HD Tape Formats

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HD Digital Videotape Formats

This is the current crop of HD formats in use today. As with the SD formats, below we list comparisons of resolutions and compression, as well as the various frame sizes and frame rates that are possible.

In addition, one of the main areas of confusion lately is that most of these formats do not record a "true" (full raster)16x9 frame size. Most formats use a type of anamorphic "squeezing" to reduce the bandwidth of the video, recording the widescreen video into a more square-like frame. On display, these formats are "un-squeezed" to display a proper 16x9 dimension. But on capture into various editing systems, the formats may be captured "natively", which means that the video is captured at its squeezed frame size. This is perfectly natural- the video is now the same in the computer as it is on tape. No extra information is lost in the process. Use the information below to confirm the frame sizes of the formats you are working with. The downside of anamorphic 16x9 is a loss of some horizontal resolution.

Refer to Native Editing for more information on "native" capturing into an editing system and refer to Aspect Ratio Confusion in HD for more information on anamorphic "squeezed" HD.

DVCPRO HD: Developed by Panasonic. Similar compression type to DV 25 but uses a higher bit rate up to 100 Mbit/sec, depending on the specific HD format being recorded. Highly popular format because of its lower bit rates, and incredible resolution considering how highly compressed the format is. Native recording format for the Panasonic Varicam or the newer camcorder style HD cameras from Panasonic including the AG-HVX200. Although similar data rates as HDV, it does not suffer from the same motion artifacts as HDV as DVCPRO HD does not use temporal compression like HDV. Although Panasonic is moving away from cameras that record to tape, DVCPRO HD is still found on many DVCPRO HD decks for camera recording or post mastering.

• 1080 formats record at 1280x1080
• 720 formats record at 960x720
• 1080p at 23.98, 24, 25 fps
• 1080i at 25, 29.97, 30 fps
• 720p at 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 59.94, 60 fps
• Component
• 4:2:2 chroma sampling
• 8-bit
• DCT compression at approx. 7:1 (intraframe)
• Up to100 Mbit/sec bit rates
• 8 audio channels

HDCAM: HD version of Digital BETACAM. Used in conjunction with the original Sony CineAlta HDW-F900 camera. One of the more notable aspects of this format was that it was the first HD format to truly break into mainstream filmmaking, used to shoot Star Wars Episode I. It has become one of the most common high end mastering and delivery formats. A newer, higher resolution version of this format now exists: HDCAM SR, listed afterwards.

• 1080 formats records at 1440x1080
• 1080i, 1080p
• 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 30 fps
• Component
• 3:1:1 chroma sampling
• 8 or 10-bit
• DCT compression at 7:1 (intrafield)
• 144 Mbit/sec (bit rate)
• 4 audio channels

HDCAM SR: Newer flavor of HDCAM. Multiple improvements include the capability to record uncompressed color resolution and a full 16x9 frame size of 1920x1080. Used in conjunction with the Sony CineAlta HDW-F950 camera, the Panavision Genesis camera ("Panavised" CineAlta) and the Sony F23 CineAlta camera. A field tape deck called the SRW1 is dockable, in other words, can be mounted on a camera similar to film magazines, which frees up the camera from being tethered to a connected deck. Recent films shot with the Genesis camera include Superman Returns, Apocalypto, Grind House, Déjà vu, Scary Movie 4 and many others.

• 1920x1080 (full frame 16x9)
• Square pixel
• 1080p, 1080i
• 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 59.94 (in 720p) fps
• 4:4:4 RGB recording
• Optional- 4:2:2 component recording
• 10-bit
• MPEG-4 Studio Profile compression (at 4:1 for 4:4:4 recording)
• Intrafield compression for interlaced video
• Intraframe compression for progressive video
• 440 Mbit/sec (bit rate)
• 12 audio channels

HD D5: By Panasonic. HD video is recorded using standard D5 videotapes. Supports multiple HD resolutions, frame rates and frame sizes. Unlike SD recording, HD recording is spatially compressed. The format has become one of the most common high end mastering and delivery formats.

• 1920x1080 (full frame 16x9)
• 1280x720 (full frame 16x9)
• Square pixel
• 1080i and 1080p, 720p
• 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 59.94 (in 720p) fps
• Component
• 4:2:2 chroma sampling
• 8 or 10-bit
• DCT compression at 4:1 (intrafield)
• 235 Mbit/sec (bit rate)
• 8 audio channels

Optional 2K processor enables 12-bit, 4:4:4 recording in 1920x1080 or 2K (2048x1080). RGB or XYZ color space. 188 Mb/sec bit rate.

HDV: Current adopters of this format include Sony, JVC and Canon. Used for recording HD video on DV videotape. Uses MPEG-2 Long-GOP recording (temporal compression). Due to the nature of the compression used, this format can suffer from motion artifacts, especially with fast moving or complex subject matter.

• 1080 formats records at 1440x1080
• 720 formats record at 1280x720
• 1080i, 1080p, 720p
• Depending on format, support for 23.98, 25, 29.97 fps
• 4:2:0 chroma sampling
• 8-bit
• MPEG-2 Long-GOP compression (interframe)
• Up to 25 Mbit/sec for 1080 formats
• Various compression ratios depending on the exact format
• 2 audio channels