HDX 900 – 1080/25p vs. 720/25p?

[Ernie Santella]

It sounds like you need quite a bit of info to completely understand the differences between 1080i, 720p 25fps vs. 60 etc.

First off is frame size. 1080i vs. 720p. One is not ‘better’ than another. What is the delivery of your video? Format should be decided by how you will edit and deliver.

Second is frame rate. You must be in a PAL county as you mention 25fps. That is native for some countries vs. 24 for the US. Now, shooting at 25fps will give you a film-like motion blur vs. 60fps for a vivid ‘video look’.

Third, the HDX900 has quite a range of adjustments including color and Gamma for different contrast ‘looks’. But I think that might be getting way over your knowledge at the moment.

I hope this helps to get you started.

Ernie Santella
Santella Film/Video Productions
http://www.santellaproductions.com

[Galen Yeo]

Thanks. To be specific – my question is not directed at which is “better” but how the eye detects any difference. I know the difference between the “progressive” look vs. the “interlaced” look.

The question is whether this matters when dealing with 1080 or 720 or if it’s more of a technical scanning issue that we shouldn’t worry about aesthetically. Or even if NLEs work better in one rate or another.

I believe that Panasonic initiated 1080 with this camera mainly because of the broadcaster’s preference for 1080 deliverables. But the question is: is there a visual difference? Thanks.

[John Sharaf]

What really matters is the native resolution of the origionating imager:
1920×1080 vs. 1260×720. The HDX is a 720 native imager and the transcode is made electronicly and then recorded on 1920×1080 (subsampled?). This transcode can be made anywhere in the post workflow; in the camera, in the digitizing, in the output in the transfer to HDCAM or even on playout. It will all look very similar and unless you are going to filmout reamins a relatively moot point. The fact is that most exhibition on home sets is at 720-760 lines resolution anyway, and the signal is severly compromised by encodeing in transmission or duplication anyway.

[Ernie Santella]

To answer the question of 1080i vs. 720. I feel recording in progressive looks smoother on motion. Especially if you record at 60fps. You get amazing slo-mo in post.

With NLE’s. One thing is storage space. Shooting at 720/30 vs. 720/60 takes up about half the storage space.

Ernie Santella
Santella Film/Video Productions
http://www.santellaproductions.com

[Galen Yeo]

thanks guys. will check it out.

[Peter Frick]

Hi. You might also try setting the shutter to ‘half’ when you shoot 1080i 25p or 720p 25p
This will get you away from too much of a strobbing feel. Go into the settings in the camera for shutter and on the last seting go through it until you get to ‘half’ which will enable this setting on the shutterswitch in front.
A matter of taste but you might try it.
Peter

[Galen Yeo]

thanks. will do so

[Baxter25]

Hi,

Can I get a pros/cons of shooting 1080 vs 720 on the HDX with the intent to blow up to film…?

thanks,
Kieran