Acquisition Formats

There are a number of manufacturers producing acquisition formats that claim the name High Definition, High Def or HD and include systems from low cost HDV to top end production formats such as HDCAM and DVCPRO 100. They all use recording methods which result in a higher resolution picture than Standard Definition, but some have significantly higher resolution than others and come with a correspondingly higher price tag. It is therefore important to understand that all High Definition video systems are not the same. Some may be acceptable for your production and others may not. Broadcasters also have different requirements and acceptance criteria when commissioning a High Definition production. See Broadcaster's Requirements.

The first step in choosing your aquisition format is to see what formats are available to you.