HD or Not HD

[dynamix1]

I wanted to throw out this question hopefully that I can get a straight answer on this. Movies that are being put on HD DVD are they really true HD video or has hollywood used there movie magic to just upconvert there films to HD. I can see that with the rise of HD camera movies that are shot in 1280x720 or 1920x1080 would seem to me be true HD. But movies like Apollo 13 would have been shot in some format of HD. It seems that these movies that converted as if down converting some HD clips to 720x480 to play on my dvd player. Appreciate any info just trying to get a clear understanding on this. Thanx All.

[jagabo]

Most movies are shot on film. I'm sure every HD DVD available now has gone back to the source.

[yoda313]

This link might help:

https://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?p=1441408#1441408

eddv was saying that they are filmed or recorded digitally in a much higher resolution than hdtv specs. These sources are then downconverted to hd specs for the new next gen formats.

[dynamix1]

Thanx that really does clear up my understanding on the subject. I really wasnt sure on the specs of what the films were shot on. Appreciate it.

[edDV]

This is a current generation film scanner that will scan film to data that then goes through a colorcorrection and pre-mastering process before authoring to DVD or other uses.
http://www.cintel.co.uk/products/DSX-film-scanners.htm



- Digital Theater: 4Kx4K or 4Kx2K 10-14bit
- Digital intermediate for TV production, 1080p/24 RGB 10bit linear to 14bit log scale

- HD or BD DVD: 1080p/24
- 1080i/29.97 (telecined) videotape (also 1080i/25)
- 720p/59.94 progressive videotape
- 480i/576i or 480p/576p Digital Betacam* (capable of 1080i or 720p upscale on playback).

[edDV]

...

I can see that with the rise of HD camera movies that are shot in 1280x720 or 1920x1080 would seem to me be true HD. But movies like Apollo 13 would have been shot in some format of HD.

As said above, movies today are shot on film but "mastered" for "digital cinema" 4kx2k or 4kx4k. The master will be data that can be projected at 4k, transferred to film, videotape or DVD.

If you are talking about consumer HD camcorders, those shoot with marginal quality optics and heavily compress in the camera. HDV is good but creates 1920x1080 by upscaling 1440x1080 or 1280x720. The format compresses 15-20x to 25Mb/s MPeg2.

By contrast HDCAM SR as used in Star Wars III shoots 1920x1080/24p 10bit RGB at 440Mb/s or 880Mb/s and still can't match 35mm film for resolution or dynamic range.

[dvdguy4]

...

I can see that with the rise of HD camera movies that are shot in 1280x720 or 1920x1080 would seem to me be true HD. But movies like Apollo 13 would have been shot in some format of HD.

As said above, movies today are shot on film but "mastered" for "digital cinema" 4kx2k or 4kx4k. The master will be data that can be projected at 4k, transferred to film, videotape or DVD.

If you are talking about consumer HD camcorders, those shoot with marginal quality optics and heavily compress in the camera. HDV is good but creates 1920x1080 by upscaling 1440x1080 or 1280x720. The format compresses 15-20x to 25Mb/s MPeg2.

By contrast HDCAM SR as used in Star Wars III shoots 1920x1080/24p 10bit RGB at 440Mb/s or 880Mb/s and still can't match 35mm film for resolution or dynamic range.

But it looked damn good. Editing a movie is alot easier .

[yoda313]

But it looked damn good. Editing a movie is alot easier .

I agree. I saw it in a digital theater and loved it like Episode 2.

I think each generation will of hollywood dv cameras will match even closer to 35mm and be the choice of the future. Direct editing without transfering will be its main selling point for scifi/fantasy flicks. I'm sure other types of movies will start using it as it gets closer to traditional movie cameras.

[edDV]

But it looked damn good. Editing a movie is alot easier .

I agree. I saw it in a digital theater and loved it like Episode 2.

I think each generation will of hollywood dv cameras will match even closer to 35mm and be the choice of the future. Direct editing without transfering will be its main selling point for scifi/fantasy flicks. I'm sure other types of movies will start using it as it gets closer to traditional movie cameras.

Sure there are lots of advantages in post production but shooting takes special technique and careful lighting. There are clear economic advantages for TV production. The cameras are very good for mastering 1920x1080 and the new trend will be 24fps direct editing for TV series. Currently separate edits are done for 29.97/59.94 and 25fps.

Star Wars III used HDTV cameras to shoot elements that were placed into a 4kx2k frame. The movie never showed a full frame HDTV shot. Same was true for Sin City. "Collateral" did use full frame HDCAM for about 80% of the movie.

These links for Collateral process
http://www.cameraguild.com/interviews/chat_beebe/beebe_collateral.htm
http://www.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&title=Building+Collateral&expi...artnerID=99721