Anbei ein Fach-Magazin-Artikel von vielen, der in exemplarischer Weise aus der Sicht eines Profis geschrieben ist und doch darauf aufmerksam zu machen versucht, wie sehr sich heute die sogenannte "B-to-C"- mit "B-to-B"-Welt zu überschneiden beginnt: auf der einen Seite wird heute jeder bessere Consumer-Artikel, der was aus sich hält, im "Profi-Look" angepriesen und auf der anderen Seite ist es eben der "input" aus dieser Welt, der zunehmend auch das Geschäft der wirklichen Profis mit zu prägen beginnt.

WS.

"A friend from Pinnacle was in the other day to discuss the company’s NAB plans. During the meeting, he mentioned a new recording format, HDV (high-definition on DV tape). Pay attention to this format, he said.

HDV can provide the recording and playback of high-definition video on a DV cassette. The format is currently being proposed by four companies: Canon, JVC, Sharp and Sony. Basic specifications for the format were proposed in July 2003 and further refined in October.

HDV supports both 720p and 1080i display formats and enables the development of products conforming to the global high-definition infrastructure. The format records 16:9 video using MPEG-2 compression at MP@H-14. Sampling is 4:2:0 with 8-bit quantization of both luminance and chrominance. Audio is digitized at 48kHz with16-bit quantization and then compressed to 384kb/s by MPEG-1 audio layer II encoding. Total bit rate runs from 19Mb/s to 25Mb/s, depending on the selected format.

The first product I’ve seen to incorporate these specs is the new JVC GR-HD1 camcorder introduced last March. It’s been receiving good reviews in prosumer magazines. (See "Video Systems" magazine, September 2003, www.videosystems.com/ar/video_edit_hdv/index.htm).

Some reading this editorial may scoff at HDV, saying it’s only a consumer format. Don’t be hasty. Because the new format employs the same cassette case, tape speed and track pitch as the DV format, it can use all the mechanics of a standard DV recorder or camcorder. This makes it easier (and cheaper) for manufacturers to develop other HDV products - perhaps even some with professional features?

Broadcast used to drive consumer technology. Today, the tables have turned. Electronics manufacturers look for technology that can be sold in the quantity of millions. This allows them to distribute the development costs of a new technology across several products selling hundreds of thousands of units per model. When they do, it becomes easier to upgrade that technology into professional solutions that may sell only a few thousand units.

Look for more consumer technology to be spun up to professional applications. When that happens, we all benefit with more features and lower prices."

BE

Editorial from e-Zine "www.BroadcastEngineering.com"
February 2004, Volume 46, Number 2, Pages 5-6