Resolutions
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Here's an overview of the available resolutions, scaled to 1:3.
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The biggest qualitative leap is between PAL (or SD, Standard Definition) and HD. The smallest qualitative leap is between 2K and HD (only 6% more resolution).
- 4K is not represented for practical reasons (it is four times the size of 2K), and also because 4K projectors are the exception. Nevertheless, it's relatively easy to obtain images in 4K -Red, 35mm Scan...-, to master images in 4K (perfectly handled by the DaVinci), and to broadcast them in DCP.
DCP
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DCP (Digital Cinema Package or digital cinema) is the digital version of the 35mm print: this is the format that all the multiplexes and a growing number of small cinemas rely on.
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A DCP is a collection of digital files used to store a film's information. It can be transported on a USB key (trailers ...), a hard drive, internet, etc ...
- The images are encoded in JPEG-2000: this is a very efficient compression algorithm, which can make the image lighter without losing details visible to the naked eye.
- A DCP is relatively small: about 300 GB for a feature film, less than 100 GB for a short movie.
- quality
10
- reliability
10
- flexibility
07
- widespread in big cinemas
09
- widespread in small cinemas
02
Benefits
- Exeptionnal quality
- Robustness: the whole DCP chain is very solid, the cinemas equipped to read DCPs are likely to be carefully calibrated
- Reproducible at a low cost: to copy a non-encrypted DCP, simply copy the DCP folder from one medium to another (eg.: a hard drive to a second hard drive).
- Subtitling: it is possible to add subtitles to a DCP without any re-encoding
Disadvantages
- Plurality of norms: the DCI (Digital Cinema Initiative), used by Hollywood studios, led to the Interop standard, a very rigid in terms of rates and resolutions. SMPTE standards are very recent (2010) and have widened standards by including the introduction of video frame rates (25, 50 frames per second, etc. ...). Not all DCP servers have been updated, and they do not all necessarily bear the 25 frames per second.
- Closed Captioning support: Standards in subtitling have also gone from 'Interop' to 'Smpte' and the new standards of subtitling are not guaranteed. Today, the only way to be 100% sure that the subtitles will not be a problem is to test the DCP in the cinema it will be projected in, or 'burn' (bake) the subtitles to the image (which requires re-encoding all the work)
- Encryption: The DCP can be encrypted, so as to be readable only by a particular DCP server at a given time. One then needs the 'key' to the encryption (KDM, Key Delivery Message) which can sometimes be a problem when errors slip into a serial number, in a version of subtitling, etc ...
35mm
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Despite a demise announced years ago, film is still very much alive, and always brings its unique look.
- quality
10
- reliability
10
- flexibility
01
- widespread in big cinemas
10
- widespread in small cinemas
09
Benefits
- Grain, dynamic, contrast, color, fragility ...
- Universal
Disadvantages
- Spoils: unlike a digital medium, the film deteriorates with each projection
- Expensive to reproduce
- Expensive to make
- Heavy to carry
Blu-Ray
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It is a revolution: for the first time in the history of cinema, the public can access a medium whose's quality almost equates the work achieved in post production. VHS and DVD brought big changes, but they were poor quality medias compared to the digital masters or film.
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Blu-Ray is a high quality media for films shot and post-produced in high definition.
- quality
08
- reliability
04
- flexibility
09
- widespread in big cinemas
05
- widespread in small cinemas
07
Benefits
- Quality: close to the master, high definition, high fidelity
- Reproducible at a low cost
- Can be watched with or without subtitles
- Accessible to small cinemas (but equipped with a HD projector). For a cinema with a low-definition projector (SD, Standard Definition), it is preferable to encode a special Blu-Ray SD than to let the Blu-ray player downconvert
Disadvantages
- Difficult to screen: Blu-Ray devices contain a form of digital copy protection (HDCP). This makes it impossible for the projectionists to integrate the Blu-Ray to their normal digital video circuit. Having to handle various formats, medias and frame rates, most movie theaters and festivals are equipped with various devices intended to modify signals, convert formats, navigate from one frame to another, etc. ... These devices are generally not compatible with Blu-Ray. It is sometimes necessary to connect the Blu-ray player to the projector, which is not always possible.
- Fragile: Blu-Ray has exactly the same appearance as a DVD or a CD. It therefore shares the same weaknesses: easy to scratch, break and gather dust.
- HDMI connections: the only digital output of a Blu-ray is usually the HDMI. It's relatively uncommon on cinema projectors, and can not bear long distances (more than a few meters), unlike the SDI.
- In practice: the only problems experienced with Blu-rays made at Charbon-Studio have occurred in cinemas that were not used to screening Blu-Rays.
- Requires a special mastering to obtain the best quality possible.
HDCAM
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HDCAM, introduced by Sony in the 90's is a HD recorder. It has become a standard in the distribution and conservation of films in television and major film festival.
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Its supremacy is now challenged by the DCP, the Blu-ray, and digital PAD MXF.
- quality
08
- reliability
09
- flexibility
04
- widespread in big cinemas
08
- widespread in small cinemas
04
Benefits
- Quality: close to the master, high definition, high fidelity
- Robustness: the tape and the recorder are very strong. The VTR can send an SDI signal, widely used by professionals as opposed to HDMI, used by the general public. The SDI signal can be transmitted without loss and without drop over long distances. Large festivals, most post-production studios and telivisions use SDI.
Disadvantages
- Quite expensive to reproduce
- Resolution: it is a smaller version of the HD signal 1920x1080 : only 1440x1080. Problems may arise, most notably on sharp diagonals.
- The cost of the VTR makes it exclusively available to television networks and wealthy structures.
HDCAM-SR
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The higher-end Sony VTRs. This is a broadcast format reserved for larger film festivals.
- quality
10
- reliability
10
- flexibility
04
- widespread in big cinemas
05
- widespread in small cinemas
00
Benefits
- Quality: very close to the master, high definition, high fidelity. The colour depth and the full definition of the image are preserved.
- Robustness: the tape and the recorder are very strong. The VTR can send an SDI signal, widely used by professionals as opposed to HDMI, used by the general public. The SDI signal can be transmitted without loss and without drop over long distances. Large festivals, most post-production studios and telivisions use SDI.
Disadvantages
- Expensive to reproduce.
- Very expensive to broadcast.
HDV
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The cheapest and the worst of HD tape formats. HDV is less interesting as a broadcasting medium since the Blu-Ray is accessible.
- quality
05
- reliability
04
- flexibility
04
- widespread in big cinemas
01
- widespread in small cinemas
05
Benefits
- High definition (like the hdcam, 1440x1080)
- Inexpensive to purchase so accessible for small screening venues
Disadvantages
- The image is highly compressed, which can be noticed in areas with solid colours, frames with many details and or shots with a lot of movement.
- Fragile media, prone to drops (small freezes or squares that appears on the image)
- Often wired to analog rather than digital
Digibeta
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Beta-digit (or Digital Betacam) has emerged as the standard everywhere. Just as the HDCAM it's a digital video recorder made by Sony in the 90's. But unlike the HDCAM, it only works in SD.
- quality
04
- reliability
09
- flexibility
04
- widespread in big cinemas
10
- widespread in small cinemas
08
Benefits
- The highest quality of standard definition.
- Robustness: the tape and recorder are very strong. Like hdcam, beta-digit can send the signal to SDI
- Fairly widespread, at least more than the HDCAM as it's significantly less expensive
Disadvantages
- Standard definition only: 400 000 pixels (instead of 2 million pixels in HD)
- Quite expensive to reproduce
BetaSP
- Beta-sp (or Betacam), appeared in the 80's and is still in use today as it is a widespread media.
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- quality
03
- reliability
04
- flexibility
04
- widespread in big cinemas
10
- widespread in small cinemas
10
Benefits
- Cheap, widespread
- Robust despite its age
Disadvantages
- Standard definition only, analog only
- If poorly maintained, the Betacam SP equipment can lead to a poor screening
- Quite expensive to reproduce
DV
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The DV (Digital Video, variants: DVCAM, miniDV) is the standard that has made digital video available. It is now a little older, but still better than the DVD.
- For a better screening quality it is best to use a DV recorder rather than a camera. The recorder is more robust and well wired.
- There is no difference in quality between DV and DVCAM. DVCAM is just a little more robust because it uses more tape to store videos.
- quality
03
- reliability
05
- flexibility
04
- widespread in big cinemas
02
- widespread in small cinemas
07
Benefits
- Cheap, widespread
- Better quality than the DVD
Disadvantages
- Only in standard definition, almost allways wired in analog
DVD
- The most common standard, used in all productions, is also one of the least trustworthy standards.
- quality
02
- reliability
04
- flexibility
10
- widespread in big cinemas
07
- widespread in small cinemas
10
Benefits
- Cheap and universally used
- Easy to view
Disadvantages
- Standard definition only: 400 000 pixels (instead of 2 million pixels in HD)
- Often wired in analog
- Extremely high compression of the image
- Requires mastering to get the best quality possible
Editing suite
- In most cases a Mac Pro with a video card (eg, Blackmagic, AJA), that sends a signal to SDI, HDMI or Component to the projector.
- The use of a video card is required. It is possible to use USB video cards to send the SDI signal, making it possible to use laptop computers (eg MacBook Pro with a Matrox MXO or laptop with a Blackmagic Intensity UltraStudio or Shuttle)
- Sans carte vidéo, on revient dans le domaine des Computer Media, beaucoup plus problématiques.
- A technique widely used in film schools and some festivals.
- quality
09
- reliability
04
- flexibility
09
- widespread in big cinemas
02
- widespread in small cinemas
03
Benefits
- High quality: an editing station can directly read the master avi or quicktime or mxf
- Much better and cheaper than HDCAM
- It's inexpensive to screen a film in a room equiped with an editing station: just copy the master on the station.
- Flexible: it's easy to view a particular subtitle track or to choose a particular version of the soundtrack or of the audio
Disadvantages
- Hard to implement if the room is not already equipped with an editing workstation
- Is as reliable as the computer. But computers are more likely to interrupt a screening than VTRs are.
