What is the procedure for "converting" older shows into HD? Example, HDNET broadcasts Hogan's Heroes in HD and while it may not be HD perfection, it is much better than the original analog picture.
Dale, I thought this sidebar in the March/April '04 issue of The Perfect Vision magazine was interesting:
Though films are not made up of pixels, when a motion picture is digitally scanned on a state-of-the-art telecine machine, the telecinist can extract as many as 4096 pixels of information across the horizontal axis. Widescreen anamorphic DVD gives you 720 pixels in the horizontal axis; HD has a potential 1920 pixels. In other words, video records and preserves around 53--83% less information than film does.
These differences in resolution are further reasons why DVDs (and to a lesser extent HD tapes) cannot achieve film-like sharpness, color detail, and dimensionality, especially in medium-to-long shots. We've all had the "pasty-faced blob" experience on DVDs. The director cuts from a big close-up of an actor, looking so sharp you can see the pores in his face, to a long shot of the same actor, and suddenly you can't even make out his face, much less the pores. Obviously, nearly all of the available pixels on the DVD were being used to reproduce the actor's face in the close-up, and in the long shot maybe one-twentieth as many. When you have a mere 720 pixels to start with (compared to film's 4000), one-twentieth the resolution represents a considerable falling-off. There just aren't enough pixels "there" to hold fine detail.
Though HD tapes and broadcasts are considerably better than DVDs in this regard, they still do not match the detail, range of tone and color, and dimensionality of motion pictures. HD tapes can look wonderful, all right. But they look like wonderful video. There is nothing wrong with this; it's just a fact we have to face, if we're gonna be honest about the differences between film and video. (by Jonathan Valin)
John, very enlightening. Thanks a lot. Joe, I agree with you on the virtue of 35mm cameras and film. But one day, I plan to own a digital one-waiting for the new Minolta DSLR to come down in price since I already have an array of AF lenses.
same reason I am waiting for the slowdown that will occur with megapixels the same way processors slowed down in pc's. then maybe a d1x will be affordable.
Peas
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I'd be very wary of listening to Joe. His advice has proven to be questionable in the past.
Thank you. As far as Joe's advice, I can assure you that I take all advice on this forum with a healthy dose of skepticism. It's all subjected to critical analysis. Some of the advice is just plain wrong but the postors would never admit it. Take care.