This month, we take a quick look at what is happening in the high-definition video business with a focus on content creation. We will also show you a new product from Inlet Technologies that lets you capture and encode Windows Media high-definition video in real time and in one step.
The first time people see HD video, they are amazed at the pretty pictures. But most consumers aren't amazed enough to make the sizeable investment in hardware, especially considering the scarcity of HD content. Slowly, however, the roadblocks that have made it difficult to mass-produce HD content and consumer products are being lifted. Efforts to establish a DVD format standard for HD, and technology breakthroughs in storage, processing, and compression will make it easier for everyone to get into HD in 2005. Whether you're a consumer product manufacturer or movie producer, now is the time to get the backstory on HD.
HD video formats are described using shortcut names, such as 720 30p and 1080i. The following describes the HD properties that make up a name:
Frame height (720, 1080) in pixels. Because the aspect ratio of an HD frame is 16:9, we know that the width of a 720 format is 1280, and the width of a 1080 format is 1920.
Scan type (p, i), referring to progressive and interlaced. Interlaced scanning is only available in 1080 formats.
Frame rate (24, 25, 30, 50, 60) if progressive, or field rate (50, 60) if interlaced, in number of frames or fields per second. The frame rate of NTSC formats is actually 0.1 percent lower than the number in the format name: 24 is actually 23.976 frames per second, 30 is 29.97 frames per second, and 60 is 59.94 fields per second.
HD standards support the following formats:
HD Video Formats
720 24p
1080 24p
720 25p
1080 25p
720 30p
1080 30p
720 50p
1080 50i
720 60p
1080 60i
For example, a 720 60p video uses progressive scanning, with a size of 1280 X 720 pixels, and a frame rate of 60.
Bill Birney
Bill has worked as writer, director, and producer on numerous film and video projects, as well as music composer, sound designer, and disc jockey. He's co-written several books for Microsoft, including the Windows Media Resource Kit, and is a regular contributor to the Knowledge Center.
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