INTRO TO MULTIMEDIA. MAT 103

Alejandra Jarabo

Multimedia Arts & Technologies Division. Santa Barbara City College
Digital video general topics

 

 

 
Digital video and screen resolution:  
   
 

General Screen Resolution

The pixel resolution of DIGITAL VIDEO on screen is 640 X 480 pixels (half screen is is 320 X 240 pixels).

Traditional video has a 4:3 aspect ratio (a standard rectangular format: think of olf TV sets)

DV is the most popular tape format for Digital Video (dv and mini Dv tapes).
This format has a slightly bigger pixel resolution of 720 X 480 pixels. Notice how this differes from full screen in being slightly wider.

The 640 X 480 and 720 X 480 formats are called Standard Definition video (SD).

4:3 aspect ratio
   
DV screen size

Youtube uses
480 X 360
as a standard resolution for
web-video (non HD)

   
 

High Definition video
Frame size

HD is a general term for video that is usually 1280 X 720 pixels: known as 720p
or 1920 X 1080 pixels, known as 1080p.
Notice how both formats are called by their respective heights.

Both sizes have a 16:9 aspect ratio, commonly referred to as wide screen.
Outside the computer, you need a monitor or television capable of displaying HDTV signals in order to
view the full resolution of HD video.

16:9 aspect ratio
dv_HD
 

Scan Modes

A progressive frame on video contains information for every pixel row.

An interlaced frame breaks up the full video frame across two fields of video.

All computer monitors display progressive frame rates.
All web video should be progressive too.

The effects of an interlacing video can most easily be seen on a subject matter that moves quickly across the camera's view.
HD video dimenssions