Understanding Video Formats for the Maxedia

With the Maxedia system Martin is getting into a new world called: Video.
Suddenly you are confronted with a lot of new names, formats and
abbreviations from the video world when you are doing a demo for the
Maxedia. In this document I try to explain briefly the different formats.
lease use this document as a guideline, much more information can be
found on the internet.
A. Video connections analog:
In the old days, things were easy! we connected video outputs to video
inputs and were done. "ow we#ve got several video connections: $omposite
video, %&$ 'or S(Video), *+,, digital -V, S-I, .-(S-I, -VI, V+/,0
Mainly all analog signals are getting replaced more and more by digital
signals. .ere is a short overview:
Composite Video: $omposite video or called $V,S '$olor Video ,lan1ing
synchroni2ation) is still the most used connection. 3his signal contains all the
signals to transfer analog video. It4s a 5composition4 of 6uminance, color and
synchroni2ation signals into one signal. Which ma1es it easy to connect video
between e7uipment through one coax(cable. 3his is the lowest 7uality for a
video source, but again, it is also the most common. 3he connections are
through ,"$ or *$/ '$inch) connectors.

,"$(lug *$/(plugs *$/ to ,"$ converter
S-Video : S(video is often incorrectly referred to as S(V.S since it first came
into home use with the introduction of that video tape format. rofessionals
prefer the name %&$ video rather than S(video since it is more clearly
description of the signal format.
3he connection has 8(pins. 3wo for ground, one for the composite image in
,lac1 and White '6uminance), and one for the color information
'chrominance).
3his cable is good for short distances between video e7uipment, and gives
better 7uality of video certainly on the colors.
It is not useful for longer distances, due to color shifting which can appear.
3he better Video recorders have a setting to change timing settings of the
incoming signal to remove the shifting of both signals caused by a long cable.

S(Video $able $onnections
SCART 'Syndicat des $onstructeurs d#/ppareils *adior9cepteurs et
39l9viseurs) or :;*<connector: S$/*3 is mainly used in the home
environment to connect a video with a 3V set. 3his connection allows
$omposite, S(video *+, analog video and analog stereo audio to be
transmitted between e7uipment using a single multi(cable. 3he cable lengths
are always short due to this purpose.
Many adaptors are available to interconnect $omposite, S(video 'and more)
to the Scart connection.

S$/*3 $able S$/*3 adaptor
RGB: 3his analog *+, '*ed +reen ,lue) connection has higher 7uality then
the composite or s(video signals and is been used for high 7uality consumer
and professional e7uipment. 3he signal consists of the = basic colors of
video. 3herefore less signal conversion and handling needs to be done inside
the e7uipment which gives better 7uality. 3he green signal contains also
synchroni2ation signals.
$onnections are in = colors and in *$/ or ,"$
YUV: '% *(% ,(%, %br) With the introduction of -V- players, an analog %;V
video connection was introduced for the high(end 3V4s. Since there is some
confusion of what to label the connector %;V, *(% ,(% and %br is been
used. %;V is derived from gamma corrected *+,, and gives more accurate
and crisp images. 3he same cables as *+, are been used for connections.
%;V cable
VGA 'Video +raphics /rray): a graphics display system for $s developed by
I,M. V+/ has become one of the 5de facto4 standards for $s. Since its
introduction in >?@A, several other standards have been developed that offer
greater resolution and more colors 'SVGA, XGA,0), but V+/ remains the
default. /ll $s made today support V+/, and possibly some other more
advanced standard. 3he signal is distributed through a >B(pin connector -,(
>B and adaptor cables exist of B(wires. 3he so called B(wire connection. *ed,
+reen, ,lue, .ori2ontal Sync and Vertical sync.

$onnector -,(>B /dapter V+/ to B(wire ,"$
B. Video connections digital:
DV, Firewire or IEEE1394: Cirewire accepted by the I::: as the I:::>=?8
standard was invented by /pple to be a peripheral standard between devices
across its entire product line at 8DDMbits&sec. In >??B, a tiny connector
showed up on the first -V camcorders shipped by Sony. 3he so(called -V
'-igital Video) connection. -V was the 1iller application for Cirewire. 6ater on
everybody adapted this protocol for new digital video devices li1e camera4s,
V$*4s, -V- recorders etc0 both in the consumer and professional world this
has become a common connector to distribute -V short distance between
devices. /ccording to the standard 8DD Mbit&sec over 8,B meters. 3his means
it4s mainly been used for "6: '"on linear :diting) purposes on $s and Macs.
Therefore its not suitable for the Maxedia to connect a Camera since the
distance is very short. '/lthough I4ve been doing tests up to BD meters with
$/3B cable since the -V data is about >DDMbit&sec.) It4s only to be used to
transfer video into the Maxedia.
3he E possible connectors. 3he normal and small connector.
3he -V signal contains /6 'AEDxBAF pixels EBfr&S) or "3S$ 'AEDx8@D pixels
=Dfr&S) signal at sustained =,B Mbyte data per second.
3o connect a 6ive camera to the Maxedia either analog composite&S(Video or
S-I is suitable.
SDI (Serial Digital Interface YC!Cr: 3his is the digital version of the %;V.
3he %;V is digiti2ed and then seriali2ed at very high speed around EADMh2
signal in a @(bit signal. 3his signal is now more and more replacing the
analog composite and *+, signals in broadcast and presentation events.
$amera4s, Video mixers etc all start to use this signal.
3he signal digiti2es al BAFi 'AEDxBAF pixels) and "3S$ 8@Di signals
'AEDx8@D pixels)
3he signal is distributed on a ,"$. /nd the same coaxial cable used for
$omposite and *+, signal can be used again. 3his ma1es it a popular signal
since the same cabling can be re(used and the 7uality is digital on long
distances '=DD meters). /n even longer distance can be achieved by
transforming the signal onto fiber.
S-I ,"$ connection
"D-SDI: T#e "ig#-Definition SDI version has higher >D(bit video
resolution and .igh definition 3V formats up to >D@DxAED pixels, >?EDx>D@D
pixels. 3he luminance and color is seriali2ed: 3herefore the signal needs to
go higher in fre7uency up to >,8B+bit.
3he same ,"$ $ables are been used. It is possible to transmit the video
symmetrical on two ,"$4s.

.-(S-I ,"$ connector
DVI (Digital Video Interface: / digital interface standard created by the
-igital -isplay Wor1ing +roup '--W+) to convert analog signals li1e V+/
into digital signals to accommodate both analog and digital monitors. -VI
handles bandwidths up to >FDM.2 and supports ;G+/ and .-3V with a
single lin1. .igher resolutions can be supported with a dual set of lin1s
parallel. 3he -VI is going to replace the analog V+/ for graphic cards,
monitors and other devices li1e plasma screens or proHectors for example.
-VI is limited to B(meters in distance, according to the -VI >.D
specifications. ,ut with solid soldering techni7ues, using low capacitance,
thic1er -VI cables and fiber optic interface technologies, the distance of -VI
transmission is not limited and can extend as far
as BDD(meters from the source to the display device.
3he Maxedia uses the -VI output to transmit the high 7uality output images.
C. Video formats
Cor who wants to 1now more about video formats, what is interlacing or
progressive video, -V etc. .ere is an overview.
$#at is analog Video%
<riginally when video formats were invented they were designed to be
transmitted through 3V broadcast stations on wireless Video transmitters.
What are the basicsI / camera is scanning the video lines one by one from
top to bottom until the whole video field was scanned. /nd then the camera
started to re(scan the lines again from top to bottom. <n the other side the
3V(set is receiving the same signal and displays the same video line of which
the camera is scanning at that moment. 3o be able to sync the two systems,
the camera is transmitting extra sync pulses so that the 3V set can
synchroni2e at the same line which is transmitted and at the same field. 3his
explains if the sync pulses are not received properly by the 3V set because
the video signal is too wea1 for example, the screen starts scrolling and
flipping.
= video formats are used world wide. 3hese formats differentiate from each
other by the amount of frames&sec and the format of sync signals.
( /6 'hase /lternation by 6ine) Mainly used in :urope.
BD frames per second, FEB lines per frame.
( "3S$ '"ational 3elevision System $ommittee) Mainly used in /merica, /sia.
B?,?8 fields per second BEB lines per frame.
( S:$/M 'Systeme :lectroni7ue $ouleur /vec Memoire)
BD frames per second, FEB lines per frame.
Mainly al and "3S$ formats are been used.
$#& is 'ideo interlaced%
/ video movie is a se7uence of images 'called frames). /6 3V is video
displayed at EBfps 'frames per second) and "3S$ 3V at =Dfps.
Video at EB or =Dfps is enough with human eye properties but on 3V screen,
image is perceived flic1ering. :ngineers found that displaying the same frame
in two parts 'called fields), meaning one field is for the odd lines '>, =, B,
A...) and one field for the even lines 'E, 8, F, @...) and doubling the rate 'FD
>&E fps and BD >&E fps) avoid the flic1er.
3herefore analog video became interlaced video: FD half(images per second
for "3S$ and BD half(images per second for /6.
3his is important to 1now because these interlaced video images displayed
on a computer monitor, are resulting into strange shifted images:

3he faster the image is moving on video, the more the image will be
distorted, because of the even and odd lines displayed simultaneously on a
computer monitor which are shifted in time >&FD or >&BD of a second.
$#at is deinterlacing%
Cor the best video 7uality on a computer monitor the even and odd video
fields need to be merged bac1 together for a proper video image.
3he simplest method is remove one field and duplicate the other field:
,ut the end result is a picture with only half of the resolution since two lines
are duplicated.
3he result is improved by using interpolation or JestimatingK the second
field#s values by wor1ing out mid(values from the lines above and below it
from the first field. 3his leads to a smoother loo1ing computer image:
$#at is progressi'e scan%
"ew video formats which don4t interlace the original video image but
generate frames directly without doubling the fields into even and odd is
called progressive scan. Some video(camera4s li1e the Sony -(>BD -V$/M
can be set into progressive scan.
3his results into better images when used on a computer image output and
gives better end(results on the Maxedia for 6ive $amera.
Important:
Video files (#ic# are )sed on t#e *a+edia s&stem s#o)ld t#erefore
!e deinterlaced first or !e in progressi'e format,
3he movie will loo1 better and the system will calculate only EB or =D frames
instead of BD or FD fields. Which results in better performance for the system
in overall.
$#at is digital Video%
-igital video is digiti2ed analog video. Video consists of video(frames. :ach
frame is digiti2ed separately. :ach frame consists of pixels. 3he amount of
pixels defines the resolution of the video frame. Cor example AEDxBAF pixels
for a full al frame. :ach pixel contains information for *ed, +reen and ,lue.
/nd finally each of the = colors is digiti2ed as an @ to >D bit resolution data.
/s you see, this is a lot of data to storeL If you would store all this raw *+,
data for each pixel then you would end up for this example in =>Mbyte&sec
data. 3his is so(called uncompressed video data.
Since data storage is not endless, the amount of data to store a video(file is
very important. 3herefore, a video file is most of the time compressed when
it is digiti2ed, to save valuable data. 3o be able to stream video over the
internet for example, video needs to be compressed to very high level.
$#at is compression%
$ompressing video is a smart way to remove unnecessary data. /n extreme
example would be: if all pixels of a whole video(frame would be white, it is
not needed to store white for each individual pixel for that frame. In reality it
is much more complex then that. 3hat4s why there are so many compression
formats available. 3hese are called $odec4s: -V, M:+>! M:+E, M:+8,
$inepac, Indeo, 6igos, -ivG, WMV, *:/6, etc0 "one of them are ideal since
it4s always a 7uestion of 7uality versus data(storage&sec. 3he more the file is
compressed, the more the video file will loose its original 7uality in general.
,ut every year the compression methods are getting better and better. Some
codec4s compress individual frames li1e the /VI and Muic13ime formats.
<ther codec4s even compare the differences between the frames and store
only the differences and re(compress that data again to ma1e it even smaller.
6i1e the M:+ formats >, E N 8, Windows Media, *eal(player etc0
Which format is the best is depending on the needs. If it4s for the web some
codec4s li1e *:/6(layer, Muic13ime, Clash Video, Windows media. <ther
codec4s are made to have a good 7uality while the data rate needs to be
constant, for example Video -is1 V$- is using M:+> at a constant bit rate
because the mechanics are the same as from a $-(player. 3his decoder
needs a constant bit stream. M:+E is been used as the standard for -V-
video. /t this very moment the Windows Media :ncoder ? is having very
good results for new .igh -efinition video formats and is been used recently
by news reporters in Ira7 for broadcasting news reports from their difficult
location to the 3V stations. 3hey are using a little satellite dish to upload
compressed newsgathering to the news stations with their 6aptop with
compressed Windows Media ? video files.
T#e main 'ideo formats for t#e *a+edia are AVI ($indo(s and *-V
(.)ic/Time *acintos#, M:+, WMV formats are not been used at the
moment since they need a lot more calculation to decode real(time.
$#at is decoding%
3o show compressed video on a screen the video must be decompressed or
decoded first, to generate bac1 the original image. 3his needs a lot of
calculation. 3he computers are getting faster and faster each day to be able
to do this only in software. ,efore computers were fast enough dedicated
hardware interfaces were needed to do the Hob. :specially for high
compressed formats in high resolution video li1e the M:+ formats.
/VI files can be encoded into different formats.
T#e !est 'ideo 0)alit& for t#e *a+edia is ac#ie'ed (it# t#e AVI DV-
codec. 3his is the same codec that digital -V(video camera4s are using.
/lthough /VI files can be encoded with other codec4s, the performance is not
as good, because it ta1es more processing time to decode more compressed
files. *esulting in lower output frames&sec.
$#at is DV%
<riginally -V is the codec video camera4s use to store the digiti2ed video on
the internal tape of the recorder. 3his codec uses low compression B:>
resulting in very high 7uality images. -V is good enough that it#s used by
both consumers and many professionals as a compression standard.
3here are = tape formats 1nown as -V formats: Mini-V, -V$/M, and
-V$*< 'see below for a more detailed description).
3hrough a Cirewire or I:::>=?8 port of a computer the digital data can be
streamed without 7uality loss to or from the computer. 3he data is
=,BMbyte &sec or EBMbps. 3his is why it is called -VEB. This data rate is both
fixed and constant. It does not matter if the video is a high action sequence or is
totally black, it's data rate will always be 25b!s. "hile this can be inefficient, it
also makes it easy to !redict how much s!ace an amount of video will take u! on
a hard drive. #ere are some useful figures $si%es are a!!roximate&'
(econd ) *.5 +
, inute ) 2,5 +
- inutes, -. (econds ) , /+
, #our ) ,* /+
Are t#ere more DV 1ormats%
MiniDV: 0lso referred to as 12egular 341 15onsumer 341 or 6ust 134,1 ini34 is
the most common 34 ta!e format. ini34 !rovides the most universal !layback
com!atibility. ini34 ta!es can be !layed in any 34 device $including 3450
and 345728&, while many ini34 devices can !lay all three formats. ini34,
as its name im!lies, uses only the small 34 ta!es. 9ote that while the small 34
ta!es made by (ony are often marked 3450 and the ta!es made by
7anasonic are often marked 345728, it is the device that determines which
format is recorded: the ta!es are identical. (o if a (ony ta!e that is marked
3450 is used in a ini34 camera, the 34 data will be recorded as ini34.
DVCAM: 3450 is develo!ed and su!!orted by (ony. 3450 uses the same
3425 codec as ini34, so it has identical !icture quality, yet it has a faster ta!e
s!eed and a wider track !itch. This means that the data is recorded over a larger
area, which reduces dro!outs $dro!outs are defects in the !icture caused by the
!hysical loss of the !articles used on the ta!e to record&. This makes 3450 a
much sturdier and de!endable format that has found favor with higher;end
!roductions. 0lso, a ini34 deck, if used in an analog suite, cannot !erform
frame;accurate edits, while 3450 can. This makes it a good choice for !ost;
!roduction houses that want to sim!ly add 34 to their existing set; u!, but is of
no im!ortance to those editing over <irewire. 3450 can only be recorded in
s!ecific 3450 decks $made by (ony&, yet it can be !layed back in most
ini34 and 345728 decks.
DVCPRO: 345728 is 7anasonic's entry into the 34 format arena. 345728
has an even wider track !itch than 3450 $,= microns& and uses a metal;
!article ta!e $as o!!osed to ini34's and 3450's metal;eva!orated ta!e& for
even better durability. 345728 was aimed mainly at the T4s news market, were
it has gained some acce!tance. 0mong digital editors it is less used, and its
ado!tion was ham!ered by an initial short;sighted decision to not include
<irewire on 345728 equi!ment, although nowadays 345728 equi!ment has
<irewire.
So this means we can record these high 7uality images on hard drives 'with
only B:> compression) from these broadcast standards simply through the
Cirewire connection to the computer. :diting programs "6: '"on 6inear
editing programs) can be used 'even Windows Movie ma1er) to cut and edit
the footage to be used for Maxedia.
3hese -V(/VI video files are stored as:
( al AEDxBAF pixels EB frames or
( "3S$ AEDx8@D pixels =D frames per second.
'see below for description of /6 N "3S$ formats)
Digital-S from 2VC and DVC3R-45 from 3anasonic use E -V codec4s in
parallel at BDM,it&second to store higher data with more color information.
3hese formats are been used when chroma(1eying is needed. ,etter 1nown
as blue( or green(screen 1eying. Cor these applications the color information
is crucial for a good 1eying of the person in front of the screen, to be able to
replace the color by another image.
3hese format4s don4t have Cirewire connections, so cannot be used to capture
images to the computer with the standard Cirewire connections.
$#at is SD%
S- stands for Standard -efinition video and stands for the /6 AEDxBAF
'BAFi) and "3S$ AEDx8@D '8@Di) resolution uncompressed digiti2ed. %ou can
compare it with the uncompressed -V format E=B Mbps&sec. 3his data
format is been transmitted between video devices as S-I signal
$#at are "D-formats%
/lthough the Maxedia is not using the .-(formats yet, it is the upcoming
future. /t the "/,EDD8 exhibition the trend all(over is .-.
.- stands for upcoming .igh -efinition Video formats.
3he standard video formats below the .- format is called S- 'Standard
-efinition).
.- e7uipment is still very expensive. /n .- recorder will cost between
O8D.DDD and O>DD.DDD, based on what4s available today.
3herefore at this moment it4s not widely used yet, only in broadcast studios
and the better 3V series, but it4s good to 1now it exists.
DVI format: -igital Video Interface. -VI, launched in >???, is a purely
digital interface that transmits visual data from a source device to a display.
With -VI, there is no digital(to(analog or analog(to(digital conversion that
needs to ta1e place before, during or after transmission. 3his streamlined,
straightforward process ma1es -VI superior to other interface connectors,
such as analog.
"DC3: ("ig# definition content protection: "o more piracy. With the
advent of -VI, however, came .-$ 'high definition content protection), a
standard P1eyP encoded into the -VI signal to prevent video data from being
pirated. .-$
"D*I ("ig# Definition *)ltimedia Interface: "ow enters .-MI 'high
definition multimedia interface), a new connector that bases itself on the
-VI(.-$ model. .-MI with .-$ addresses the concerns of the .ollywood
film community while providing consumers the ability to view high 7uality
content on all .-3V displays and proHectors. It also offers several features
that ma1e it perfectly suited for the consumer electronics mar1et. ,ecause of
these advantages, .-MI is expected to become the standard digital interface
for consumer home theater devices, computers systems
and -3Vs. /lready, .-MI is being featured on Silicon Image#s new anel6in1
$inema chipset providing .-MI with .-$ for a high definition
content(ready solution, and consumers will li1ely see .-MI connectors on
new electronics devices for many years to come.
S)mmari6ed:
Input:
Cor Maxedia the best video 7uality is achieved by using:
( rogressive or deinterlaced video.
( -V(/VI files preferable, or /VI files encoded with low compression.
Muic13ime is an alternative but not native to the windows environment.
<utput:
3he output image is distributed by -VI which is the highest 7uality possible
for digital images produced by the Maxedia.