HDV brought affordable high definition to independent filmmakers. Leonard Guercio lists the 10 pros and 8 cons of shooting HDV and what they mean today.
When JVC introduced their first HDV camera in 2004, it signaled a new era of affordable high definition imaging. Very soon afterwards, Sony and Canon rolled out their HDV cameras, firmly establishing the fledgling format in the exciting new world of HD production. To the low budget independent or student filmmaker, making HD movies was now no longer an aspired goal but a practical reality. And the fact that one could acquire these HD images on the same DV tape used for standard definition recording was nothing short of a major technological breakthrough.
However, as with many new tech solutions, there are also drawbacks as well as benefits to the HDV format. I’m reminded of the expression that goes: “You don’t gain something without first having to give something up.” If you know what that trade-off is and you agree to it, there is no problem. It’s the not knowing that could lead to potential problems down the road. With this perspective in mind, let’s take a look at some of the benefits and drawbacks of HDV.
HDV BENEFITS
1. HD camera for under $5K price point.
2. Cameras have many features of more expensive professional cameras.
3. 19 Mbps to 25 Mbps data rate.
4. Many HDV cameras have three 3-chip imagers.
5. 720p or 1080i lines of resolution.
6. XLR audio inputs.
7. Editing support on all major NLE’s. 8. Relatively low cost videotapes are ideal for archiving.
9. Tapeless solutions also available like DVD, HDD or Flash memory.
10. Ideal for studio-controlled recordings like interviews, table top, etc.
HDV DRAWBACKS
1. Poor at handling scenes with rapidly changing details, thus causes video artifacts.
2. Interframe compression: only the first frame of up to 15 frames contains all info.
3. 4:2:0 color sampling makes for less color info.
4. Videotape drop-out can cause images to freeze briefly.
5. Limited ability to control depth-of-field.
6. Distinctive look of video except in 24p mode.
7. Cinema modes, in some cases, not very useful.
8. Rapid pans and tilts cause judder effect.
Any good craftsperson will tell you that you need to use the right tool for the right job. HDV is an excellent, low-cost HD solution that can produce excellent images in the proper situations. Ultimately, it’s up to you to know when to use this special tool. Leonard Guercio is an independent filmmaker and an adjunct film professor at Temple University in Philadelphia.
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