Archive notice: This article was originally published on June 7, 2005. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
HD is coming, by the 2006 Football World Cup at the latest, but it will not be cheap – neither for broadcasters nor for agencies and studios. All participants at the well-attended HD Forum 2005, to which Plazamedia had invited together with Medien-Campus Bayern and Filmtools Consult, agreed on this point. Moderated by Gert Zimmermann, the event revolved mainly around the problems in the introductory phase of HD, such as the simultaneous use of HD and SD content in one production, the question of the correct format (1080i or 720p) or the correct time for the investment.
High-ranking participants from manufacturers as well as broadcasters and service providers had appeared at the event, and those in particular complained about the high investment costs for HD, which were hardly offset by higher revenues.
The organisers presented an alternative for the beginning: They had organised an outside-broadcast van from Belgium’s Alfacam fully equipped for HD, which supplied some of the cameras and handled the control room for the HD cameras in the hall during the event.
One highlight was the live demonstration of Plazamedia’s virtual studio in HD: A Sony camcorder recorded a studio guest in front of a green screen. The camera’s current position in the room was constantly checked. Plazamedia relies on a combination of small white balls attached to the camera. The system must be able to locate at least three at a time in order to determine the camera position precisely. A Vizrt real-time rendering system simultaneously supplied the virtual set.
#HD Forum 2005
Another highlight was the direct comparison of HD and SD using a real – albeit somewhat kitschy – set. In addition to the unquestionably better quality of HD, the comparison also showed that correct focus adjustment in HD requires much more attention than in SD.
Sabine Riedel and Bernadette Reschberger from Bela Kosmetik demonstrated that even makeup is more demanding in HD productions. They warned that every grain of powder could be seen in HD resolution and recommended applying makeup to show guests and actors only very carefully and using no powder. To their amazement, the participants learned from the two that makeup can also be applied with an airbrush.
Dr. Matthias Kunert from Allianz’s in-house television was able to report good experiences with production in HD; he had produced an image film about the new Allianz Arena in Munich. He particularly praised the robustness of the Sony cameras used, which, mounted in protective boxes on the construction site, documented construction progress at one-minute intervals.
The crowning conclusion was a report on the postproduction of the ident for Beate Uhse TV in HD. By then, however, many had already been drawn to the beer garden and the weekend.
Further Links:
- Plazamedia
