Q: There's HD, DVD, DV and CD... I am
confused by all these formats. Help!
A: The truth is, there are
enough video and digital formats out there to make anybody’s head spin. At the risk of making the format wars even more confusing, here is a quick review of those most commonly used. There are three groups of video formats: analog video, digital video, and digital files.
ANALOG VIDEO
All analog video recorders capture information on magnetic
particles embedded on the surface of the tape. If you remember
your high school math class, think of it as a series of sine waves with
peaks and valleys that represent video. Although there are many
analog formats, VHS and Beta SP are the most commonly used in corporate
communications.
VHS is still a popular consumer standard but is rapidly being replaced
by digital formats, such as DVD.
Beta SP is a high quality news-gathering format that divides video into
its basic components (luminance and chrominance) to achieve high
resolution.
DIGITAL VIDEO
Digital video uses magnetic tape similar to analog.
However, the video information is digital (1’s and 0’s).
Therefore, digital tape formats contain more precise information and
can be cloned without a loss of quality.
DV (also known as mini DV) is
primarily a consumer format commonly seen in camcorders. DV
(Digital Video) can be loaded directly into a computer using a firewire
connection.
DVC Pro is a
variation of DV, with somewhat higher resolution.
DV Cam is
similar to DVC Pro; DV Cam is a professional DV format.
DIGITAL FILES
Digital files can be created from any of the formats above and
delivered on CDs or DVDs or saved onto a computer hard drive.
These digital files are encoded from their native format, a process
more complex than just copying a tape to another tape.
CD-ROM: A Compact Disc Read
Only Memory disc can contain data,
graphics, audio, or video. Transforming an existing video to
CD-ROM is the simplest way to send a video to a computer user.
There are many encoding formulas to consider when requesting a CD-ROM,
keeping in mind that the quality is always lower than other mediums.
Mpeg1 is a
file format that works in all media players, thus we usually suggest
using this type of file when there will be a wide variety of users or
when a viewer’s computer set up is unknown. This format will also
import easily into a PowerPoint presentation. Mpeg1 tends to be a
smaller file, because it is only available in quarter screen size.
If the video must play full screen, an integrated Mpeg2 file will do the trick. The
disadvantage of this format is that the file size is usually quite
large, so it may not work well for a longer video. Mpeg2
also will embed easily in PowerPoint, but it’s important to test it and
make sure the computer that is running the file is capable of
processing it fast enough for it to run smoothly.
Mpeg4 formats
yield a much higher quality playback, but can only be displayed at 320
x 240 on your screen. However, mpeg4 requires QuickTime which may
not reside on some IS networked computer systems. The advantage
of Mpeg4 is its smaller file size and the smooth motion it
produces. We recommend it only when all viewers are using
QuickTime to play media.
Some networks run their media on a Windows server and request
Windows Media files, or .wmv files. These
are useful for streaming video and can be easily adjusted to the proper
bit rate during the encoding process.
Avi files also
embed easily into PowerPoint. They tend to be very large however
and don’t seem to look as good as Mpeg1 files, so we tend to recommend
them if they are the only available option.
As you can see, the variety of media file options can often be
confusing… we are always available to help you make the best choice of
format for your media project.
DVD: A Digital Versatile Disc (also commonly known
as Digital Video Disc) creates a much higher quality video than a
CD-ROM. A DVD utilizes the mpeg2 encoding format, and is what you
probably rent to watch movies at home. Some computers have DVD
drives, but many do not. In that case, the user would need a DVD
player to watch the video.
Confused yet? Our world is about to get much more complicated
with the advent of HD or High Definition. HD is a new format with
a much higher resolution than any of the SD (standard definition) video
formats. In addition to added video quality, HD is differentiated
by its wide screen proportions (16x9 versus 4x3 for standard
definition). HD has many applications for corporate
communications, especially for trade shows and large staged
events. Mainstream is now offering HD editing in our new HD suite.
DVD will continue to
evolve… look for the new HD-DVD
format to arrive in the next two years.
So the next time you aren’t quite sure which format you need,
let us help. We can convert from any format you have to any
format you need. Just Ask
Mainstream…
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