| Digital video. In today's age we take this amazing | | | | higher, the more of the film quality that's preserved. |
| piece of technology so much for granted. The truth | | | | The reason for this is because for each image to be |
| is, that we are able to create digital video at all is | | | | salvaged the converter translates the image density, |
| simply amazing. | | | | color, shape and other attributes into digital format. |
| To understand digital video you first need a basic | | | | The more information there is to store the more bits |
| understanding of analogue video or what is more | | | | are required to store it accurately. For example. it |
| commonly referred to as videotape or even before | | | | would not take as many bits to store the image of |
| that, video film. | | | | say a black tie as it would a photo of the Mona Lisa |
| Technically, motion pictures are simply the speeding | | | | because the Mona Lisa has more detail to it. So some |
| up and displaying of still photos. Early motion pictures | | | | images you can get away with storing less |
| were recorded on film similar to photographic film. If | | | | information whereas other images you would not |
| you were to examine motion picture film it would | | | | even be able to recognize what they were, even if |
| look very similar to the negatives you'd see after | | | | you were storing the same amount of information. |
| taking your photos to the local photo-mart to be | | | | Again, this is simplifying things greatly. |
| developed. To oversimplify things, motion pictures is | | | | Okay, so what's the benefit of digital video if any? |
| simply taking those negatives, stringing them | | | | Actually the benefit is pretty great. With analogue |
| together and running them through a high speed | | | | film over time the film gets old and goes bad. So |
| projector to produce the illusion of movement. Of | | | | many old movies have had to be restored because |
| course the process today for film is much more | | | | of the terrible shape of the original prints. Some were |
| complex than that but you get the basic idea. | | | | so bad they couldn't be restored. With digital, there is |
| So then what is the difference between video film or | | | | nothing to get old. Bits don't age. So the digital video |
| tape and digital video? | | | | that you see today will look exactly the same 1000 |
| This is where we have to move into the area of | | | | years from today. With this technology you never |
| computers. For the purpose of not confusing anyone | | | | have to worry about losing video of historic |
| this will be described as simply as possible. In order to | | | | significance. A movie made today will not have to be |
| create digital video you first have to start with an | | | | restored 100 years from now. |
| analogue or film image. Let's take for example a | | | | Artistic people will claim that the quality of digital |
| home camcorder which still uses video tape similar to | | | | video is cold, that you don't have the warmth of the |
| the tape used in VCR tapes. After filming the moving | | | | look of film images. There may be something to that |
| image the camcorder would then be hooked up to a | | | | and the argument will probably go on for sometime |
| computer interface which is an analogue to digital | | | | about which is better. But one thing is for sure. Digital |
| converter. The film is then run through the converter | | | | video is here to stay, which means that our films of |
| where each image in the motion sequence is | | | | our 25th anniversary celebration are also here to |
| converted to a sequence of bits. The higher the bit | | | | stay. |
| concentration, whether it be 8 bit, 16 bit, 32 bit or | | | | |