eMedia: HDV Goes Mainstream

By Eric Schumacher-Rasmussen - Posted Oct 6, 2004 Depending on who you talk to, HDV—the two year-old format that brings high-definition images to standard DV tape—is either the format of tomorrow or today's choice for cutting-edge videographers. Make no mistake, HDV is not HD, which is still the domain of broadcast- and cinema-quality cameras retailing anywhere from $55,000 to more than $100,000 [see sidebar, "Shooting True HD"]. HDV picture quality—while noticeably better than standard DV—doesn't approach the real thing. But the introduction of the sub-$4,000 JVC JY-HD10 in late 2003 brought the next best thing to a price point that appealed to videographers, and Sony upped the ante in September of this year with the introduction of its HDR-FX1 Handycam, a 3-CCD, 1080i camera set for November availability with an MSRP of $3,700. And while true HD video—uncompressed 1080i, a long way from MPEG-2 720p or Sony's version of 1080i—remains out of reach for many videographers, there are a few (mostly, those who do broadcast work and corporate communications) who are shooting HD right now. There's something to be said for setting your own standards for innovative video; we can all benefit from advancing the image and professionalism of the field. But in practical terms, with technology investments at stake, it largely comes down to client expectations, and given the low consumer-installed base of HDTV, how many event video customers are really clamoring for HD video? read the full artcle at eMedia Live