not sure if it was post-produced in SD or HD, it’s a lot grainier than I remember it, but when I originally watched it in the early 2000’s I didn’t have a huge 4k television, some like me like grain, others hate grain, grain is very subjective. I recall that this was the show that the BBC used in autumn 2005 when they announced BBC HD. Spooks was used to showcase how good HD was going to be, at the same time the BBC also said that Super 16 wasn’t suited to HD, but they didn't like to mention that the show that looked amazing in HD was actually shot on Super 16 the very format they were 'retiring' saying was not good enough for HD. Watching Spooks now, I feel the photography is still excellent, it’s fresh and holds up really very well, it doesn’t look tired, dated or aged.

Pav

[Phil Connolly]

It's a great series, I really liked Sue Gibson BSc's work on the series. They apparently used the Aaton Minima at lot on the early series.

First seasons would have been post produced in SD. But PAL SD can look pretty good. HD was very rare on UK Drama productions in the early 2000's. The flagship Doctor Who didn't go HD till 2009

[Jon O'Brien]

I've been thinking for a while now that better and better television images actually bodes well for the survival of film. Film looks so good on the latest television screens. Er, that is, for those who like the look, of course ?