Proposed Recommendation »

Idea exchange

Tell us your experiences, problems, solutions, recommendations.

Friday, March 2nd, 2007 at 5:40 pm - RSS 2.0 feed -

  1. Chris Franklin:
    March 3rd, 2007 at 11:58 pm

    Thoughts by Mark Cuban of HDNet. Serves his own purposes, but applies to all…

    The Future of TV Programming - In High Def vs For High Def
    2007/02/24
    Movies are shot knowing or hoping they are going to be seen by an audience, in a theater, watching on a very big screen. Even though over the life time of any film, more people will see it on a 4×3 TV screen than in a theater, the theatrical release drives all the downstream business. So its understandable that a movie will be shot to tell a story using e very bit of the big screen and great sound available in theaters today.

    Then there is the TV business. Content shot for TV today is shot and protected for its biggest possible audience, which for today and at least the next 7 to 10 years is going to be an audience watching on a 4×3 TV. Even with the analog cutoff coming in Feb of 2009, most people who watch TV will watch on a regular, non HDTV.

    Thats a real problem for people producing TV shows.

    Because TV Networks, whether broadcast or cable want to sell ads and reach the largest possible audience, they have to produce their content so that it is viable on the lowest common denominator of TV reception, the 20″ analog TV. The conventional wisdom is that dramas and high end shows are shot in film while comedies are shot on HD Tape, and reality shows are regular tape. But all are shot “protected” for regular 4×3 TVs.

    Unfortunately for all those producing shows for TV, people are rarely buying 20″ analog TVs any longer. HDTVs will out! sell ana log TVs this year and forever more.

    Which creates a unique opportunity for HDNet. HDNet is the only network whose content is created FOR HDTVs.

    Other networks content may be shot in HD, or shot on tape or film and then converted to HD, but in all cases they are protected for 4×3. Only HDNet shoots in full resolution 1080i for an audience exclusively with HDTVs.

    To some it may seem like a trivial difference. Its not. Creating shows for 16×9 rather than 4×3 creates new opportunities for directors. Great stories have a pallete that rivals a theatrical experience.

    Ask anyone who watchs HD content on an HDTV whether they would prefer their favorite HD shows shot in HD, or converted from film or upconverted from standard def tape. When given the choice, shot in HD FOR HD always gets the vote.

    Its going to be interesting to see how long broadcast and cable networks pander to the 4×3 mass es at the expense of those who love their shows in HD. With 90mm cable and satellite homes, the huge majority of which have 4×3 TVs, it could be 5 or more years before they are willing to change the status quo.

    RIght now they can get away trying to serve two masters. How long will that last ?

    In the meantime, HDNet has a big advantage. Our viewers get the best of all worlds, great programming in High Def, exclusively for those with HDTVs.

  2. Kelly:
    May 8th, 2008 at 9:39 am

    I’ve had a couple jobs come up recently where the “DP” wants to just give me his files straight from the HD video camera. I am not comfortable with this because they are HD Native files 23.98 that need to be converted for me to work with in SD 29.97, and subsequently conformed in Flame anyway. I asked them to get the files to an HD master (HDSR) and they were pretty rude and told me to get with the times. I had to demand that they give the footage onto an HD master.

    Am I wrong to ask for a Master format over media files? It is in the best interest of my work flow as well protecting my client as they undoubtedly will revisit the footage at a later date. And tracking down a master from storage is much more realistic than tracking down media files. Are these guys just trying to do less in the end and put it on the editor? I’m not cool with that personally. If they shot on film, they need to get the film developed and create dailies for me. Why the big deal about making me an HD tape?

    I don’t do any video work nor master out of my Avid. Has anyone else experienced this?

Leave a Reply