HDCAM
Media type | Magnetic tape |
---|---|
Usage | Video production |
HDCAM is a
HDCAM is standardized as SMPTE 367M, also known as SMPTE D-11. Like most videotape formats, HDCAM is no longer in widespread use, having been superseded by memory cards, disk-based recording formats, and SSDs. Despite its decline in usage, Sony still manufactures new HDCAM tape stock as of 2023.[1]
SMPTE 367M
SMPTE 367M, also known as SMPTE D-11, is the
HDCAM SR
HDCAM SR was introduced in 2003 and standardised in
There are 12 channels of audio recorded uncompressed at 24 bit 48 kHz sampling. Each channel is capable of recording AES3 non-audio data.
HDCAM SR was used commonly for HDTV television production. In the mid-2000s, many prime-time network television shows used HDCAM SR as a master recording medium,[7] but it is no longer in widespread use.
Some HDCAM VTRs play back older Betacam variants, for example the Sony SRW-5500 HDCAM SR recorder plays back and records HDCAM and HDCAM SR tapes, and with optional hardware also plays and upconverts Digital Betacam tapes to HD format. Tape lengths are the same as for Digital Betacam, up to 40 minutes for S and 124 minutes for L tapes. In 24p mode the runtime increases to 50 and 155 minutes, respectively.
HDCAM tapes are black with an orange lid, and HDCAM SR tapes black with a cyan lid.
440 Mbit/s mode is known as SQ, and 880 Mbit/s mode is known as HQ.
Sony also announced a higher compression mode called SR Lite.[8][9] As with the 440 and 880 mode, SR Lite utilizes the MPEG-4 Part 2 Simple Studio Profile but decreases the bit rate to 220 Mbit/s for 60i and 183 Mbit/s for 50i. SR Lite is locked at 4:2:2 color sampling but still maintains 10 bit pixel depth. It also allows for 50 and 60p at the cost of a doubled data rate (440 Mbit/s for 60p).
The Sony SRW-5800 HDCAM SR VTR has the ability to record both the left eye and right eye of 3D content to a single tape. It syncs the two eyes together and takes up twice as much space on the tape as a normal recording. Other HDSR decks also support 3D such as the SRW-1 HDCAM SR Portable VTR and the SRW-5500/5000 which can play back either channel A or channel B of the Dual Stream 4:2:2 recording.[10]
See also
References
- ^ "HDCAM Magnetic Storage Tape".
- ^ "A look at HDCAM SR | TVyVideo". www.tvyvideo.com.
- ISBN 9781450003575– via Google Books.
- ISBN 9781136024184– via Google Books.
- ^ a b "Sony Professional - Products and Solutions To Redefine Your Business". pro.sony.
- ^ a b "Change Country". pro.sony. Archived from the original on December 12, 2007.
- ^ "BBC Guidelines to the common technical standards agreed by the BBC, BSkyB, Channel 4, Channel 5, ITV and S4C" (PDF). Mentions HDCAM SR to be the only acceptable delivery format.
- ^ "Sony for Professionals:Open Workflow with MXF and SR Lite".
- ^ HDCAM SR Press Conference "Power Of Images"
- ^ "Broadcast, Professional and Business solutions". www.sony.co.uk.
External links
- Guide To DTV Standards: Video Recording
- Overview of Digital Video Standards -- PowerPoint presentation