A revolution in HDV video production? by Peter Garnish

With the advent of new technologies in DVD and digital video production, corporate production houses are poised to start creating much higher quality videos at a much lower cost. Recent HDV model releases from both Sony (HVR-Z1P) and JVC (GY-HD101) has seen high definition video production become available to smaller production companies. As a result we are now able to produce videos at full 1080i HD resolution, and with the release of Canon's hugely anticipated XL H1 get full HD-SDI uncompressed video straight from the camera.

The Canon XL H1 is long awaited follow up to the industry stalwarts the XL1/2 series. It is the company's first foray into HDV video and is also the first camera in this range to feature uncompressed HD-SDI output. What this means is that for the first time video producers can purchase a relatively cheap camera (less than US$9000) and edit full uncompressed video, without the disadvantages of using HDV and an intermediate codec to edit.

Whether you are in music video, corporate video, DVD or multimedia production, you now have the opportunity to compete with the larger companies with much higher overheads. This is great for freelancers and the industry in general as productions can be completed at more competitive rates and the huge investment in both camera gear and edit suites doesn't break the bank like it used to.

Remember the good old days when a BetaSP rig cost you $80-$100000 and about the same for an Avid setup? I for one am sure happy about the reduction in expenses and look forward to seeing some amazing work from everyone with all of this new gear.

Focusview video and multimedia is a Melbourne based company specializing in video production, CD ROM production and DVD production.

1 Beyond CEO cites trend moving from standard definition to HD at NAB2007

All markets moving upscale By John Virata

Terry Cullen, CEO of 1 Beyond, a manufacturer of media workstations and storage arrays, details some of the new offerings the company will showcase at NAB2007 in Las Vegas. In addition, he mentions the move from standard definition video to all flavors of HD, from wedding and event videographers to low level and high end broadcast pros.


View the full article at: http://digitalproducer.digitalmedianet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=120359


An interesting trend indeed. It's about time the industry got serious about pushing HD. The trend has swung HD's way increasingly over the past few years, but the consumers are still in the grey area when it comes to fully committing to the standard. The trend of buying HD sets and not having HD content for them is more prevolent today than ever. HD support will increase the market's demand for it, hence giving more work to the people who provide it. NAB will reveal new trends and show us all where the industry will be focusing it's attention. Let's hope the quality of the products that are released are as inventive as they have been in recent years.

AVCHD will be making a strong push this year. The format totes higher quality with higher compression via the MPEG-4 standard

Arqiva installs Zandar multiviewers for European HD trucks

Arqiva, a provider of transmission services for broadcasters and end-to-end media solutions for content and channel providers, has acquired 48 Zandar Predator HD8 MultiViewers to help produce live HD broadcasts of Championship Football for Sky Sports and its Sky HD channel.

The compact Predator units are installed inside two UK-based mobile production (OB) trucks, 24 for each, making it one of the largest single HD8 OB projects completed. Sony Professional Services installed the systems on both trucks.

On each truck, 10 multiviewers are installed in the production area, 12 in the videotape recording area and two for the audio mixing section. The Predator HD MultiViewers feature native HD input processing to display HD images up to 1080p. The multiviewer also offers low frame delays (less than one frame) from source to output.

The Predator HD8 accepts and auto-detects up to eight SDI or HD-SDI inputs with a high quality DVI output to the LCD displays up to 1080p resolution. The systems feature Zandar Dual Head (ZdH) display to drive one or two displays independently or configured as a virtual monitor wall, with spanning capability. ZdH is particularly ideal in space-restrictive OB vehicles because the system saves on rack space by combining two MultiViewers in a compact 1RU enclosure.

For more information, visit www.zandar.com.