 5.1 SOUND
|
What it does |
When should I use it? |
A standard in surround sound used
extensively for DVDs and also part of the
HD spec. The term 5.1 refers to the 5
discrete audio channels that are sent to
the speakers. Left, centre and right at
the front, and left and right at the rear.
A sixth channel (the .1) carries deep bass
sound effects.
|
On HD programming particularly for
delivery to overseas broadcasters. Likely to
become standard requirement in future
UK HD premier productions. |
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AAF |
What it does |
When should I use it? |
Advance Authoring Format.
Similar to OMFI.
|
To move media from one system to
another. |
| |
AIFF (Audio Interchange
File Format) |
What it does |
When should I use it? |
An audio file format standard (along with
SDII and WAV) used by professional-level
audio and video applications.
|
For storing sound data for personal
computers and other electronic audio
devices. |
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BWAV |
What it does |
When should I use it? |
The same as WAV but with a timecode
stamp.
|
When a WAV file with timecode is
required. |
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CD (Compact Disc) |
What it does |
When should I use it? |
Optical disc used to store digital data.
|
To transfer sound data (voice over
recording) copy of sound mix.
|
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DA88 |
What it does |
When should I use it? |
Digital audio format which records eight
audio tracks (four stereo pairs).
|
A delivery format for clean components –
clean voice, clean music etc.
|
| |
DAT
(Digital Audio Tape) |
What it does |
When should I use it? |
Digital audio tape which records one
stereo pair.
|
To record (and lock to) timecode.
This format has been largely overtaken by
the use of CD and DVD.
|
| |
DIGIBETA |
What it does |
When should I use it? |
Digital tape format.
|
Currently considered to be the industry
standard for high quality supply of
all material from rushes through to
final product.
|
| |
DVD (Digital Video Disc) |
What it does |
When should I use it? |
Optical disc storage media format that
can be used for data storage, including
movies with high video and sound quality.
|
To provide a viewing copy of a
programme or to transfer data from one
place to another. |
| |
DOLBY E |
What it does |
When should I use it? |
A compression algorithm that reduces
eight tracks down to two.
|
To compress a 5.1 mix into two tracks,
for 5.1 delivery on a Digibeta tape
(e.g. Stereo mix on 1&2 and 5.1 Dolby E
encoded on 3&4).
|
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DV FAMILY |
What it does |
When should I use it? |
The common digital formats are:- DVdesigned
as a consumer format, DVcam –
more robust but similar quality designed
for professional use, DVCpro-Panasonic
equivalent to DV. DVCpro50 is of similar
quality to Digibeta.
|
DV cameras are used from low budget to
high end programmes with a variety of
costs. Remember to think about post
production with DV as often the colour will
need extra effort if a lower spec DV
camera is used.
|
| |
H.264 |
What it does |
When should I use it? |
Standard for video compression also
known as MPEG 4.
|
For good results across a broad range of
bandwidths, from 3G for mobile devices
and iChat AV for video conferencing to HD
for broadcast and DVD.
|
| |
HIGH DEFINITION (HD) |
What it does |
When should I use it? |
| High quality tape and film formats. Variants of the 1080 standard have been
adopted by many countries as the format
for television in the future. Many feature
films are now shot using HD electronic
cameras.
|
For a superior quality picture. It is a
significant improvement upon existing tape
formats when projecting or transmitting on
larger screens. There may well be cost
implications for effects work and graphics.
Programmes made in High Definition
attract premium rates for foreign sales,
and are increasingly required by
co-producers, particularly in America. |
| |
JPEG |
What it does |
When should I use it? |
Joint Photographic Experts Group.
A picture compression standard most
suited to photos.
|
To compress photos so that they may be
transferred using the minimum bandwidth.
Useful format to send images over e-mail.
|
| |
MP3 |
What it does |
When should I use it? |
A popular audio file format. Unlike WAV
or AIFF, it is ‘compressed’. This means
much of the detailed information that
relates to the audio has been reduced
and hence is not necessarily considered
a professional format.
|
For web based deliverables. |
| |
MPEG |
What it does |
When should I use it? |
Motion Picture Experts Group.
Moving picture compression standard.
|
To compress moving pictures so they
occupy less bandwidth whilst retaining
some semblance of the uncompressed
image. Extensively used in distribution and
transmission chains, but can cause serious
degradation if material is repeatedly
de-compressed and then re-compressed.
|
| |
MXF |
What it does |
When should I use it? |
Media eXchange Format. Similar to AAF.
|
To move media from one system
to another.
|
| |
OMFI |
What it does |
When should I use it? |
Open Media Framework Interchange file
format. Carries media and metadata.
|
To transfer sound tracks from a
non-linear edit to a sound dub or audio
mix. If you opt to follow an OMFI route
for your sound, make sure that your editor
is aware before the offline or online edits
commence.
|
| |
PANASONIC P2 |
What it does |
When should I use it? |
A solid state flash memory card. It plugs
directly from a suitable camera into the
card slot of a laptop PC with a P2 driver
installed. AV data on the card mounts
instantly, with each cut as MXF and
metadata file.
|
The data can be used immediately –
no digitizing necessary - for non-linear
editing, or it can be transferred over a
network. |
| |
STANDARD DEFINTION
(SD) |
What it does |
When should I use it? |
Generally known as 625 lines (amount of
horizontal lines per frame on the screen)
for BBC production or 525 lines in
America.
|
The current television transmission format
in the UK and most other countries. |
| |
SURROUND SOUND |
What it does |
When should I use it? |
The concept of cinema sound has
increasingly been mimicked and adopted
for the domestic marketplace. There are
many surround sound formats but
increasingly 5.1 is becoming the standard.
It is still not a common standard in
broadcasting but might become so in
the future as we progress towards
High Definition.
|
When mixings in 5.1. |
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WAV
(Waveform Audio Format) |
What it does |
When should I use it? |
A Microsoft and IBM audio file format
standard. WAV files are arguably the most
common but other types include AIFF,
SD2 and BWAV.
|
For storing audio on PCs. |
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