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Can you record a 16:9 format to BetacamSP?
We are going to be mastering a video for a client that will be delivered to TV stations for broadcast via a news segment, or local TV show. The content will be shot on HDV in 1080 60i and edited in that format. Our plan is to make a 16:9 cut and a 4:3 cut available. We know just about every TV station in the nation still uses BetaSP, so it seems the logical choice.
The main questions is, can you record a 16:9 format to BetacamSP, or do you need to record to DigiBeta or another format? Any further thoughts?
Thanks
The Visual Rabbi
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4 Replies
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You can record a 16:9 image to betaSP (or any other 4:3 format) as either letterbox, edge crop, or anamorphic. Anamorphic is where you squish the image to fill/fit the 4:3 frame. Some systems+TVs can unsquish the image… e.g. DVD players connected to a 16:9 TV, upconversion to HD, etc. Though I don’t see any reason to record anamorphic onto betaSP.
Edge crop is where you chop the sides off. You can shoot with edge crop markers/framing to ensure that nothing important is in the edges.
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I send things out quite often in anamorphic, and receive the same. Works fine. Keeping in mind this is SD 16X9 not HD.
Charlie
ProductionKing Video Services
Unmarked Door Productions
Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel
Las Vegas, Nevada -
From my experience, local network news are going to want 4×3, you might be better off doing a center cut 4×3 to tape. The majority of local news is still analog 4×3 and some are broadcasting DTV but still 4×3. I think there are only a few big markets that are HDTV.
You might contact the station to find out for sure…if it’s anamorphic they may not un-squeeze it by mistake or not have the ability to do so…letterbox might be a safer bet if they will accept it.Erik
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To follow up, our local station in Denver does broadcast in HD (KUSA 9News). But they still take material on BetaSP and DVCam. Funny thing is between their sales person who gave me to their producer who gave me someone in their newsroom, no one could tell me specifically what ‘formats’ they accept.
So, I’ll be sending it in 4×3 on BetaSP. I suppose if stations ask for it, we’ll provide content in a 16×9 format of their choosing.
Thanks for the suggestions
The Visual Rabbi
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