Producing in High Definition Television (HDTV)


What It Means

High Definition Television technology is being called "the biggest change in video since the introduction of color". High Definition Television (HDTV) captures images at an incredibly high resolution (it contains five times the picture information of today's standard television), it is a wide screen panoramic 16 x 9 format versus today's 4x3, and it also has five channels of CD quality Dolby AC3 surround sound.

HDTV looks remarkably similar in picture quality and sharpness to 70 mm film, yet it has a vitality and realism of its own. It's clarity, sharpness and amazing ability to catch the smallest details makes HDTV a perfect medium for the presentation of beauty and wonder of nature and the emotions and characteristics of people. And being an electronic medium, it lends itself to the flexibility and immediacy required when shooting the great outdoors.

Television stations across the country are transitioning to a Digital Television (DTV) Transmission system that will support up to 18 different television formats, from the current Standard Definition signals up to the highest quality wide screen High Definition Television images. As HDTV imagery will be the highest quality, programming in HDTV will be reserved for prime-time high impact viewing.

In addition to HDTV's unmatched image quality, it is the most flexible format for distribution, which in turn creates more revenue opportunities. HDTV is the only electronic medium available which provides high quality conversions to virtually any format, such as the 18 mentioned above which includes NTSC (the current American format), PAL/SECAM (used in most countries throughout the world), Standard Definition 4x3, Standard Definition 16x9, and even film. The ability to convert HDTV to any other format means the program can be distributed in any market in the world.

As domestic and international markets switch to Digital Television, and television screens change from the almost square 4x3 shape to the wide screen 16x9 aspect ratio, programs shot in today's low resolution Standard Definition at 4x3 ratio will have limited market value. There will be a growing demand for widescreen, high resolution HDTV programming as the world transitions to digital television, and our programs will be in prime position to fill the programming needs of these emerging domestic and international broadcast market for many years to come.

HDTV is poised to become the new world standard in television and video projection. Standards have been adopted, broadcast frequencies and licenses have been reserved, and digital High Definition television sets are being developed for widespread introduction. Once the world gets a look at HDTV, its color, clarity and impact, there will be no turning back.


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