HD Guide

Be a Hero in Your HD Project

Most Importantly – Think Backwards

A clear understanding of HD technology will help you be a hero for your clients as you move from production to post to distribution.  Thinking backwards from the distribution step will guide the process for HD because the technical requirements of the distributor will dictate what you need.  It’s important to find out the technical specs of the network that airs your project BEFORE you shoot.  For example, you would not want to shoot in true 24p (not 23.98) if the material is going to be broadcast. (24p is used for a film out.)  Of course, no one wants to spend time and money creating an unnecessary step between shot material and output when it could have been avoided. 

Resolutions – Ask Before You Shoot

An important question to ask the network:  Do you accept 720p or 1080i?

Reference – 720p means the material is shot as one frame versus interlacing lines of information.  The 720 is 720 lines of resolution with the letter p representing a progressive or non-interlaced lines of data. 720p more closely resembles film since the material is captured in one image.   

1080i – 1080i is interlacing fields of information.  The monitor first displays the odd-numbered lines then fills in with the even ones.  1080i is often used when the content needs to appear real such as for a nature program.

Watch for the future broadcast resolution of 1080p.  Right now, no networks broadcast in 1080p, but experts think that this may be a popular format in the future because it combines the features of one image with 1080 lines of resolution.

When you begin to shoot, you’ll need to know what types of cameras your production company are using so you know the resulting resolution.  Some cameras such as those with the P2 card can shoot both resolutions.

Of course, if the material has already been shot, you’ll need to ask the shooter, the resolution such as 720p or 1080i, the frame rate, for example, 23.98, 29.97, 30i, etc. and the format such as HDCam, HDV, DVC Pro HD, etc.

So what if your material is already shot in one resolution and the channel needs it in another?  Here’s a tip to help:  We advise that you should usually go through the entire post process in your original resolution (let’s say 720p), and once the material needs to be output, we can convert it to the other format (let’s say 1080i). 

To keep the quality of your material high, it’s generally preferable for most projects to stay in the same resolution through post and then convert at output rather than asking Final Cut to convert it during editing.  A good rule of thumb is to let Final Cut do the frame rate conversions (for example, 23.98 to 29.97) then let the HD card handle the frame size conversion (for example, from high definition [HD] to standard definition [SD]).  Frame size conversions by Final Cut can result in more formatting issues, even though Final Cut is technically resolution independent.

Graphics/Titles

A general rule of thumb is to create graphics/titles in their final output format except in the rare case of when you’re taking SD-acquired material and promoting the full SD project to HD.  In that instance, you should keep the graphics/titles in SD.

Converting between the Defs

If you need to convert a project that’s completely SD to HD, it’s generally best, again, to work in SD until the final output.

As a reminder, know that when SD material is up-rezed to HD, you can’t help but lose some of the image.  The aspect ratio from SD to HD changes (4 x 3 for SD to 16 x 9 for HD).  You’ll have to choose whether you’re ok with losing resolution by pushing in on the 4:3 image, blowing it up and cropping it at the top and the bottom; or by pillar boxing the 4:3 image into the 16:9 image.

The Many Formats

Some examples of delivery and acquisition formats:

HD Closed Captioning

Know that the FCC mandates that any new video programs, including news, movies, etc., shown on TV by a video programming provider (telcos, cable operators, etc.) MUST be captioned 100% while content providers should closed caption older programs, but are not required to.

The process to closed caption for HD is different than for SD.  As a shameless plug, Gamma Blast offers easy HD closed captioning – quick turnaround, with guaranteed accuracy for our transcription and encoding services.

Finish Well

Toward the end of your HD project, look at the project in SD video.  Good-looking HD images aren’t an insurance policy that the piece will look good once it has been down converted.

Hope This Helps

During the HD revolution, we hope this knowledge helps you be a hero for your clients.  Of course, if you have questions or need more information, contact Chad Denning at or 615.321.9552.  He’ll be happy to put on his superhero cape for you.

About Gamma Blast:

Gamma Blast, formerly Music City Digital, is a place where visual entertainment is born and supercharged.  Clients rely on Gamma Blast to develop and enhance eyeball-pleasing content for video, TV and new media services including production, post production, DVD/interactive and music clearance.  A partial client list includes networks: Country Music Television (CMT), Great American Country (GAC), Speed Channel and PBS; numerous record labels such as Universal Music Group and EMI/CMG; and corporations including BMI and Nissan.