July 2008

Hello Blue Sky Media Clients and Colleagues,

The HD DVD war is finally over and Sony's Blu-ray has won. So we are now offering an HD/Blu-ray Option Upgrade!

See HD/Blu-ray Option

HD 101
High Definition (HD) Video is a larger (up to 1920X1081), higher resolution picture in a 16:9 aspect ratio as compared to our current NTSC or standard def. which is 720X486 with a 4:3 ratio and broadcast in 525 interlaced lines at 30 frames per second.

HD has numerous sub-format acquisition variations. The two most common are 1080/60i (1081 lines at 60 interlaced frames per second) & 720/24p (720 progressive lines at 24 frames per second)... but there is also 1080/24p, 1080/30p, 1080/30i, 720/60p, 720/30p, 480/60i, 480/24p, and 480/30p...

There are several cameras out that shoot affordable HD aimed at the event videography market. We chose the Sony HVR-Z1U because not only does it have a huge beautiful HD picture but the camera has all the onboard professional features (XLR audio jacks, manual gain and iris
controls etc.) that you expect from a true broadcast camera.

Sony HVR-Z1U:

The Z1U is a compact 3 Chip HD Camcorder using the new universal HDV format which every manufacturer has the option to produce. It records HD onto a standard minidv tape (the format all wedding videographers use) using a variation of MPEG-2.

The ZU1's three CCD's generate over 1.1 million pixels each recording a true 1080i HD image... which is why it has been the HD indie film tool of choice for years now.

If you upgraded to HD:

We would shoot and edit in HDV and you would receive:

• 4 Blu-ray DVDs as well as 2 Standard DVDs

The decision to upgrade or not should be made at the time of booking.

“ POOR MAN’S” HD...
If you like the aspect ratio of HD (widescreen/16:9) we can simply shoot standard definition video in 16:9 which will give you the same experience as when you rent a (standard) DVD to watch at home that is in widescreen... on a regular tube TV it will be letterboxed.

A still from a 16:9 image shot with the PD-150

Another from the same wedding.

HD is also in a 16:9 aspect ratio (this is standard def in 16:9). With a 16:9 TV set, you would not see the black bars. It would fill the screen...

Not only is it a personnel preference but different TVs. plasmas etc. handle widescreen differently. The best thing to do is take my Demo DVD
(which has plenty of both aspect ratios) and determine which one you like on your TV.

Additional cost for shooting in 16:9/Standard Def.: $0

*Unless I'm told otherwise, I will stick to the original plan and shoot it in 4:3 standard def.

Q&A

Q: Will Blu-ray DVDs play in existing players or on regular TVs?
A: No way, different format altogether.

Q: Are Blu-ray players backward compatible?
A: Not at the moment.

Q: Is it more expensive to make copies of a Blu-Ray Disk?
A: Yes, the blank media is very pricey at the moment.

Q: Didn't you say above that the HDV-Z1U performs poorly in low-light?
A: Yes, in very low-light, where you are prohibited to use an on-camera light (a dark church), the image is going to suffer. This will not be an issue for most people. I would have to consult you individually based on your locations and time of day.

Q: Can the HDV-Z1U do 24p?
A: No, it shoots 1080 lines at 60 interlaced frames per second. First, no small camera like this can mimic film. If they could, everyone would buy these to shoot movies on. The “film look” you see in demos was created in post using special software like Magic Bullet. The more frames you have to work with, the better. Plus, you still have to convert back to 30 fps for NTSC anyway.

Q: What is HDMI?
A: HDMI or HD Multimedia Interface is not a format but a cable that will replace the current component cabling from your player to your set. It is a single cable that carries lossless HD video, audio and multimedia data.

If you have any other HD questions, please feel free to give me a call: 760-747-8489 or email: pat@blueskywedding.com.

All the best,
Patrick Rea
Owner, Blue Sky Media