Communicate Your Vision: When and Why HD?

By now, you've probably heard that all broadcast TV is going HD in 2009 (this time, they really mean it...really!) However, if you are not producing content for a major network, you've probably found yourself wondering if HD will provide any value for your productions. The answer, as with many things, is "It depends..."

First off, there is no argument that High Definition (HD) video, in all it's various flavors (1080i, 720p) and formats (HDCAM, DVCProHD, HDV) provides superior image quality, detail, and color when compared to Standard Definition (SD) video. For many applications, this simple improvement in quality may be enough to justify the move to HD. After all, who wouldn't want superior image quality, detail and color?!

At Frame x Frame, the key question we ask for determining whether a move to HD is appropriate is, "How and where will the video be shown?" If the answer is "on the 4x3 television in our conference room," SD may perfectly fine for the job. If the answer is "On an 80 foot screen in a convention center," the answer is clearly HD. The trick is figuring out whether HD or SD is appropriate for all of the cases in between the 13" conference room television and the 80' screen in the convention center. It is in this in-between area where I will focus.

To start determining whether HD is appropriate, you should first think about the size and shape of the playback screen where the video will most commonly be played. Will it be on a 50" Plasma at the trade show that is 16x9 aspect ratio or on a computer monitor as part of a Powerpoint presentation. The general rule is that larger screens in a 16x9 shape tend to benefit more from the shape, color quality,and detail level of HD.

Next, think about the subject matter of the video. Will the video be a series of talking heads or detailed shots of circuit boards with narration highlighting the design aspects of the circuit board. Greater levels of small detail tend to benefit from the "D", the "definition" of HD.

Finally, think about the future of the video. Will this video be used for a month or two right now in a single format or will it need to be updated and used for years to come and be shown in many formats. If the video will have a long shelf life, or man different types of uses, it may be bes to shoot and edit in HD so that the footage will have greater flexibility and will be more "future-proof" as video formats change over time.