HDV Goes Native: NAB '05

It’s time to give the HDV (High-Definition Digital Video) format it’s due. While critics might call it "bit-starved HD," many professionals are realizing that, like its standard-definition predecessor, there’s a wide range of applications where 720p or 1080i images captured at 25 Mbps on standard or MiniDV cassettes make financial and practical sense.

Equipment manufacturers have certainly taken notice. The emergence of a low-cost HD workflow has reached across the production chain to include cameras ( JVC, Sony), edit systems ( Adobe Systems, Apple Computer, Avid Technology, Canopus Co., Ltd., KDDI R&D Laboratories, Leitch Video, Pinnacle Systems, Sony [Vegas] and Ulead Systems); and a variety of HDV-compatible interface components ( CineForm, Heurus Software, Miranda Technologies and Sobey Digital, to name but a few).

A year ago all of these same nonlinear editing companies announced support for the HDV format, but only one ( Pinnacle) was able to offer a tool that would "natively" edit material directly from the camera. All others programs required users to cross-convert a clip to make it readable by the nonlinear edit system before work could begin.

This year NAB will herald the next step in HDV production: native editing support, which saves editors rendering time, money and, in most cases, image quality.

Most agree that NLE manufacturers have been prompted into action this past year due to the availability of JVC’s and Sony’s new 3 CCD "professional" HDV camcorders, which will both be on the NAB show floor.

Pinnacle’s Liquid Edition and Liquid Edition Pro NLE s (1) have been shipping with built-in native support since last fall. Andrew Baum, senior product manager for advanced editing products at Pinnacle Systems, said extending the company’s NLE architecture to include HDV support wasn’t that big a stretch. wwwpinnaclesys.com

The challenge for NLE companies is supporting the different HDV protocols for storing time code, audio and machine control advanced by JVC and Sony in their respective HDV cameras. For example, in its current single-chip GY-HD10U "prosumer" model camcorder, JVC doesn’t transmit useable time code during capture. Users can capture, edit and then lay off to tape, but they don’t have RS-422 deck and device control. JVC’s new GY-HD100 3CCD 720p HDV camera (2), part of JVC’s new Pro HD line of HDV gear, will make its debut at NAB this year and address these concerns. It captures SD and 720p HD images and will feature interchangeable lenses, four channels of audio and other new high-end production features as well. http://pro.jvc.com

Also making its NAB debut is Sony’s new HVR-Z1U HDV camcorder (approx. $5,950) (3), with professional lenses, XLR audio connectors and a variety of production features that include the ability to record DVCAM (SD) and 1080i HDV. www.sony.com/news

Although Apple is being very secretive about what it will reveal at NAB, the company currently suggests using third-party software codecs for Final Cut Pro HD from companies like Heurus Software and Lumiere HD to cross-convert the file to an AVI (QuickTime) format for editing. What’s clear is that it plans to encourage a wide range of HDV customers going forward. At its annual Macworld conference in San Francisco in January, Apple announced Final Cut Express HD, a $299 (4) professional editing software package, and a new version of iMovie, which both support 720p and 1080i HDV video in the 16:9 aspect ratio. It began shipping in March. Apple has also said publicly that HDV support will be included within "a future release" of its popular Final Cut Pro HD NLE software, so you can probably bet on seeing it at NAB. www.apple.com

Avid Technology will integrate native Long GOP HDV editing support across its entire NLE product line, from the latest versions of Avid Express Pro HD (5) on up to its Media Composer Adrenaline HD (6), by this summer. This includes fast IEEE 1394 data transfer between an HDV camera or deck and an Avid NLE system. This add-on HDV capability will be demonstrated at NAB and be offered to existing Avid users for a minimal upgrade cost. What’s so great about native Long GOP editing? It lets you stay in one efficient transmission format (MPEG-2), simplifying your workflow and giving you valuable speed and storage gains.www.avid.com

The latest version of Sony’s Vegas HDV editing software, Vegas, 5.0 D, has been optimized to be used with the Connect HD (7) software codec from CineForm (for a tutorial on how to use them together, see page 24). At NAB, Vegas 6.0 will be shown with the CineForm codec for native HDV (8) editing already loaded. The CineForm accelerator technology converts HDV material to an AVI format using the CineForm Intermediate codec to enable effects and compositing creation along with traditional nonlinear editing functions. Using this strategy, the limitations of Long GOP editing and processing time are greatly reduced, according to Sony. http://mediasoftware.sonypictures.com

Adobe Systems has also recommended that its Premiere Pro customers use the CineForm Connect HD codec software package to convert files before editing HDV or any type of HD material. At NAB 2005 Adobe will show an HDV software plug-in, which it officially released in early March as a free download to Premiere customers, that can be fully accessed through the Premiere Pro timeline interface. The company’s NAB exhibit will include a Sony HDV camcorder connected to Premiere Pro and the ability to make high-quality edits and add transitions and effects on the fly. Earlier Premiere customers can upgrade to 1.5 for $199. www.adobe.com

Leitch confirmed that it too will support native HDV editing in the next version (9.5) of its Velocity HD edit system (9), to be demonstrated at the show. The company says that customer demand for the format began at NAB 2004. www1.leitch.com

Canopus will show its EDIUS Pro 3, now shipping. EDIUS Pro 3 supports native HDV MPEG-2 streams, as well as real-time transcoding of HDV in the Canopus HQ codec. www.canopus.com

What’s the resounding refrain from NLE manufacturers? Giving customers what they want: an edit system that supports as many compressed and uncompressed digital formats as possible; the ability to edit HDV as naturally as they do other material; and above all, the ability to combine standard-definition and HD clips on the same timeline.

When it comes to HDV editing, customers want the same ease of use they have grown accustomed to with DV: a low-cost, fully integrated system that does not compromise on speed or quality. At NAB 2005, manufacturers of NLE systems are ready to deliver.