Re: A Centillion number of formats and standards

Rant alert from an HD amateur:

I can add no experience or knowlege to this conversation regarding HD formats and framerates because everything I've ever done has been SD 30fps with drop-frame timecode. That took me long enough to get my head around. However, I read this forum constantly and every other forum that remotely relates to HD because one day I will have to/get to work in HD. When that day comes, despite everything I've read and tried to understand, I will know absolutely nothing and will likely be completely lost. It will be like I'm starting all over again.

Why? It's already been said--because there are far too many codecs, framerates, and whatever else there is to learn/worry about. When I started editing I couldn't wait for HD to become standard because I was sure that all the crap associated with standard def NTSC versus PAL (16-235 v. 0-255 levels, 30 fps v 25, 29.97 timecode to get an accurate running time, etc...) would go away and we could just concentrate on telling a good story/making a good commercial and the technical details would be easier. Well, that dream is shot, isn't it?

Although the silver lining, I suppose, is that those who do understand and can work with the ever changing formats and "standards" will be in higher demand. But then again, you'll not only need to know all the details of a bazillion different "standards" but you'll have to know how to edit, color correct, shoot, direct, produce, composite, create motion graphics, and act. For $20/hour.

Sorry for the rant. Hope it's not too off-topic or unwelcome.

Michael.