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Editing HDV

by Adam wilt

In the last episode of Technical Difficulties, we looked at editing long-GOP MPEG-2: video compressed not one frame at a time, but in groups of pictures. Long-GOP compression requires an NLE to fetch and decode multiple frames to display or edit only one-a considerable complication.

I finished by saying, "I hope you now see why long-GOP formats are less than ideal for editing, and can understand why the Pinnacle Systems DC1000, brave as it was, didn't start a revolution. Still, HDV is long GOP, and folks want to edit it."

Guess what? The revolution is here. At NAB 2004, Pinnacle Systems (www.pinnaclesys.com) showed long-GOP MPEG-2 editing, including native HDV, incorporated in the Liquid NLEs, including Edition. When I experimented with it, I could scrub the timeline smoothly, almost effortlessly. As far as system responsiveness goes, I might as well have been editing DV, but the pictures displayed were long-GOP, high-definition HDV.

Several aspects of technology and the marketplace have converged to make Pinnacle Systems offer a long-GOP NLE again:

• Modern PCs are fast. They're so fast that they've got plenty of power to handle the user-interface aspects of nonlinear editing, and have enough left over to handle the hassle of fetching and decompressing long-GOP video in the background, with no perceptible impact on system responsiveness.
• Memory is plentiful. Today's NLEs often ship with half a gigabyte of memory or more. Reserving tens of megabytes of main memory for frame buffers makes a dent, but not a serious one.
• The Liquid editors have always been champs at multitasking. They've handled on-the-fly background rendering from the beginning, so the basic architecture for launching and coordinating background tasks is already present. Adding the programmatic equivalent of a hunchbacked assistant to run about, gathering GOPs from disk and decompressing pictures in anticipation of their display, is a relatively simple matter.
• The advent of the HDV format, with its potential to recapitulate DV's evolutionary success, provides the perfect impetus to develop long-GOP editing and bring it to market.

And, of course, once the work is done for HDV, it can be exploited for higher bitrates, too. Pinnacle Systems calls this PracticalHD-the ability to handle HD at a variety of bitrates with enough quality to make it worthwhile, yet enough compression to make it easy to deal with.

To be fair, Pinnacle Systems isn't the first to edit long-GOP HDV in its native format. KDDI's MPEG Edit Studio Pro LE (www.kddlabs.co.jp/eng/index.html), shipped with the current JVC HDV camcorders, and Ulead Media Studio Pro 7 with the Ulead HD plug-in (www.ulead.com/msp/plugin.htm) are both able to edit long-GOP HDV.

Pinnacle Systems won't be the last company, either. The A Team is hard at work: Adobe is working to bring HDV-native capability to Premiere Pro; Avid announced at NAB that future versions of Xpress Pro, NewsCutter XP, Media Composer Adrenaline, and NewsCutter Adrenaline FX systems will handle HDV in its native form; and after its NAB press conference introducing Final Cut Pro HD with DVCPROHD over FireWire, Apple's name quietly appeared on the supporters' list on the HDV Format Web site (www.hdv-info.org). Sony Pictures Vegas also expects to be HDV native in a few months. These are the obvious suspects; undoubtedly others are working on native HDV NLEs.

Editing HDV in its native form has all of the benefits (and drawbacks) of editing DV in its native form. I should probably define what I mean by "native HDV editing" before muddying the waters further.

HDV at a glance

HDV is a specification for recording 16:9 HDTV on DV cassettes. The format's main specifications call for both 720p and 1080i recording, with a 4:2:0 sampling structure: Chroma has half the resolution horizontally and vertically as luma does, just as it does in DVD, digital television transmission, and 625/50 DV and DVCAM. Long-GOP MPEG-2 is used to squash HD down to a bitrate suitable for DV tape recording.

In 720p (720 line, progressive scan), 25, 30, 50, and 60 frames per second can be recorded. The luma information is sampled at 1280 pixels across by 720 down-which gives it a higher raw sampling resolution than 720p DVCPRO HD-and the video is recorded to tape as an MPEG-2 transport stream (TS) at around 19 Mbps.

In 1080i (1080 line, interlaced), 50 and 60 field-per-second video is supported, sampled at 1440 x 1080-the same luma subsampling used in HDCAM. It's recorded as a 25 Mbps MPEG-2 packetized elementary stream (PES).

Audio in either case is two channels of 16-bit 48 kHz sound, compressed to 384 Kbps, using the MPEG-1 Layer 2 specification so that it takes up one-quarter of the space of uncompressed audio.

Going native

Both 720p and 1080i recordings are available as transport streams over IEEE 1394, aka FireWire. As with DV, FireWire allows a bit-for-bit copy of audio and video between tape and NLE, a lossless, low-cost means of transfer.

HDV-native NLEs may choose to store transport streams as is, or to demultiplex them into elementary audio and video streams for editing. I consider both methods to be "HDV native" because the audio and video data remain in their original, compressed formats in either case, with no generation loss in the capture process.

Figure 1 - Single- and multigeneration HDV-native editing is almost the same as working with DV.

With FireWire transfer and HDV-native editing, your workflow is almost identical to working with DV over FireWire. The data rate is low enough to make capture on single disks, including laptop drives, feasible. Plug in the camera, capture material from it, edit, and print back to tape (to HDV or to D-VHS). With most NLEs, the material is decompressed once (actually, each time a frame is displayed or processed) and recompressed once (after all of the effects on the timeline have been applied), so your finished program is only one generation removed from the camera original.

If your target is Windows Media 9, H.264 (the MPEG-4 Advanced Video Codec), SD DVD, Fisher-Price Pixelvision, or any other format, the same scenario applies. The video is captured in its native format over FireWire, decompressed once in the timeline, and recompressed to your target format, as shown in the upper half of Figure 1.

This workflow has been proven with DV25. At 19 or 25 Mbps, HDV is as meek and tractable as DV for desktop-or laptop-editing.

It also has the drawbacks of DV-native editing. As with DV, the MPEG-2 compression used in HDV is lossy; you want to minimize the number of compression cycles or generations your pictures go through. If you simply capture the video, edit it in a single application, and output to your final mastering format, it's fine-but there are times when it's not good enough.

Better than native?

Some NLEs allow "prerenders" or "precomputes" of portions of the timeline, speeding up future operations. Instead of rendering a complex effect from scratch every time, these NLEs keep intermediate render files around and simply composite new information atop them.

Similarly, some projects require video to be bounced between an editing program and a compositing app like Adobe After Effects or Discreet combustion. In both cases, any given frame may pass through several generations of decompression and recompression. Keeping your material in HDV's highly compressed MPEG-2 can lead to a nasty buildup of compression artifacts and generational losses (Figure 1, lower half).

In such cases, it makes more sense to move video around in a less-compressed state. Although you can go out today and buy NLEs that capture and store HD in its full, uncompressed state, the high data rate and the stack of RAIDed hard disks required to record it make such NLEs both costly and intimidating.

Figure 2 - Using a low-loss editing format instead of editing native HDV reduces multigeneration compression losses.

What if you had a system that transcoded HDV as it came in over FireWire into a higher-bitrate, but still compressed, format designed to be virtually lossless in the editing process? CineForm (www.cineform.com) offers a "Visually Perfect" CFHD codec in bundles for both Adobe Premiere and Sony Pictures Vegas (and it's compatible with any AVI-based Windows program). The CFHD codec-and, in Premiere Pro, the Carlsbad rendering engine built around it-is designed for optimal HD editing on Pentium 4 CPUs. Its data rate is low enough to be tractable on single drives and small RAIDs, yet high enough to avoid noticeable generational losses. The codec exploits the P4's SSE instruction set for rapid processing; CineForm says that a 2.8 GHz P4 can handle four streams of 720p CFHD video in realtime.

Once your editing and effects are finished, you can recompress to HDV's MPEG-2 or to WM9, H.264, etc., just as in the HDV-native case, but the CFHD codec allows you to bounce among applications without incurring the compression losses that native HDV would. CFHD isn't a final or distribution codec; it's strictly designed to be used during the editing process (Figure 2).

Proxy editing

You can also edit HDV (at least on Final Cut Pro) by proxy. In proxy editing, you capture HDV, then convert the material into proxy clips using a codec more suitable for editing, such as SD DV, or SD or HD OfflineRT (Photo-JPEG based). You edit your show with the lower-resolution proxy clips, taking advantage of Final Cut Pro's realtime capabilities with the more friendly format, then conform or online your finished program from the original material.

Proxy editing tools include Heuris Pro Indie HD Toolkit (www.heuris.com), Lumiere HD (www.lumierehd.com), and Steve Mullen's HDpartner Pro (www.mindspring.com/~d-v-c). They use separate programs running outside of the NLE to capture HDV material, demultiplex the MPEG-2 transport streams into separate audio and video files, convert the compressed audio into uncompressed AIFF, and transcode the MPEG-2 video to the proxy format.

After you edit your show, you relink your clips to the original media and render, typically to an uncompressed file. You then feed that fat file into a separate compression utility to squeeze it back down to a long-GOP MPEG-2 transport stream ready for export to HDV or D-VHS, or export to a variety of formats using Apple Compressor, Discreet Cleaner, Sorenson Squeeze, or other compression utilities.

Of course, you can also render an SD timeline, taking advantage of high-resolution HDV acquisition to give you a richly detailed picture thanks to the benefits of supersampling. Many HDV users today are making SD DV and DVD masters; in such workflows, simply choosing DV or uncompressed SD as your proxy format lets you benefit from HD imaging while keeping the rest of your editing workflow and final delivery in the same SD formats you're already used to.

An embarrassment of riches? Perhaps, and there's more in the works. Most HDV applications don't have batch-recapture capability yet, for example. But the breadth of choices hints at the tsunami to come. Poke around the Web sites; maybe edit an exploratory project or two. That way, when the wave hits, you'll be ready to ride it.

Streams?

Transport stream? Packetized elementary stream? To make a long story less long, a transport stream (TS) is analogous to a QuickTime or AVI wrapper containing video and audio data.

A packetized elementary stream (PES) is a "raw" stream of compressed video or audio data (actually, a TS is more like an MXF wrapper than QuickTime or AVI, though it isn't that much like any of 'em, but let's split one hair at a time). There's also the program stream (PS), which is much like a TS, but designed for comparatively error-free environments instead of the hurly-burly of long-distance transmission, and better optimized for editing purposes; however, HDV doesn't use program streams. Confused yet? No worries-regardless of the stream type, the data is the same: long-GOP MPEG-2 video.

Adam Wilt (www.adamwilt.com) still resides in an SD world, but looks forward to affordable HD.

Copyright 2003, CMP Media LLC

HDV Introduction

By Steve Mullen

A few days before the opening of IBC 2004 in Amsterdam, Sony announced its new HDV camcorder, the HDR-FX1 (MSRP of $3700). Then in mid-November, the Sony Business Solutions & Systems group announced the HVR-Z1 with an MSRP of $5,946. The FX1 began shipping in November, while the Z1 will ship in February 2005.

I will focus here on the eight features that have the most relevance for professional shooters.

1.     There will be two versions of the FX1. One for "Region 60" (FX1) that will support 1080i60 (1080i59.94) plus 4:3 and 16:9 NTSC DV. The other for "Region 50" that will support 1080i50 (1080i50.00) plus 4:3 and 16:9 PAL DV. While I do not typically concern myself with Region 50 equipment, the Sony HDV camcorder will be an exception because it can easily be used to shoot video for transfer to film.

Stereo audio and 1080i video will be encoded using a long GOP (12 GOP in 1080i50 and 15 frames in 1080i60) MPEG-2 and MPEG-1 Layer 2, respectively. The 25Mbps encoder output will be recorded as PES (Packetized Elementary Stream) data. The PES data structure is different from the Transport Stream structure recorded by the JVC HDV camcorders and D-VHS decks. However, upon i.LINK outputÑPES is converted to TS. Likewise, TS is accepted by the i.LINK port for recording. ItÕs likely a Copy Protect flag is required within the TS bit-stream to enable an FX1 to recording HDV. Without the flag, no recording can occur.

My HDVideoSplicer and HDpartner Prime utilities have already been enhanced to support both 1080i50 and 1080i60. Please click to: www.mindspring.com/~d-v-c

It is not yet clear if the FX1Õs i.LINK output will be able to be directly recorded to D-VHS. Sony has already acknowledged the FX1 is will not be compatible with Blu-ray DVD recorders. SonyÕs Masashi Imamura stated, ÒI, personally, definitely want to realize the ability to record HDV on Blu-ray. We are working hard towards this but there are many copyright issues and many technical issues, but I think we can come to a resolution at some point in the near future.Ó

2.     The HDR-FX1 has an F1.6 to 2.8, Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* (anti-reflecting coating) lens that accepts 72mm filters. The 12X zoom covers a range of f = 4.5 to 54.0mm (35mm equivalent: f = 32.5 to 390mm.) You can zoom by variable servo control, a lever, and a non-perpetual zoom ring. A built-in ND has two settings: 1/6 and 1/32.

3.     Sony developed a new 1/3-inch, Super HAD, CCD for their HDV camcorders. Each CCD has 1,012 (horizontal) by 1,111 (vertical) elements (1,120,000 pixels) that provide an effective pixel count of 1,070,000 pixels (972 (horizontal) by 1,100 (vertical). Vertical smear level is rated at a very low Ð107dB. Each element has a 2:1 rectangular, rather than square, aspect ratio.

This aspect ratio explains how Sony can work with an image that is 960 pixels wide by 1080 pixels high. To obtain an image aspect ratio of 16:9, the pixels from these CCDs could not be square. One ninth of 1080 is 120 which when multiplied by 16 indicates that there should be 1920 pixels in each row. By making each pixel twice as wide, only 960 elements are required.

While double-width CCD elements might partially account for the FX1's light sensitivity value of 3 Lux (obtained with gain at +18dB) the real player may be SonyÕs use of micro-lens CCDs. Each CCD element has a tiny lens that gathers light and focuses it on the center of the CCD. (Which implies the extra width of each element, on either side of the centered lens, does not play a big role in increasing light sensitivity.) See Diagram 1, from the Sony Japan website.

Diagram 1: Micro Lens on Each CCD Element

Both the JVC "HD-1" and Sony's "HD-2" HDV definitions utilize MainProfile@High1440 (MP@H-14) MPEG-2. This format accepts a vertical pixel count of up to 1080 and a horizontal pixel count of up to 1440. JVC works with 720 by 1280 while Sony works with 1080 byÑ960? That's certainly not what I expected. In my Future of HDVÑPart 2 for Video systems magazine, I stated "it is customary to use CCD's that have at least the number of column as the maximum number of columns supported by the video format." I certainly expected a CCD element count of at least 1440 pixels. What happened? It turns out Sony is using a technology that can provide 1440 pixels from CCDs with only 960 elements.

By offsetting the green CCD one-half element spacing from the red and blue CCDs, a source of additional luminance information is created. By combining output from all three CCDs, horizontal resolution is increased by up to 150-percent. And, indeed when 960 is multiplied by 1.5, the result is 1440. This how Sony obtains a 1440x1080 pixel luminance image that is encoded as ML@MP-14 MPEG-2. Naturally, that leads to the question of how "real" is the extra resolution obtained by using Òpixel offsetÓ technology.

The simple answer is that when resolution tests are performed, the horizontal resolution will be that expected from a 1440 element wide CCD. (I would guesstimate about 1,000 TV-lines.) The complex answer is that with pixel offset technology the effective horizontal resolution is a function of the colors, the color patterns, and the motion, of objects in a scene. To demonstrate this variability I created multiple diagrams that show effective horizontal resolution of a very imaginary sceneÑa picket fence that is imaged by the a tiny 8 element portion of the CCDs. While not at all mathematically accurate, they do represent how resolution changes by the color the fence is painted. If you look closely at the top row of each diagram, youÕll see a grayscale pattern that is a representation of the fence. Your eyes should be able to see differences in the clarity of the fence pattern. You will note that, as expected, the highest resolution is from a black and white fence. This is why test patterns will indicate full horizontal resolution.

The 4:2:0 chroma data are obtained from sub-sampled chroma information from the three CCDs. The two color components (Y-R) and (Y-B) are obtained from (G-R) and (G-B), respectively. ItÕs not yet clear if the offset green component has any effect on chroma definition. Likely, it does not because MPEG-2 chroma resolution at 4:2:0 is not that highÑa potential limitation on the use of chroma keys.

Conversion of the three signals from the CCDs is accomplished by a 14-bit A/D. The digital data are then processed by a 14-bit DXP. The wide word-length converters and DXP will hopefully prevent highlights from blowing-out. The DXP also supports gain settings of 0, +3, +6, +9, +12, +15, and +18dB. Shutter-speeds range from 1/4 second to 1/10,000 second. The ITU Rec. 709 HD colorspace is employed by the HDR-FX1.

Sony has developed a set of four LSI chips that handle the processing chores. These include: a Base-band signal processor (2,000,000 transistors with an 18Mbit DRAM), the HD-MPEG Video Encoder (1,500,000 transistors), an HD-MPEG Video Decoder (700,000 transistors), and an HDV Streaming Processor (1,200,000 transistors). The MPEG Video Decoder also decodes 720p30 so you should be able to play tapes from current JVC camcorders on the HDR-FX1. The 720p30 will be output as 720p60.

4.     Two-channel audio can be obtained from the built in stereo mic or via a 1/8-inch mini-jack. An audio level control adjusts the level for both channels simultaneously. While some will object to this limitation, the HVR-Z1 version does have dual audio level controls. The Z1 also has dual XLR connections. (IBC photograph courtesy of Filip Vandoorne.)

5.     DV audio is carried as PCM data while HDV audio is carried as MPEG-1 Layer 2 data (MP2). This precursor to MP3 is, like MP3, a ÒperceptualÓ encoding system that discards audio information that DSP computations indicate will be masked by other audio information. In short, it is a lossy encoding system that may not meet field-recording requirements.

6.     The FX1 offers a CinemaTone mode. A linear gamma is often available on camcorders designed to shoot Òvideo for film.Ó The linear CCD signal is matched to the linear (B-to-C) portion of film gamma (see Diagram 9).

Diagram 9:  Film Gamma

The FX1 offers a single CinemaTone mode where the gamma curve (pink in the diagram below) gracefully prevents highlights from exceeding about 100IREÑthereby preventing the total loss of highlight detail when portions of the image are too bright. This function simulates increased light latitude expected from film. The portion of the gamma curve below 80IRE is relatively linear compared to the ÒnormalÓ (gray) concave "video" gamma curve. This slightly crushes blacks thereby decreasing shadow detail. Doing so can increase the richness of colors.

The HVR-Z1 offers two gamma settings: Gamma 1Ñthe gamma curve (pink) gracefully prevents highlights from exceeding about 100IRE. Gamma 2Ñin addition to preventing blown highlights, black stretch (blue) is applied to prevent dark grays from being crushed into black.

7.     The FX1 employs "interlace scan dual-line" CCDs that add pairs of rows within the chipsÑthereby automatically outputting a field every 1/50^th or 1/60^th second. (The driving logic causes alternate fields to automatically contain only odd or even lines.) This type of CCD perfectly supports interlace scanning as it can read-out 540-lines every 1/50^th or 1/60^th second. Effective vertical resolution is approximately 850-lines. In CineFrame 30 (FX1/Z1) and CineFrame 25 (FX1e/Z1), smart deinterlacing is used to create video that has a temporal resolution of either 30fps or 25fps.

Diagram 10 shows how the deinterlacing of 1080i60 video. Red text indicates the five deinterlaced samples per five interlaced frames. Deinterlacing can be accomplished in several ways.

A simple technique is to measure the difference between the two fields in a frame. If there is little differenceÑhence, no motionÑthe frame is passed without change. Effective vertical resolution remains about 800-lines. When there is a differenceÑthe upper field is copied and replaces the lower field to create a new frame. In this case, effective vertical resolution is reduced to about 400-lines. When this technique is used, effective vertical resolution varies with the amount of motion. If there is motion in the image, resolution can be halved for the entire frame.

A better technique uses an intelligent deinterlace process. Motion is detected on a line-by-line basis. Areas with no motion will carry-forward all lines. Areas with movement, however, will carry-forward only information from one field. The result is a frame that has, in static parts, about 800-lines of vertical resolution without interlace artifacts. Objects in motion, however, will have only approximately 400-lines of effective vertical resolution.

Using more advanced technique, motion is detected on a pixel-by-pixel basis. Pixels, making up an object that has no motion, will be obtained from both fields. Pixels, making up an object that has motion, will be obtained from only one field. The result is a frame that has, in static parts, about 800-lines of vertical resolution without interlace artifacts. Objects in motion, however, will have only approximately 400-lines of effective vertical resolution.

A very intriguing possibility is that deinterlacing is done during MPEG-2 encoding. By measuring motion between fieldsÑusing the encoderÕs motion tracking logicÑthe following may occur:

I-frame: when "objects" do not move between fieldsÑboth even and odd lines within such objects are encoded thereby supplying them with full effective vertical resolution. When objects moveÑonly the even field is encoded so such objects have half the possible resolution.

P and B-frame: when "objects" do not move between fieldsÑthey simply are not encoded. When objects moveÑonly the even field is encoded so such objects have half the possible resolution.

The Table below shows how this could be done. Blue text indicates fields that are copies of even fields.

The result is that for moving objects, the samples are either 1/25^th or 1/30^th second apart exactly as they should be.

When CineFrame 30 is selected, you must a shutter-speed of either 1/30^th or 1/60^th.  You should not shoot in AUTO or use AE mode as the shutter-speed may rise above 1/60^th and cause excessive motion strobing. The FX1e and Z1 offer a CineFrame 25 mode that deinterlaces 1080i50 to provide 25fps video. CineFrame 25, using either a 1/25th or a 1/50th second shutter-speed, is ideal for shooting video that will be transferred to film. For both CineFrame 25 and CineFrame 30, when there is little motion within the frame, you can choose the faster of the two speeds. When there is motion, you should choose the slower speed to add motion blur.

While the downside of CineFrame 30 is reduced effective vertical resolution on moving objectsÑthe upside is an image with no interlace combing because the video, while not progressive, has no interlace artifacts. Although it is ideal for video that will be shown on computer screensÑit may not be ideal for shooting interlace material because of motion strobing. Some, of course, may feel the lower temporal resolution and moderate strobing creates an in-camera film look.

In theory, the eye will not notice the loss of resolution because moving objects are blurred anyway. However, it remains to seen how the deinterlacer handles diagonal-lines that are in motion. Typically, these lines take on a staircase look.

The FX1e and Z1 provide CineFrame 25 mode that deinterlaces 1080i50 to provide 25fps video. CineFrame 25, using a 1/50^th second shutter-speed, is ideal for shooting video that will be transferred to film.

8.     According to Sony USA, in CineFrame 24 mode, the camcorder uses DXP (i.e., DSP) to Òsynthesize a 24Hz temporal rate video from 1080i60.Ó According to Sony, the same intelligent deinterlacing employed in CineFrame 30, is used to create 1080 video with 30 frames-per-second. Then, according to Sony, 24fps is synthesized from the 30fps video. (Region 50 camcorders do not offer CineFrame 24.)

To record 24fps video to tape as 1080i60, pulldown must be applied. When 2:3:2:3 pulldown is applied to the 24 samples, 1080i60 video is generated. As shown in Diagram 11, 2:3:2:3 pulldown is applied to the 24 samples to generate 1080i60 video. (Six times each second, four samples are converted to five frames, yielding 30 frames.) By applying pulldown, 24fps video is carried as 1080i60 HDV video. With 2:3:2:3 pulldown, two judder frames (number 3 and number 4) are included within every five video frames.

Given the difficulty of converting 30fps to 24fps, it is possible that Sony has not yet fully disclosed how 24fps video is generated. (That may await a presentation at Sundance.) There are several alternate schemes that could be used:

a) The imaging system could be clocked at 48Hz, rather than 50Hz or 60Hz, yielding 1080i48 interlaced video. Then intelligent deinterlacing would be used to create 24 frames-per-second video that has no interlace artifacts. Once 24fps is obtained, 2:3:2:3 pull-down is applied. This would yield frames that are exactly 1/24^th second apart. However, were the Sony to use this method, the available shutter-speed should be either 1/48^th or 1/50^th second. It is not.

b) A very intriguing possibility is that deinterlacing, rate conversion, and 2:3:2:3 pulldown are done during MPEG-2 encoding. By measuring motion between fieldsÑusing the encoderÕs motion tracking logicÑthe following can occur:

I-frame: if "objects" do not move between fieldsÑboth even and odd lines within such objects are encoded thereby supplying these objects with full effective vertical resolution. When objects moveÑonly their odd field is encoded so such objects have half their possible resolution.

P and B-frame: if "objects" do not move between fieldsÑthey simply are not encoded. When objects moveÑonly their odd or even field are encoded so the objects have half their possible resolution. Fields are distributed via 2:3:2:3 pulldown in a way that results in moving objects having a frame-rate of 24fps. Naturally, the encoded video can be played on 1080i60 monitorsÑor down-converted to 480i or 480p. ws how this could be done.

Green text indicates fields that are copies of odd fields. Blue text indicates fields that are copies of even fields. Red text indicates judder (split) frames. The pattern of BPB above is repeated three additional times (plus a final B) in every 15-frame GOP (IBBPB BPB BPB BPB B-I).

By choosing fields from 60i interlace video that temporally match where 24fps would occurÑ60i video is converted to 24fps video. The period between samples that should be exactly 1/24^th second apartÑare not perfectly equally spaced in this implementation.

When CineFrame 24 is selected, you can must a shutter-speed 1/60^th. You should not shoot in AUTO or use AE mode as the shutter-speed may rise above 1/60^th and cause excessive strobing. (Unfortunately, the FX1 and Z1 do not offer the option of a 1/30^th shutter-speed option.)

The advantages of Sony's approach to 24fps video are twofold: light sensitivity is increased by 6dB (1 stop) while image noise is reduced compared to utilizing progressive scanning. It remains to be seen how the relatively high shutter-speed of 1/60^th second will affect shooting for film. Shooting CineFrame 25 has the advantage of a 1/50^th shutter-speed, which is very close to the typical film shutter-speed of 1/48^th second. While some may feel CineFrame 24 has a film look, the mode may best used with reverse 2:3:2:3 pulldown that can be used to recover 24 frames in each second of video.

In theory, the eye will not notice the loss of resolution because moving objects are blurred anyway. However, it remains to seen how the deinterlacer handles diagonal-lines that are in motion. Typically, these lines take on a staircase look.

Diagram 12 shows how Reverse 2:3:2:3 pulldown can be applied to CineFrame 24 video. Clearly, the four samples can be recovered.

9.     One of the most important features of the HDR-FX1 is its 3.5-inch, widescreen color LCD that has 250,800 pixels. The color LCD viewfinder has 252,000 pixels. To aid focusing, you can push a button and the LCD resolution is zoomed by a factor of four. Very clever.

Although the HDR-FX1 looks quite large, it weighs only 2kg (4.4 pounds) Ñwithout battery and tape. Analog component output, i.LINK, and a LANC port are some of the connections supported by the FX1. Although a 720p30 tape can be played and output via component analogÑthe 720p30 Transport Stream cannot be output by the FX1Õs i.LINK port.

Three batteries are available: an NP-F570 provides 65 minutes of recording time in both HDV and DV mode; an NP-F770 provides 130 minutes of recording time in HDV mode and 240 minutes of recording time in DV mode. The NP-F970 provides a maximum of 205 minutes of recording in HDV mode and 215 minutes of recording time in DV mode.

The FX1 not only looks to be an accomplished DV camcorder, it offers "over-sampled" NTSC video. Moreover, the Z1 offers the unique ability to shoot NTSC and PAL DV plus 1080i60 and 1080i50. In fact, Sony notes there are over forty enhancements provided by the HVR-Z1.

Without doubt, the HDR-FX1 and HVR-Z1 will be the camcorder of 2005. It will initiate the rapid move to HD the way the Sony VX1000 drove the move from analog to digital.

A Smooth HDV Workflow for iMovie / Final Cut Pro HD

an article by Frederic Haubrich Frederic

Last night I was playing with the new iMovie 5 ($79, free on new Macs) and figured out a very nice HDV workflow for Mac users. First of all, it is important to mention that when installing the new iMovie, the Apple Intermediate Codec shows up in the QuickTime codec list. This portion is key to this solution. Here's the workflow:

1. Capture a whole HDV (1080i or 720p) tape in iMovie. Features scene detection, capture, demux and auto encode to the Apple Intermediate Codec. Audio sync is perfect because it isn't using the buggy MPEG2 QuickTime Component.
2. Show package content and move the media to a dedicated FCP folder. CTRL-Click on the iMovie project file and all your captured clips will reside in the media folder in the Apple Intermediate Codec (AIC).
3. Import all the mov (Apple Intermediate Codec) into FCP. You can simply import the AIC movs in FCP HD. They will play in realtime in full resolution (720p or 1080i). You will get a warning that the clips aren't optimized for FCP HD, ignore it for now.
4. Setup a sequence using the appropriate Apple Intermediate Codec format (1080i or 720p). It is important to setup a proper sequence in FCP HD that matches the HDV specs. Clicking on 'Advance' for the compressor will allow you to set the codec to 720p or 1080i or other (more coming soon...)
5. Edit in realtime in FCP full res HD. At this point, you can edit your clips in full res and realtime. Even FX are realtime! It is a bit buggy but if you preferred the proxy approach you could always use media manager to make a DV or DVCPRO HD version of your project for true realtime.
6. Output timeline to Apple Intermediate Codec. Finsihed editing in realtime... simply render your timeline to the AIC in the proper resolution.
7. Import the final render in iMovie. Import that AIC file into iMovie. As long as it is the AIC, it'll import fine.
8. Output the imported final render from iMovie to the HDV camera (1080i or 720p). Send it back to the camera (Sony or JVC) in full HDV resolution. The AIC HDV 720p is 4.0 MB/sec (1:24:21 clip = 343.4 MB), which is not bad at all.

The m2ts and m2vs files are automatically deleted. That's it, a perfectly workable HDV workflow for Mac users. Not very much unlike the Cineform approach to HDV for PC users.

SONY PROFESSIONAL HDV SYSTEM Pro 1080 Camcorder and VTR, Advanced Professional Media Combine with Broad NLE Software Compatibility to Create Entry-Level HD Production Workflow PARK RIDGE, N.J., Nov. 10, 2004 - Sony is expanding its line of professional video options with the introduction of a complete high-definition video production system.

The new HVR-Z1U camcorder and HVR-M10U VTR form the core of an entry-level HD acquisition and playback solution, designed to provide video professionals with a flexible and affordable migration from standard definition infrastructures to the rapidly expanding world of HD. "High definition capabilities are becoming a necessity rather than an option at every level of the production chain," said Bob Ott, vice president of professional audio and video products in Sony Electronics' Broadcast and Production Systems Division. "But not everyone is ready to adapt at the same pace, for any number of reasons. The key to our HDV system is versatility and backwards compatibility with existing DVCAMª standard definition equipment. Users can upgrade from SD to HD all at once, or they can do it when it makes the most sense for their operations and budgets."

The HVR-Z1U HDV 1080 camcorder can record HDV, DVCAM and DV images at 60i, 50i, 30, 25 or 24 frames per second, in either SD or HD. This switchable 60/50 capability allows videographers to use just one camcorder to meet an array of client needs. The new camcorder uses three Super HADª, 1/3-inch, 16:9 native CCDs. Combined with a 12X Optical Zoom Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar¨ T* Lens and Sony's new 14 bit A/D with Digital Extended Processor (DXP), the HVR-Z1U's advanced design allows more light to reach each pixel in the imager, improving the signal-to-noise ratio and sensitivity. In addition to high-quality image capabilities, the HVR-Z1U includes a complete inventory of features and capabilities that make the camcorder a truly professional production tool. Key features include: * CineFrameª and CinemaToneª functions for "cinema like" recordings (25F/30F/24F) * Hyper Gain * Manual Iris Control w/24 steps * SMPTE timecode with user presets * Color Correction * Built-in HD to SD down conversion playback * Balanced Audio XLR input connectors (x2) w/Selectable Phantom Power * Simultaneous use of viewfinder and LCD display (selectable)

The HVR-M10U model is a lightweight, compact HDV 1080 VTR capable of record and play back of HDV 1080, DVCAM, and DV SP, as well as playback of video recorded in 720/30P. In addition to allowing backward compatibility to the standard definition DV world, the 1080 recorded image can also be down-converted to SD output mode directly from the VTR or camcorder in the digital or analog domain. Professional Media Optimized for HDV Applications Designed in conjunction with the new camcorder and VTR is Sony's recommended professional media for HDV applications, DigitalMasterª videotape. These 63-minute cassettes use Sony's AME II Technology and its unique dual-active magnetic layers. By improving on an already successful product, the new AME II manufacturing process employs Hyper Evaticle IV magnetic grains, improved lubricants, and a refined Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) layer. DigitalMaster exhibits greater packing density of magnetic grains, higher retentivity, higher output and lower noise. The result is a more robust tape with fewer dropouts and errors.

A critical aspect of any professional video production is compatibility with an array of non-linear editing solutions. Sony's HDV production system can achieve interoperability with editing software from Adobe, Apple, Avid, Canopus, Pinnacle, Ulead, and Sobey, as well as Sony's own Vegas¨ 5 software, which can fully handle 1080 HDV signals. "For Sony, a professional line of HDV solutions is much more than a new product introduction," said Ott. "It's about introducing a completely new way of recording, editing, and displaying the highest-quality images possible. Video professionals have a unique set of needs, so it makes sense they should have a unique set of tools at their disposal. Sony offers all the keys to an HDV production workflow with acquisition, a VTR, NLE software and the finest displays in our BVM and LUMAª Series of LCD monitors." The HVR-Z1U and the HVR-M10U are planned to be available in February, for about $4,900 and $3,700, respectively. # # # Editor's Note: For more detailed product information, your readers can visit www.sony.com/professional.

SONY HDV TECHNOLOGY HANDBOOK

worryfreedigitalª video ....................................................................

Toward worryfreedigitalª High Definition video...............................

Arrival of the HDVª Standard..........................................................

HDV Advantages...............................................................................

HDV Specifications ...........................................................................

HDV Compression.............................................................................

HDV Recording .................................................................................

HDV Playback ...................................................................................

Questions and Answers....................................................................

Appendix 1: Advantages of HDTV....................................................

Appendix 2: HDTV as a Global Movement.......................................

Appendix 3: Glossary........................................................................

HDV TECHNOLOGY HANDBOOK

Moments worth recording on video take place at any time, which is precisely why Sony¨ Handycam¨ camcorders feature worryfreedigital video. It's never been easier to immortalize your memories in stunning sight, sound and motion. Intuitive controls, compact design, unparalleled resolution and amazing innovations seamlessly work together, allowing you to simply capture life as it happens. worryfreedigital video makes moviemaking fun again. It's technology Like No Other for camcorders Like No Otherª. Toward worryfreedigitalª High Definition video Now Sony is poised to extend the worryfreedigital concept to High Definition moviemaking. Imagine all the benefits of Sony Handycam¨ camcorders together with all the amazing resolution of High Definition. Such a combination is made possible by a new videocassette recording standard, called HDVª. Arrival of the HDV Standard High Definition Television (HDTV) means viewing that's far more real and compelling than any previous broadcast system. HDTV means greater detail that you can enjoy on a bigger television screen. HDTV means more beautiful, more vivid color. And HDTV means the superlative accuracy of digital pictures accompanied by digital surround sound. It's no wonder that countries all over the world are adopting HDTV standards.

As HDTV becomes accepted in country after country, it is also becoming available through more and more delivery pipelines: Over-the-air (terrestrial) HDTV broadcasting is bringing the benefits of High Definition to hundreds of millions of potential viewers. HDTV satellite broadcasting is helping to speed the acceptance of High Definition. ? HDTV cable service can provide a rich range of programming. ? HDTV personal video recorders (PVRs) let you capture HD programming on a hard disk drive for playback at a later time.

HD Blu-ray Disc¨ (BD) recorders enable you to build your own, personal library of High Definition content. worryfreedigitalª video

As the home entertainment system increasingly makes the move to High Definition, the next stage will be HD personal content creation, with the consumer HD camcorder. That's the idea behind the HDVª standard. On September 30, 2003, the HDV standard was finalized and agreed upon by four companies: Canon Inc., Sharp Corporation, Sony Corporation, and the Victor Company of Japan, Limited. The agreement has tremendous implications for consumers the world over. Thanks to HDV, you can capture weddings, birthdays and family vacations with the exceptional clarity and impact of High Definition. Thanks to HDV, your memories are more vivid, more detailed and more like life itself. Thanks to HDV, your home videos are better suited to playback on big-screen television. And thanks to HDV, home video achieves an entirely new level of quality. The conversion to High Definition touches the entire A/V environment. HDV camcorders represent the conversion of personal content to High Definition.

The HDVª standard enables consumers to record superb, High Definition imagery onto DV tape. In this way, HDV camcorders leverage the broad availability of DV recording mediaÑand the considerable development costs already devoted to DV recording mechanisms. This makes HDV a practical, affordable alternative for real-world home video. 1. Personal memories in High Definition At last, the spectacular picture quality of High Definition is no longer limited to Hollywood and the broadcasting professionals. Thanks to HDV, you can capture the memories of your life with the gorgeous resolution, lifelike color and vivid contrast of digital High Definition at 1080i and 720p. 2. Digital picture quality While analog video recording exposes the picture to noise and distortion, digital video recording maintains low noise, high accuracy and incredibly rich, vivid color.

In addition, component digital recording with separate channels for Y (luminance), B-Y (blue color difference) and R-Y (red color difference) makes for a wider range of recorded colors. 3. 16:9 widescreen recording HDV captures images in the same 16:9 widescreen format that is used for High Definition television. Because this widescreen image is a better match for the human field of vision, it results in a more lifelike, more immersive experienceÑcloser to the feeling of "being there." 4. Digital sound quality The HDV format sound tracks use MPEG-1 Audio Layer II digital encoding. In this way, home videos approach the sound quality Compact Disc, at far lower bitrates.

Affordable DV tapes HDV uses exactly the same cassette tapes that are already popular for DV recording. Even the recording time is the same. In addition, the tape transport and head drum are identical to those used in current DV recording systems. 6. MPEG-2 compression HDV uses the same MPEG-2 compression that is already used for digital broadcasts and DVDs. The MPEG-2 system is so widely used because it employs "interframe" compression in addition to the "intraframe" compression employed in DV recording.

Using both compression technologies enables HDV to achieve a superb High Definition picture at the same bitrates as Standard Definition DV. While MPEG decoding appears in a wide range of consumer products, including all DVD players, MPEG encoding had been too complex for consumer products until recently. Advances in large-scale integrated circuits (LSIs) and signal processing technology have now made High Definition MPEG encoding available for consumer products like HDV camcorders. 7. Powerful error correction Compared to DV, HDV uses higher compression ratios. This makes HDV more susceptible to visual impairment when recorded data is missing during playback. For this reason, the HDV format incorporates greater error correction redundancy and more robust error correction methods. While the DV correction method operates only within recorded tracks, the HDV method operates among multiple tracks. The result is a dramatic improvement in error correction. Even when data is lost, the HDV picture can continue to look sensational. 8. Both 720p and 1080i recording For added flexibility, the HDV standard embraces two types of High Definition recording. The 1080-line interlace scan (1080i) recording takes advantage of 1440 horizontal pixels per line (1440 x 1080). The 720-line progressive scan (720p) recording incorporates 1280 horizontal pixels per scanning line (1280 x 720).

DV HDV (720p) HDV (1080i) Media DV tape Video Signal 576/50i (PAL) 720/25p, 720/50p, 1080/50i, 1080/60i 480/60i (NTSC) 720/30p, 720/60p Number of Pixels 720 x 576 (PAL) 1280 x 720 1440 x 1080 720 x 480 (NTSC) Aspect Ratio 4:3 (16:9) 16:9 Video Compression DV MPEG-2 Main Profile at High-14 Level Luminance Sampling 13.5 MHz 74.25 MHz 55.6875 MHz Frequency Video sampling Format 4:2:0 (PAL) 4:2:0 4:1:1 (NTSC) Video quantization 8 bit Video bitrate after 25 Mbps 19 Mbps 25 Mbps compression Audio compression n/a MPEG-1 Audio Layer II Audio sampling frequency 48 kHz/44.1 kHz (2- 48 kHz ch. mode) 32 kHz (4-ch. mode) Audio quantization 16 bit (2-ch. mode) 16 bit 12 bit non-linear (4- ch. mode) Audio bitrate after 1.5 Mbps 384 Mbps compression Audio Mode Stereo (2-ch.) Stereo (2-ch.) Stereo x2 (4-ch.) Data format n/a MPEG-2 system Stream type n/a Transport Stream Packetized elementary stream Stream Interface IEEE 1394 (DV) IEEE 1394 (MPEG-2-TS) HDVª Specifications Aspect Ratio: Ratio of picture width to picture height. Sampling Frequency: The number of digital samples per second. Sampling Format: In digital video systems, the frequency ratios of the Y/B-Y/R-Y channels. Quantization: The number of bits used to express a digital sample. 16-bit quantization yields 216 or 65,536 possible levels. Bitrate: The number of bits per second. 1 Mbps equals 1 million bits per second. Data format: The standard used for audio and video data. Stream type: The system for combining audio and video data in the MPEG-2 system. Stream interface: The data transmission standard.

To appreciate the MPEG-2 compression system used for HDVª technology, it helps to first consider the simpler, "intraframe" compression system used for DV. The system works because one pixel of blue sky is almost exactly the same as the next. By encoding only the differences between pixelsÑin fact, only the differences you can seeÑDV compression can cut the data rate by 80%. That's a 5:1 compression ratio, which reduces an initial bitrate of roughly 124 Mbps to a recorded bitrate of 25 Mbps after compression. . Because it records a High Definition signal, HDV must handle far higher initial bitrates. For example, the 1080/60i HDV signal (1440 x 1080) has 4.5 times as much data as the 480/60i DV signal used in NTSC countries (720 x 480 pixels). For this reason, HDV must use a more powerful compression engine: MPEG-2. MPEG-2 starts with intraframe compression, similar to the DV compression system. But MPEG-2 goes on to add "interframe" compression. This system works because, in the typical sequence of pictures, one frame of video is almost exactly the same as the next. By encoding only the differences between frames, MPEG-2 can achieve another major round of bitrate reduction! HDV Compression Intraframe compression works because each pixel of blue sky is almost exactly the same as the one next to it. The system needs to record only the differences. The interframe compression of MPEG-2 works because of the similarities between most video frames. In this example, the background "A" stays same while only the car "B" moves. The system can reduce data by encoding only the differences between frames rather than the frames themselves.

HDV TECHNOLOGY HANDBOOK 8 By combining the power of both intraframe and interframe compression, the MPEG-2 system of HDV is far more efficient than DV compression. In this way, even though HDV encodes a signal with up to 4.5 times the data of DV, it can achieve comparable quality at the same bitrates as DV. MPEG-2 organizes frames into a Group of Pictures or GOP. Each GOP begins with a fully-described frame (at left). Other frames in the GOP are described in terms of difference only.

HDVª products record signals onto standard DV cassettes, which have been available since the launch of the DV format in 1997. In this way, HDV takes advantage of recording media that is widely available and easily affordable. Not only does HDV use the same cassette as DV, it also uses the same tape speed and the same track pitch. In fact HDV products can use the same mechanisms developed for DV, including head drum and cassette compartment housing. HDV also uses the same ITI sectors, for track structure and width, and the same subcode sectors, for index flags and time code. In this way, HDV accommodates High Definition video and audio signals in the same running time as for the DV standard. Error Correction With the interframe compression of HDV, missing data has potentially bigger impact on picture quality than with the DV standard. That's why HDV increases the amount of data devoted to error correction redundancy. And while DV error correction operates within tracks only, HDV error correction operates across multiple tracks at one time. In this way, HDV offers greatly improved error correction and much higher tolerance for missing data. HDV Recording.

HDV TECHNOLOGY HANDBOOK 10 The full benefit of HDV quality requires an HD television. HDV is a High Definition medium. So naturally, to see its full quality, you'll want to connect your HDVª camcorder to a High Definition television. Connections will vary by product and may include both analog and digital interfaces. Analog connections include Y/Pb/Pr component video with three RCA plugs and a D terminal (D3 or higher). Digital connection is possible through the i.LINK¨ IEEE 1394 interface.* HDV camcorders will also play back on Standard Definition televisions through composite video (RCA plug) or S-Video (S terminal) connections.You will, however be limited to the picture quality of your Standard Definition television. Playback and editing on a PC. You can connect an HDV device to a compatible PC using the i.LINK IEEE 1394 interface.* In this way, HDV data can be uploaded to the PC, edited and recorded back to the HDV device. This requires a compatible interface in the computer and HDV compatible editing software. For a list of the latest companies that support HDV, visit www.hdv-info.org. HDV Playback

HDV tapes will not play on conventional DV devices. DV tapes recorded with HDV images will not play back on camcorders and decks designed to accept conventional DV tapes only. If you try to play an HDV tape on a DV device, you will not get picture and sound. Depending on the product, you may see a message that this is an HDV tape and a warning not to record over it. Please play HDV recordings on HDV compatible products.

FORMATS What are the HDV formats? The HDVª system records both 720p and 1080i formats. The 720p format uses pro gressive scanning, with 720 scanning lines and 1280 pixels per line. The 1080i format uses interlace scanning, with 1080 scanning lines and 1440 pixels per line. What companies support the HDV standard? The standard was established by four companies: Canon Inc., Sharp Corporation, Sony Corporation, and the Victor Company of Japan, Limited. Many other companies, includ ing many nonlinear editing software manufacturers, have expressed their support for the HDV standard. For the latest list of supporting companies, visit www.hdv-info.org. Why are so many companies supporting HDV? Many companies recognize the advantages of HDV. It records on the DV cassette tape, a worldwide standard. And it uses the global MPEG-2 standard for video compression, making it easy to connect HDV products to televisions and home computers. What kind of media does HDV use? The same DV cassettes already used in millions of DV-format camcorders the world over. What is the HDV recording time? The same as DV recording time. Note: With the HDV 1080i format there is no long-play ing (LP) mode. How is it possible to record a High Definition picture onto standard DV tapes with the same running time as DV? The difference is MPEG-2, which is much more efficient than DV compression because it adds interframe techniques. In this way, HDV can record High Definition at the same bitrates that DV uses for Standard Definition. Which has better picture quality: HDV or DV? HDV and DV have different video compression and tape recording methods. Since HDV was developed to handle High Definition, HDV has higher resolution, capturing more horizontal scanning lines and more pixels per scanning line.

What is the HDV video compression method? HDV uses MPEG-2 compression, Main Profile at High-14 Level. The bitrate after com pression is 25 Mbps (1080i format). Doesn't MPEG-2 introduce artifacts such as block noise? MPEG-2 compression can deliver very good performance as long as appropriate bitrates are used. Since HDV uses a bitrate of up to 25 Mbps after compression, the format achieves excellent picture quality. What audio compression does the HDV format use? The format uses MPEG-1 Audio Layer II compression, starting with 16-bit samples at a 48 kHz sampling frequency and resulting in a compressed bitrate of 384 Kbps. Which has better sound quality, HDV or DV? HDV uses compressed audio at the high bitrate of 384 Kbps. In 2-channel mode, DV offers 16-bit uncompressed audio. For this reason, the sound quality of HDV is almost on a par with DV. How does HDV sound quality compare to a music CD? Since HDV audio is compressed, it theoretically cannot match the sound quality of CD. However, by using a high bitrate of 384 Kbps after compression, the sound quality is almost on a par with audio CDs. Will HDV replace DV? DV represents the current mainstream in both price and popularity. As High Definition broadcasting becomes accepted worldwide, we expect that the HDV format will also become the worldwide standard for personal content. We expect HDV camcorders to follow the familiar trend in consumer electronics, with more models on the market at pro gressively lower entry-level prices. What is the difference between 1080i and 720p? The 720p format employs progressive scanning with 720 effective scanning lines and 1280 samples per line. The 1080i format uses interlace scanning with 1080 effective scanning lines and 1440 samples per line. Why are there two formats, 1080i and 720p, for the HDV standard? The two formats meet the needs of different HD infrastructures around the world. Which has better picture quality: HDV 1080i or HDV 720p? The picture quality will depend on the performance of individual products.

How does HDV error correction differ between 1080i and 720p? The two differ in correction coding ratio and the method for error correction across multiple tracks. Can I record HDV and DV segments onto the same DV tape? It is possible under the standard. But it depends on the operation of specific equipment. Manufacturers may or may not develop products to support mixed recording on the same tape. PLAYBACK AND EDITING Can I play an HDV tape on a DV camcorder? No. Tapes with HDVª recordings are only guaranteed for playback on HDV cam corders. If you try to play an HDV recording on a DV camcorder you will not get picture and sound. Depending on the product, you may get a message alerting you that the tape has an HDV recording and warning you not to record over it. Can I play tapes recorded in HDV 720p format on camcorders that use the HDV 1080i format? The HDR-FX1 can playback tapes recorded in 720p and 1080i modes. If I play an HDV recorded tape on a conventional, Standard Definition television, will the result be better than playing a DV tape? The performance and quality of video is dependent upon the camcorder used. Can I store data from an HDV recorded tape onto my PC hard drive? In what for mat would the file be saved? Yes, using compatible HDV software applications. Refer to the software specifications. Can I upload HDV data to my computer and edit the video and audio, just like DV data? Yes, if your HDV software application supports it. Refer to the software specifications. Can I upload HDV data to my computer and save it on a DVD disc? If your HDV application software converts the data to Standard Definition, you can save your content in DVD-Video format.You can also save your content as data on a DVD data disc; however this type of disc will not play back on a DVD player. After uploading my HDV data to my PC and editing it, can I then write the edited content back to a DV tape using either the HDV or DV standard? Yes, if your HDV software application supports it.

What type of PC would I need for uploading and editing HDV data? The following recommendations are a general guideline. Be sure to check the "system requirements" of any application software you are considering. Processor: Pentium¨ 4 processor, 3.06 GHz or higher RAM: 256 MB minimum (1 GB recommended) Hard Disk Drive: UltraATA100 i.LINK¨ IEEE 1394 terminal*: standard equipment Display: XGA resolution or higher Video memory: 32 MB or higher Operating System: Windows¨ XP SP2 or higher How big is the HDV file uploaded to a computer? If the data is uploaded in MPEG-2 format without conversion, the file will be about the same size as a DV file of the same running time. A ten-minute video is about 2 GB.

High Definition Television (HDTV) is literally the biggest change in television in 50 years! There's been nothing like it since the introduction of color television back in 1954. The benefits are so powerful, so profound, that they deserve careful explanation. 1. More scanning lines In the early days of television, the camera had a pickup tube with an electron beam that scanned a photo-sensitive surface to generate the television picture. This scan followed a specified pattern of "horizontal scanning lines," beginning at the top right, tracing across to the left, and then moving down to trace the next line, and so on. In the home, the picture tube of the television set followed the camera's scan pattern, using its own electron beam to recreate the picture on the screen. In Japan, the United States and other countries that use the NTSC system, the Standard Definition TV picture includes 525 horizontal scanning lines, of which about 480 "effective" scanning lines appear on the screen. In countries that use the PAL and SECAM systems, the numbers are 625 total scanning lines and 576 "effective." High Definition goes way beyond this, with a choice of 720 or 1080 effective scanning lines! This enables the High Definition picture to have far more detail. 2. More pixels per scanning line In the early decades of television, the picture was not defined in terms of discrete "picture elements"Ñpixels. As you know, more pixels in a video image equal more detail available for viewing. In the late 1980s, when professional digital video systems became available, both the PAL and NTSC picture were defined as having 720 pixels per line (ITU-R.BT-601 standard). The NTSC television system uses 480 effective horizontal scanning lines. Appendix 1: Advantages of HDTV

High Definition systems go far beyond this benchmark. The 720-line HD system provides 1280 pixels per line. And depending on implementation, 1080-line HD offers 1440 or 1920 pixels per line. The effect is vastly greater picture information, making television come alive with detail. This type of television picture is also perfect for big-screen viewing, where the increased detail can have maximum impact. 3. Widescreen 16:9 picture The shape of the television screen is measured by the "aspect ratio," the proportion of screen width to screen height. Conventional television uses an aspect ratio of 4:3. This means that the screen is 4/3 or 1.333 times wider than it is high. This screen shape is almost square. In contrast, the human field of vision substantially wider, about 140 degrees wide by 90 degrees high. That's why High Definition television uses a wider screen, with an aspect ratio of 16:9. This wider screen is 16/9 or 1.778 times wider than it is high. In this way, the wider 16:9 screen is a better match for the human visual field. The result is an even more lifelike, more immersive expe- rienceÑcloser to the feeling of "being there."

Standard Definition (left) uses a 4:3 aspect ratio that's almost square. High Definition (right) uses a 16:9 aspect ratio that's more panoramicÑand closer to the actual field of human vision. 4. Interlace and progressive scanning In video, what appears to be a continuously moving image is actually a series of discrete still pictures, called frames. In NTSC Standard Definition, each frame lasts 1/30 second and contains 480 effective scanning lines that appear on the screen. Because of limitations in the early days of television, these 480 lines were divided into two "fields," each of which lasts 1/60 second. At the studio camera; the first field captures the odd-numbered scanning lines, skipping every other line. The second field comes back and captures the even-numbered scanning lines. This is "interlace" scanning and it displays only 240 scanning lines at any one time. Interlace scanning in the studio camera is mirrored by interlace scanning in the home television, for accurate display of motion. In PAL and SECAM countries, interlace works the same way, but the specific numbers are different. Each frame lasts for 1/25 second and includes 576 effective scanning lines. These are divided into fields that last 1/50 second and contain 288 scanning lines, each. Interlace scanning (right) displays the video frame in two fields, one for the odd-numbered scanning lines and one for the evens.

Digital video instead of analog Conventional television broadcasting is analog, a system that exposes the picture to distortions and noise that can degrade picture quality. In particular, analog composite video broadcasting degrades the color. Digital video can deliver a far cleaner, more convincing picture. And because digital video systems employ separate channels for the Y/B-Y/R-Y components, the color reproduction can be far superior. Even a Standard Definition digital source, such as a DVD-Video movie, can deliver noticeably higher quality than typical