Standard Definition (SD)
OMF and MXF Resolution Specifications and
Estimated Storage Requirements
Avid resolutions use a simple notation - x:1 - to identify the level of compression. The value of x indicates the level of compression that is applied to the image data. For example, a 3:1 compression ratio compresses the original data to one-third of its uncompressed size.
A lower compression ratio (a lower number to the left of the colon) results in better image quality but requires more drive space to store the captured media. A lower compression ratio might also require drive striping to keep up with the high volume of data.
The following two tables provide information about the Avid resolutions for interlaced media (30i NTSC and 25i PAL projects). Field size does not include blanking or VITC lines. The first chart relates useful information about a particular resolution, while the second chart provides estimated storage needs based on resolution and number of audio tracks being captured.
Related Topics:
• How to determine how much time all your logged clips add up to be
• How to determine how much space you have available on a media drive or partition
|
Resolution
|
Field Size
(Visible Pixels) |
Fields Per Frame
|
Quality
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
15:1s
|
352 x 243 (NTSC)
352 x 288 (PAL) |
1
|
Offline
Maximum storage with enough image detail to make basic editing decisions (you can check lip sync on a medium shot)
|
|
4:1s
|
352 x 243 (NTSC)
352 x 288 (PAL) |
1
|
Offline
A good storage resolution combined with a good offline image quality
|
|
2:1s
|
352 x 243 (NTSC)
352 x 288 (PAL) |
1
|
Online
Provides enough detail for finishing multimedia jobs such as CD-ROM and Web authoring
|
|
20:1
|
720 x 486 (NTSC)
720 x 576 (PAL) |
2
|
Offline
Useful for mixing storage-efficient offline footage with online-quality resolutions
|
|
10:1
|
720 x 486 (NTSC)
720 x 576 (PAL) |
2
|
Offline/online
A good compromise for high-quality, two-field offline or low-quality online that saves drive space
|
|
3:1
|
720 x 486 (NTSC)
720 x 576 (PAL) |
2
|
Online
A medium-quality online resolution that can sustain two-stream playback on 2-way striped drives
|
|
2:1
|
720 x 486 (NTSC)
720 x 576 (PAL) |
2
|
Online
Provides the highest image quality of any compressed resolution and sustains two-stream playback on 4-way striped drives
|
|
1:1 SD
|
720 x 486 (NTSC)
720 x 576 (PAL) |
2
|
Online uncompressed
Provides the highest 8-bit image quality
|
|
1:1 10b SD
(MXF only) |
720 x 486 (NTSC)
720 x 576 (PAL) |
2
|
Online uncompressed
Provides 10-bit image quality
|
Estimated Storage Requirements for Standard Definition Resolutions
|
Resolution
|
Audio Tracks
|
Minutes Per Gigabyte
|
Drive Space Needed for 1 Minute of Media
|
Drive Space Needed for 10 Minutes of Media
|
Drive Space Needed for 30 Minutes of Media
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
15:1s
|
0
|
48.5
|
20.6 MB
|
206 MB
|
618 MB
|
|
1
|
38.6
|
25.9 MB
|
259 MB
|
777 MB
|
|
|
2
|
32.1
|
31.2 MB
|
312 MB
|
936 MB
|
|
|
3
|
28.2
|
35.5 MB
|
355 MB
|
1.07 GB
|
|
|
4
|
24.5
|
40.8 MB
|
408 MB
|
1.22 GB
|
|
|
8
|
16.1
|
62.0 MB
|
620 MB
|
1.86 GB
|
|
|
4:1s
|
0
|
11.6
|
85.8 MB
|
858 MB
|
2.57 GB
|
|
1
|
11.0
|
91.1 MB
|
911 MB
|
2.73 GB
|
|
|
2
|
10.5
|
95.4 MB
|
954 MB
|
2.86 GB
|
|
|
3
|
9.9
|
101 MB
|
1.01 GB
|
3.03 GB
|
|
|
4
|
9.4
|
106 MB
|
1.06 GB
|
3.18 GB
|
|
|
8
|
7.9
|
127 MB
|
1.27 GB
|
3.81 GB
|
|
|
2:1s
|
0
|
5.8
|
172 MB
|
1.72 GB
|
5.16 GB
|
|
1
|
5.7
|
177 MB
|
1.77 GB
|
5.28 GB
|
|
|
2
|
5.5
|
182 MB
|
1.82 GB
|
5.46 GB
|
|
|
3
|
5.4
|
187 MB
|
1.87 GB
|
5.61 GB
|
|
|
4
|
5.2
|
193 MB
|
1.93 GB
|
5.79 GB
|
|
|
8
|
4.7
|
214 MB
|
2.14 GB
|
6.42 GB
|
|
|
20:1
|
0
|
16.6
|
60.1 MB
|
601 MB
|
1.80 GB
|
|
1
|
15.3
|
65.4 MB
|
654 MB
|
1.96 GB
|
|
|
2
|
14.1
|
70.7 MB
|
707 MB
|
2.12 GB
|
|
|
3
|
13.2
|
76.0 MB
|
760 MB
|
2.28 GB
|
|
|
4
|
12.3
|
81.3 MB
|
813 MB
|
2.44 GB
|
|
|
8
|
9.8
|
103 MB
|
1.03 GB
|
3.09 GB
|
|
|
10:1
|
0
|
8.3
|
120 MB
|
1.20 GB
|
3.60 GB
|
|
1
|
7.9
|
126 MB
|
1.26 GB
|
3.78 GB
|
|
|
2
|
7.6
|
131 MB
|
1.31 GB
|
3.93 GB
|
|
|
3
|
7.3
|
136 MB
|
1.36 GB
|
4.08 GB
|
|
|
4
|
7.2
|
140 MB
|
1.40 GB
|
4.20 GB
|
|
|
8
|
6.2
|
161 MB
|
1.61 GB
|
4.83 GB
|
|
|
3:1
|
0
|
2.9
|
344 MB
|
3.44 GB
|
10.32 GB
|
|
1
|
2.9
|
349 MB
|
3.49 GB
|
10.47 GB
|
|
|
2
|
2.8
|
354 MB
|
3.54 GB
|
10.62 GB
|
|
|
3
|
2.8
|
360 MB
|
3.60 GB
|
10.80 GB
|
|
|
4
|
2.7
|
365 MB
|
3.65 GB
|
10.95 GB
|
|
|
8
|
2.6
|
386 MB
|
3.86 GB
|
11.58 GB
|
|
|
2:1
|
0
|
1.9
|
516 MB
|
5.16 GB
|
15.48 GB
|
|
1
|
1.9
|
521 MB
|
5.21 GB
|
15.63 GB
|
|
|
2
|
1.9
|
526 MB
|
5.26 GB
|
15.78 GB
|
|
|
3
|
1.9
|
531 MB
|
5.31 GB
|
15.94 GB
|
|
|
4
|
1.9
|
537 MB
|
5.37 GB
|
16.11 GB
|
|
|
8
|
1.8
|
558 MB
|
5.58 GB
|
16.74 GB
|
|
|
1:1 SD
(Uncompressed) |
0
|
0.8
|
1.22 GB
|
12.2 GB
|
36.6 GB
|
|
1
|
0.8
|
1.23 GB
|
12.3 GB
|
36.9 GB
|
|
|
2
|
0.8
|
1.23 GB
|
12.3 GB
|
36.9 GB
|
|
|
3
|
0.8
|
1.24 GB
|
12.4 GB
|
37.2 GB
|
|
|
4
|
0.8
|
1.24 GB
|
12.4 GB
|
37.2 GB
|
|
|
8
|
0.8
|
1.26 GB
|
12.6 GB
|
37.8 GB
|
|
|
1:1 10b SD
(10-bit Uncompressed) |
0
|
0.6
|
1.53 GB
|
15.3 GB
|
45.9 GB
|
|
1
|
0.6
|
1.54 GB
|
15.4 GB
|
46.2 GB
|
|
|
2
|
0.6
|
1.54 GB
|
15.4 GB
|
46.2 GB
|
|
|
3
|
0.6
|
1.55 GB
|
15.5 GB
|
46.5 GB
|
|
|
4
|
0.6
|
1.55 GB
|
15.5 GB
|
46.5 GB
|
|
|
8
|
0.6
|
1.58 GB
|
15.8 GB
|
47.4 GB
|
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