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This topic comprises 2 pages: 1 2
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Author
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Topic: TV Station Videotape Formats
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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today
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Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99
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posted 08-20-2001 02:32 AM
I know this question has probably been answered here before, but I am way too lazy to search, so it'll just have to be answered again. ![](http://www.film-tech.com/ubb/smile.gif) What videotape formats can TV stations accept/play/review? I assume they can at least watch VHS, correct? How about SVHS? Betacam SP (that's a given)? Regular Beta? Super Beta? That Fisher Price thing that recorded black and white video onto a standard audio cassette tape (Pixelvision?)? In other words, if I had a videotape of the LAPD trying to scare away a bee that had landed on Rodney King with their batons, which format should I send it in on?
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Scott Norwood
Film God
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Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 08-20-2001 08:57 PM
I would think that Beta SP would be the "safest" format for TV broadcast, since the picture quality is entirely decent (for video) and since everyone from low-end stations to the major networks will have the capability to play it back. One point that I did come across at one time is that broadcasters want drop-frame timecode so that they can easily determine the actual running time of a piece. Non-drop-frame timecode is preferred if the material is to be edited, however. This, of course, applies only to NTSC, where we have to deal with the drop-frame/non-drop-frame mess.
As of a few years ago, one-inch tape was still fairly common at TV stations (at least as much as 3/4") and it looks slightly better than Beta SP. Maybe this has changed recently.
I haven't been to a broadcast facility in a while, but it's probably fair to assume that every station will have the capability to play back VHS tape and tweak the signal enough to make it broadcast-able. About seven years ago, some VHS stuff that I've shot (high-school football highlights...nothing exciting) was broadcast on a major-market station, so at least that particular broadcaster had VHS capability. And, yes, it looked like crap (actually, I'm really very good at shooting film or videotape of football games...the problem was with the tape format, not my photographic skills).
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Phil Connolly
Film Handler
Posts: 80
From: Derby, England
Registered: May 2000
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posted 08-21-2001 03:57 AM
Many DVC-Pro/DVCam Decks should be able to play back Mini-DV.Of you could submit your footage with, timecode in vision, on vhs. Then they could get back to you to tell you which bits they need and on what format. It could even be a AVI on a CD to go straight onto their NLE. The timecode in vision is also a good way to make sure they pay for the footage, don't give them a clean copy till you get your money, thats if your charging. The XL-1 is easily good enough for broadcast, I've seen lot's of stuff broacast in the UK shot on this camera. Still I hope the XL-2 can do true 16:9.
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