Once again Sony leads the digital video editing revolution and their commitment to HDV will play a major driving force in the sector. But elsewhere there was a feeling of consolidation: Matrox gave prominence to their RT.X100 over their new HD editing solution (axio); Canon were showcasing their high end SD camcorder, the XL2; and replication technology was firmly rooted in DVD.
This is no surprise.With no means of content delivery, event videographers are seduced by technology but ultimately let down. Stunning visual quality proudly presented on plasma screens can't fail to impress and quality is the clear selling point of HDV. But is quality enough? Should pursuit of quality be at the cost of efficiency? My feeling is a resounding, "no". Informed opinion suggests down converted HDV is superior to DV, that investing in HDV now is a wise move. I always strive to offer my clients the best quality possible, but my resources are finite. To replace my existing DV technology would cost in excess of £10,000. And after filming in HDV on my HDV camera, realtime HDV editing on my HDV card, I'd finally output in standard definition.
The lack of content delivery embedded in my mind, I approached a major DVD reproduction distributor for their opinions on next generation technology. As far as DVD reproduction goes, this is a non-issue - DVD is the only solution. This is worrying. Not only do we have the ongoing competition between Blu Ray and HD DVD, we also have no idea of when this technology will be mass produced. So with no means of recording and viewing high definition video, the only solution for the foreseeable future is down conversion. This is one videographer that will wait for all pieces of the jigsaw to fall into place.
Matrox understand this. Aware of the inefficiency of an input/output mismatch, they understand the event videographer would be wise to wait and provide an upgradeable editing solution in their Axio system. Available in both HD and SD variations, the SD unit is future-proof thanks to the ability to upgrade to HD at any time by adding the HD breakout box. A step in the right direction, but a more expensive solution than their purely SD realtime solution, the RT.X100. Moreover, there's no mention of H.264, the compression codec used in both next generation DVD solutions.
But HD wasn't the only technology showcase. Tenomichi displayed the world's first demonstration of their High Definition real time video editing system, 3D Edit Pro. Don't let the the words High Definition seduce you - this product does more than support HD editing. Using their expertise in the gaming industry, Tenomichi harness the power of the graphics card to render effects in realtime. Receptive to the needs of today's rapidly changing video editing market, Tenomichi are positioning themselves as a real alternative to the established players and I look forward to seeing the development of 3D Edit.
Technology advances are always a show stopper, but lighting and grip specialists were also in force at the show. No matter how good the quality of HDV, the fundamentals of video will always remain the same - they're often the difference between an average and spectacular shot. Cranes were the showcase in terms of grip, with prices from Hague well within the budget of even the casual user.
The annual Video Forum expo gains in popularity each year. Providing a unique opportunity to handle specialist equipment and showcase new technologies, it's a compulsory date in the diary of anyone involved in video at any level. I look forward to seeing you all at Video Forum 2006, along with Blu Ray/HD DVD showcases!
