Have a Dream in HD
I had a dream that the world looked bolder, crisper, more colorful, and vibrant. My dream world was in high definition, and all sights and sounds filled me with energy and made me feel alive. High definition means high display resolution and a higher quality than standard formats. Dreaming in HD can make it seem real.
To many video viewers, a high definition (HD) picture is a fairly recent offering. Now, more television shows and movies are emerging in HD, and so TVs and other media players need to be able to support this format. The truth is, HD has been around since the 1980s and has followed many standards. Now, there’s a plethora of digital cameras, internet content, video games, cable, and other digital media that is available in high definition.
What is high definition? HD can be defined by several characteristics[i]:
- Aspect ratio. Describes the number of units a screen has. HDTV’s aspect ratio is 16:9 providing a wider screen, like at a movie theater.
- Vertical display resolution. The resolution of a high definition television (HDTV) is 720 or 1,080 lines or pixels.
- The scanning system. The “p” and “i” that follow the resolution number stands for progressive or interlaced scanning. Progressive scanning (p) “redraws all of its lines when refreshing each image.” Interlaced scanning (i) draws every other line in two refresh operations, and results in higher resolution when a subject is still.
- Frames per second (Hz). In the United States, 60 Hz is more common in broadcasting. Typically, you’ll see a definition rating of 720p60, which means 1,280 x 720 pixels and a progressive encoding with 60 frames per second. If you see 1080i25, then the frame size will be 1,920 x 1,080 with an interlaced scanning type and 25 frames per second.
High Definition Filmmaking and Video Streaming
While there is still nothing quite like capturing video using film, more and more filmmakers are choosing to shoot their project in a high definition format using a digital video camera. Both formats have their advantages and disadvantages, but HD is typically used more by those who are looking to easily transfer their footage into a digital editing system and forgo the cost of film.
Many mobile devices are capable of streaming HD videos through a number of video streaming services, such as YouTube, Vimeo, Hulu, and Netflix. These formats provide a compressed version of the HD video, thus the image quality is not at broadcast levels, but still high quality for a small screen.
HD Video Production
Do you dream of producing a high quality video with vibrant visuals that put your viewer inside the action? DDA Video, a division of Dynamic Digital Advertising, has the capability of planning, filming, and editing videos in high definition. The finished product will be broadcast-ready and can also be compressed for use on company websites and other social media or video streaming sites. Contact DDA Video today to find out more.
Photo credit: Microsoft Office Clip Art