Hi-Def Video Conference Installers Houston
With today’s advances in video technology, we’ve all heard of high-definition video and how we should demand its quality in our videos. But what is high-definition? Wikipedia offers a wealth of information full of tech-terminology that could make your head spin. Essentially, high-definition video is any video system offering a higher resolution than standard-definition (SD) video. That may not sound very convincing, but as anyone who has watched their favorite movies on Blu-ray Disc can tell you, the quality is astounding.
How HD came to be
Many people may think HD is a recent advancement, but the first HD system known as NTSC or System-M reigned supreme from 1948-1956 in Europe. Other systems were attempted, such as System-A, but didn’t gain widespread usage. Upon Europe’s standardization of the 625 line system, PAL emerged as the HD video format available around the globe.
The 1980s were a hard time for HD technology, as many systems were introduced, but none took off as hoped. Japan introduced their HighVision 1125-line television standard and NHK’s analog HDTV system, but the United States abandoned the standard for DVB analog standards. While the HighVision system continued to be usable, there was no equipment in circulation to utilize it. Essentially, most HD technology hit a brick wall toward the end of the 1980s.
Seeing is believing
Today, high-definition video has rebounded with exceptional quality and usable delivery systems. The cost-saving and ease of transfer for special effects has carved out a niche for HD in filmmaking. The movies of today, such as Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and The Pink Panther, have shown us the high-definition possibilities in video. Directors, such as George Lucas and Michael Mann, and sci-fi favorites including Star Trek: Enterprise have begun using HD video to help bring their characters to life.
Movies and television aren’t the only ones beefing up their videos. Video game systems, including PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 offer HD gaming to their customers. While not all games are available in true HD, they can all be up-scaled to HD resolution. The PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Marketplace now offer their customers HD movies and video clips designed for their gaming systems.
While high-definition video may have had a rocky start, it is growing exponentially in uses and availability today making many people ask “Have you seen it in HD?”