Focus on NAB99:
Post Production in the Era of HDTV
by Keith Lissak
If NAB99, dubbed "The Convergence Marketplace," is an accurate indicator of just where the post industry is heading, those who haven't already done so had better get acquainted with DTV. More specifically, it's time to think seriously about HDTV.
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But it is also the best place to see first-hand the technology that is affecting our industry. In particular, this year's show hammered home the fact that the era of HDTV broadcasting is upon us. With NBC now producing and transmitting 'The Tonight Show' in high definition, the race to implement HDTV should pick up even more. For Guild members, the future is now.
The Arrival of HDTV
Technology for shooting, posting and broadcasting HDTV was everywhere at NAB and is sure to impact the way Local 700 members work in the coming months and years. Before looking at some of these developments, though, it's helpful to review the current state of DTV and HDTV.
First, remember that DTV and HDTV are not synonymous. DTV refers to any of the 18 different picture formats approved for transmission by the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC). Using a compression scheme such as MPEG-2, digital data can be compressed more efficiently than analog data. As a result, DTV provides the pipeline for broadcasters to offer innovations such as interactivity, multicasting (sending multiple programs over one channel), high-definition pictures and 5.1 channel surround sound. Take a look at the timeline on page 13 to see how and when the implementation of DTV is scheduled to occur.
HDTV refers to the production and transmission of television signals at a higher resolution than 525-line NTSC or 625-line PAL. The images are also composed with a 16:9 aspect ratio, compared to NTSC's 4:3. For the last several years, two principal formats have been debated as the standard for HD production and transmission: 1080i and 720p. 1080i offers more than twice as many lines of resolution as NTSC, but is prone to the same artifacts caused by the two-field interlace scanning process. 720p provides approximately one-and-a-half more lines of resolution than NTSC, but the signal is scanned progressively, meaning the frames are not broken into two separate fields; rather, each frame is scanned in a single pass from top to bottom.
A key benefit of progressive scanning is that it eliminates many of the motion artifacts inherent to interlace formats, such as serrated edges on moving objects. Proponents say it is therefore better for programming things like sports. While watching a side-by-side demonstration of the two formats at Panasonic's NAB booth, I personally preferred the clarity of the 1080i images. Had the material been a hockey game or some other fast-moving sporting event, perhaps I would have leaned toward 720p. Hard to say, watching landscapes and close-ups of flowers.
The four major U.S. television networks remain split on which format they feel is best. Since neither they nor the studios can agree upon a single standard for broadcasting HD programming, the exact route and timetable for installing new production and post technology is especially difficult to predict. Adding to the mix is the fact that Hollywood has traditionally been a minor player in all of the format decision-making. Feature film and episodic television production is a very small piece of the global broadcasting picture, so the needs of people who shoot on film have not necessarily been priorities.
But that looks like it's about to change. One of the most newsworthy aspects of NAB99 was the showcasing of a progressive 1080-line, 24-frame digital mastering format that will facilitate output to all current and proposed television formats. 1080p@24 fps (generally referred to as 24p) is designed for use on film-originated programming, including features, prime-time television and commercials, and provides a single upgrade path for all DTV post production.
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From a practical standpoint, 24p technology removes much of the number-crunching necessary in a film-to-video environment. Telecine can be done on a frame-to-frame basis, although NTSC and PAL masters will still need to be struck for the foreseeable future. The format also makes it cost effective to do telecine transfers at the highest possible resolution, with lower resolution versions made by downconverting from the master. Editing and visual effects creation will then be performed at 24 fps, and a 24-frame list will be provided for conforming the master. Suddenly, 24-frame post production would no longer be the sole province of feature filmmakers.
A host of manufacturers unveiled products at NAB that support 24p production, including Sony, Avid, Discreet, Snell & Wilcox, Leitch, Panavision and Quantel. Avid's strategy for addressing DTV content creation includes the implementation of its 24p Universal Mastering technology into selected editorial products later this summer. The new Symphony Universal nonlinear finishing system will allow users to edit 24-frame progressive content in its native format, and at the push of a button deliver NTSC, PAL, 4:3, 16:9 and letterbox formats. It can also output film cutlists and 24-fps EDLs for HD conforming.
The Avid booth also showcased a technology demonstration of a total system for HD post production and finishing. When available, it will provide a complete set of high-definition editing, audio, graphics and effects tools, along with the ability to automatically conform and finish programs originated on Media Composer, SOFTIMAGE|DS or Symphony systems.
Sony is even further along in its support of HDTV technology. The company worked closely with NBC to design and build the new HD control center for 'The Tonight Show', and is also collaborating with Laser Pacific Media Corporation in Hollywood on the building of one of the industry's first full-blown 24p post-production centers. Core elements of the innovative Laser Pacific system include a Sony HD telecine, editor, switcher, digital effects systems and multi-format converter. Of course, Sony Pictures Studios has also been operating its own High Definition Center for several years now.
That's not all. Sony has recently been working with Panavision on the development of a 24p HD camera system that can be used for filmmakers. This digital cinematography system was extensively field tested during the production of 'Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace'. According to Sony marketing personnel, the film's creators were so pleased with the quality of the HD images after their transfer to 35mm that some of the material was incorporated into the movie. The word is that Lucasfilm now plans to utilize the Sony/Panavision digital cinematography system much more extensively during the shooting of the next two installments of the 'Star Wars' films, scheduled to begin production in early 2000. Reports even have it that the next episode will be shot entirely in HD.
Quantel was another manufacturer showcasing new technologies for HDTV production. The company's "Step by Step to HD" strategy introduces HD systems that will work alongside existing 601 systems, thereby providing a clear path for moving into the future. Among the company's featured products was Clipnet, a high-speed network for linking standard-definition to high-definition systems; Publisher HD, a storage and output system with advanced up-resolution capabilities; and Editbox Chaser, an interface that allows the company's Editbox system to perform native nonlinear HD finishing.
The Move to Desktops
Processing HDTV signals requires great amounts of storage and bandwidth, something that only powerful, expensive systems can currently handle. It stands to reason, therefore, that finishing high-definition programming will fall to the major post facilities and studios that can afford the substantial investment in the new technology. Standard-definition video, on the other hand, is increasingly being posted on computer desktops. And Windows NT desktops at that.
NT workstations were everywhere at the show. While Avid showcased Media Composer Version 8.0 for both the Mac and NT, it also demoed Version 9.0, scheduled to run solely on NT and targeted for release later this year. (For more on Avid's migration to NT, see Todd Busch's article on page 1).
Across the hall from Avid, Media 100 was attracting attention of its own with its Finish family of content creation systems for Windows NT. The four products that make up the family are designed to meet a range of needs, from basic online assembly to long-form editing to high-end video post, and include capabilities such as real-time audio and dual-stream visual effects creation.
Media 100 is certainly a company to watch in the months ahead. The capabilities of its products have progressed nicely, and its offline systems can even match back to 24-frame via third-party software. But more than anything else, the growing popularity of desktop systems from companies like Avid and Media 100 highlights the fact that the post production of standard-definition television continues to evolve rapidly.
With the increased power of desktop systems, it is no longer necessary to rent a full-blown online suite for certain applications. Avid's Symphony, for example, can be used to perform such tasks as color correction, scratch removal and pan & scan. Some producers are already requesting this type of work from their editorial staff. It's no surprise that desktop finishing systems are now being marketed directly to producers, thereby bypassing the post house and studio altogether. There's one more reason why high-definition will become the province of the post houses and studios.
Taken as a whole, these developments will certainly change the dynamics of the television post industry in the years to come. That's why NAB99 was so fascinating: It provided a window through which to view the future of our industry. Whether that future is bleak or bright depends on your perspective.
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Reprinted from
The Motion Picture Editors Guild Newsletter
Vol. 20, No. 3 - May/June1999
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