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Not all Hi-Def is
the same...there are image quality variations,
|
| The great majority of Hi-Def
competitors are now using small HD cameras that do not
compare at all with the image quality of full size
cameras. Low cost HD also involves further compression
to make longer programs fit unto low-cost lower-capacity
25 GB Blu-ray discs. We use costly double layered 50 GB
discs requiring far less compression resulting in more
robust images. Grainy & unsharp off-colour HD images
are common in our trade, if you upgrade to HD you're
obviously seeking high image quality therefore it's
essential to make proper comparisons between low cost HD
& genuine HD. Once you see our HD images nothing
else will measure up! There are 5 requirements for great HD images... 1-the camera must have three 2/3 inch imagers, not one 1/3 inch or three 1/2 inch (the latter are common in our trade) 2-the camera's light sensitivity needs to be quite high so as not to require further amplification which results in graininess 3-the lens needs to be a higher-end HD type lens, lower quality lenses reduce image quality even before the imager gets to do its work 4-the editing system needs to be a genuine professional HD system that does not reduce image quality 5-Blu-ray discs need to be transcoded & burned with the least compression using up-to-date software low-end HD service fail
all the above, simply recording in 1920 x 1080 does
not guarantee great HD images
What is High Definition? Hi-Def is a very high quality video standard featuring picture quality virtually equal to large professional photos with all the detail & colour associated with high-end photography along with widescreen viewing. The popularity of Hi-Def home viewing of specialty HD TV channels & HD rented movies has grown rapidly, this popularity is now dominant in our trade as clients seek the best available for their event videos and their new Hi-Def TV’s. What’s HDTV, HD, HDV, XDCAM HD, HDSLR, Blu-ray and HD-DVD? HDTV is Hi-Definition broadcast by major TV networks. HD refers to the new standards of quality whether broadcast and viewed on new HDTV television sets or viewed on new Hi-Definition discs known as “Blu-ray”. HDV is a lower-end recording standard designed for home videotaping and is not meant for professional use although it is now being used by low end Videographers in our trade. There are various editing issues which make HDV a less professional standard. All cameras designed for HDV recording are below professional grade especially when comparing colour reproduction with newer professional cameras. HDV cameras are far less costly than true Hi-Def cameras, most still use very thin tape which is vulnerable to stretching, creasing, wear due to constant contact with video heads and guides. XDCAM HD is Sony's professional "tapeless" Hi-Def video standard. This standard has been popular with professional & broadcasters for many years. Older XDCAM cameras used recordable discs instead of tape, the latest full size XDCAM cameras have been completely upgraded and now record on memory cards. The latest models are much more light sensitive & far better designed for Event Videography. HDSLR refers to newer Nikon & Canon still-photo cameras that have limited video capabilities. Such cameras are quite good for still photos but lack all the usual features required for professional video usage. The only advantage is the low cost compared to dedicated video cameras, therefore all low-end services are now using such cameras. They are far too risky for Event Videography due to jerky zooming, awkward focusing, out of control audio, short record times (20 min.) and sensors that over-heat causing unexpected shut downs. They also require various add-ons & stabilizers for even basic usage. Such cameras should not be used as primary cameras. Blu-ray discs are the world's standard for playback of Hi-Definition videos. They look similar to DVDs but their data capacity is much higher. Blu-ray discs cannot play on standard DVD players. HD-DVD was a disc format competitor to Blu-ray, it's been discontinued years ago. How can we view genuine HD at home? To View HD television at home you’ll need a Hi-Definition television set and be subscribed to an HD service thru Rogers or Bell. To view rented HD movies and our HD video productions you’ll also need a Blu-ray disc player that is capable of playing recordable “Blu-ray” discs (technically known as BD-R discs, the 25 & 50 GB dual-layer type). HD is widescreen but all widescreen is not HD, standard definition can be produced in widescreen (16:9) or in the old square screen (4:3) format. New Blu-ray players will also play standard DVD discs and slightly improve the visual quality of standard DVDs. Many new computers with more advanced video cards are also able to play Blu-ray discs. Will you shoot future videos in high definition? Josh shoots all events in widescreen HD. HD editing & Blu-ray disc production is much more time consuming therefore more costly. After shooting many HD videos we can honestly say that Hi-Definition videos are so good that we would love to shoot & edit every assignment in HD! Josh has been using full size Sony professional HD cameras since 2007. The latest camera is a third generation very up-to-date camera and is by far the best camera used in our trade anywhere in North America! It records unto large capacity memory cards instead of tapes or discs. There are countless advantages to this camera & solid state standard and we have it in place right now. The new $20,000. lens is quite awesome; it is way beyond the typical lenses used in our trade. It’s a super wide angle lens that can see a whopping 93 degrees (approx. 50% more than an average lens) at the wide end with no noticeable distortion or curvature! This zoom lens can make compact venues look spacious and solves many tight situation problems that we face often. The new look will make you feel as if you are not watching images in a small crowded square box anymore, you’ll be seeing so much more, you’ll feel you are actually there. How can some competitors charge so low for HD while others charge much more? Low cost HD services use lower-end budget type low-cost HD cameras, such cameras produce grainy off-colour images that are not true HD. At the editing stage low cost services rush thru the editing process and further compress the final project to fit unto lower cost & lower capacity discs. Final image quality does not compare at all with our HD images. Today’s normal DVDs look fine; do we really need Hi Definition! Can we get both DVDs and Blu-ray Hi-Def discs? Hi-Def is the way to go. HD needs to be seen to be really appreciated; most clients convince themselves once they see the difference. Once genuine HD is seen it is tough to go backwards and view non-HD video. The future is HD, HD is rapidly growing in popularity worldwide; the difference in cost will make viewing your future video much more pleasing. Close to 95% of our clients are now booking HD. Doing editing work and/or converting both Standard Def (DVD) & Hi-Def (Blu-ray) is more time consuming, therefore there will be an added fee for providing both DVDs & Blu-ray discs. Will our grandparents’ wrinkles show excessively in High Definition? No because we will zoom in less tightly to avoid any unpleasant images. Will our present standard DVDs be obsolete soon? Standard DVDs have lost their popularity and Blu-ray Hi-Def discs are now dominant, but standard DVD players and blank recordable discs will be available for many years. The new Blu-ray Hi-Def disc players will be able to play standard DVDs but today’s standard DVD players will not be able to play Blu-ray Hi-Def type discs. Will the Blu-ray
disc standard be obsolete soon?
Blu-ray will be around for a long time, the statistics we’ve seen show that Blu-ray is much more popular worldwide compared to standard DVDs. In North America the recent intro of Netflix for Hollywood type movies has taken a bite out of Blu-ray sales & rentals, therefore there have been some media articles suggesting the decline of Blu-ray. This decline is only for Hollywood type movies & not for other uses of Blu-ray. In the future most event videos will be uploaded via the internet directly into clients' computers and video storage services (aka CLOUD computing) will store videos which will make it possible to view on computers worldwide. The infrastructure & quality control are not quite in place yet and may be costly once available. Today’s Blu-ray discs are economical and they do have a very long life expectancy so even though changes in technology cannot be avoided there should be no doubt about the future of this standard. How can we convert our present digital video to high definition video? Standard DVDs cannot be converted to look like Blu-ray Hi-Def discs but playing DVDs using a Blu-ray player will slightly improve visual quality. Will new Hi-Definition cameras require less lighting or no lighting? Most HD cameras require extra lighting and look grainy in low light. Josh's new camera is the most light sensitive professional Hi-Def camera ever & requires no added lighting or just minimal lighting, HD images are full of detail (about 4 times the detail of standard definition), natural colours, brightness & clarity...graininess is history here. Are there any hidden negative aspects to having our event recorded in Hi-Definition? There are no hidden factors when you book HD here. You’ll simply need to budget for the added cost and the purchase of a HDTV plus a Blu-ray Hi-Def disc player. Prices on such hardware have dropped considerably. When you shop for an HD production elsewhere you will be facing the usual conflicting information dilemma and claims that you either don’t need HD or that low end HD is just as good as genuine HD. Many in our trade thrive on client confusion and the spread of misinformation. Be aware... 1. Some low-end Videographers claim to shoot in HD and offer their productions only on normal DVD discs…normal DVDs cannot playback true HD quality and their images will look no better than normal DVDs. New “up conversion” type DVD players using an HDMI cable will improve visual quality of standard DVDs but they cannot convert normal DVDs to look like Hi-Def discs. 2. A few-low end Videographers offer cheap Hi-Def video services by renting small home-type cameras and outsourcing amateur editing & Blu-ray disc production. This is surely not the route to take and will result in thrown-out money. 3. The image quality from ALL smaller low cost video cameras now used by all lower-end services is not considered full Hi-Def. If you choose to go with Hi-Def you'll be much further ahead if the recording is done with an up-to-date larger camera instead of throwing money out using a budget type camera. We often see what others produce since we have a disc duplicating service, many price-sensitive clients unknowingly end up with grainy & un-sharp videos falsely sold as "full HD Blu-ray". TV technology has
changed, it’s time to buy a new TV
TV technology has changed and keeps on changing. The
move away from square screen (4:3) tube type TV’s (CRT)
to wide screen (16:9) & high definition LCD, LED
& Plasma TV’s has been swift & dramatic. The
latest TV’s consume much less space, energy & weight
and they produce better & different images. Since we
want our images to look best in your home we’ve
assembled some practical advice you’ll probably need
when investing in the latest TV technologies. General facts & advice -Shop at and buy from stores that have liberal return policies but check the packaging to make sure you are not buying a returned lemon. Open your own packaging carefully so a possible return will be hassle free. -Large TV retailers have impressive displays, high end wiring & great video demo, the TV you buy will not perform as well in your home unless all the conditions are the same. -Your home wiring makes a big difference in final image quality. DVD player to TV wiring should be S-type, component or preferably the newer HDMI type, never use RCA type wiring. Blu-ray players require an HDMI connection. -Try an internet search for the model that interests you, the information will be very useful. -Purchase only 1080P TV’s, commonly referred to as “full HDTV”. -Most new TV’s can handle the latest Hi-Def standards but you will not be able to see true high definition at home without a high definition cable box & subscription or a Blu-ray disc player. -Consider screen size carefully, bigger is not always better. Choose a size that’s suitable for the viewing room & seating distance. Smaller sized screens are sharper, larger sized screens show more flaws & artifacts. The minimum viewing distance for any standard size should be about 9 feet. The viewing room should be partially dimmed for better image reproduction. -Most new TV’s have menus which give viewers infinite control to customize the images viewed. Get to know these controls well if image quality is important but keep in mind that the most natural looking picture can be achieved simply by keeping all controls at mid-level. -Most new widescreen TV’s are able to enhance older 4:3 images by lightly stretching the left & right sides of the image to fill the 16:9 widescreen resulting in a simulated widescreen look. LCD flat panel TV’s LCD TV images are extra bright, colourful, clean and have great contrast. They look good even in brightly lit viewing rooms. Although LCD TV’s can produce great images especially of stills & graphics, they all have one common technological flaw: they do not handle fast motion well. This is known as “response time”, images with motion will looks fuzzy with a ghosting effect. The latest most costly and higher tech LCD TV’s (the 120hz or 240hz type) have managed to reduce this effect to an acceptable level, all lower-end LCD TV’s tend to have a slower response time resulting in poor fast moving images. The response time should be less than 3ms. Plasma flat panel TV’s Plasma TV’s have a fast response time eliminating the ghosting effect during fast motion; great for watching hockey games. Their colour is more natural but many like the cleaner & sharper look of LCD & LED TV’s. Plasma TV’s consume much more electricity than LCD & LED TV’s., they are slowly being phased out and only had 7% of the TV market in 2011. LED TV's Lower power consumption, thinner display, less costly parts to replace when service is needed. Picture quality is similar to LCD. OLED & AMOLED TV's The best picture quality, very low power consumption, very thin display, no ghosting problem, the TV of the future! Few are now available, large screen sizes will be available by Fall 2012. |