ABSTRACT
While the basic film system has remained virtually unchanged in well over 100 years, the video system seems to be in a perpetual state of rapid evolution. New video formats are introduced almost yearly, and swift technological obsolescence is the rule rather than the exception. Lucky for us, with each technological generation the trend is toward broader access to an electronic image that is sharper, richer, and increasingly responsive to the subtleties of light and shadow. A good example is the speedy expansion of high-definition video from a highly expensive professional format to one that in only a few years has become available at all budget levels of video equipment. Unfortunately however, the world of video engineers, corporations, and government committees have not managed to coordinate their efforts to establish a single national video standard, let alone a worldwide standard. With enormous profits on the line, corporate rivals and nations are all racing to develop their own superior system in the hope that theirs will become the new standard. Current count reveals dozens of major digital video formats, many of them in high definition and most of which also offer multiple frame rates and aspect ratios. These days the world of video production can seem like a technological tar pit for emerging filmmakers and veterans alike.
