Video Terms – The full breakdown

Techniques

18 August 2010 12:31

When you read about the latest D-SLR’s to hit the market, you will have got used to hearing the term HD. HD stands for High Definition and it’s a term primarily used to describe the quality of video. If you’re unsure of the differences between 720p and 1080i, you’ll like this page that reveals a glossary of HD terms.

HD High Definition

This is actually quite a vague term that really means ‘anything higher than standard definition’ with the latter offering pics that measure roughly 720x576 pixels. We say roughly because there are many different TV standards across the globe.

720p

An HD format that offers pictures sized at 1280x720 pixels.

1080i/p

1080i/p is commonly referred to as ‘Full HD’. This format offers pixel dimensions of 1920x1080. The ‘i’ in the name stands for interlaced.

Progressive Scan

This is used on all modern monitors and digital TV’s. This records and displays the full recorded frames one after the other (just like a roll of film).

Interlaced Scan

This is the older method associated with analogue TV’s, where each frame has two half-resolution fields which are laced together. This means the ‘i’ takes up less storage space, but isn’t as clear for fast moving, action sequences.

FPS

This stands for frames per second and the rate at which a camera records video. The norm is 25fps for UK TV, or 30fps for US TV. If you go beyond this, you’ll get ‘overcranking’ or slow motion. Some D-SLR’s such as the Canon 5D Mrk II and Canon EOS 7D allow you to shoot at 60fps.