HDV everywhere: inexpensive and flexible, HDV offers the creative community plenty of options.(high definition video)

HDV is creating a swell within the industry, and the wave will soon be crashing the banks of video production, bringing with it confusion and excitement about what HDV is, and more importantly, what it is not.

HDV is not a new tape size or camera design. It is a recording format that can accommodate many different types of high-definition image acquisition. The excitement surrounding HDV comes initially from the fact that the cameras are small and inexpensive.

Currently, both Sony and JVC have HDV camcorders on the market that sell in the $5,000 price range. Other companies, such as Canon, have announced they are already following suit, although at a slightly higher price.

Are these mighty-mite cameras as good as the pricier high-definition cameras such as Sony's CineAlta line of HDCAM camcorders or Panasonic's VariCam? You may find the answer surprising. Naturally, the $70,000 to $100,000 cameras like the ones George Lucas used to shoot the Star Wars prequels boast more robust electronic features; the lenses alone cost more than a single HDV camera. On the other hand, the little HDV camcorders can go places their big brothers can't by squeezing into nooks and crannies, and utilizing considerably smaller cranes, doilies, and body mounts. They also offer the cost-savings of shooting to tape cassettes at one-tenth the price of HDCAM loads.

But, the question remains: How good are the high-definition images they record? Rental facilities can't keep HDV cameras in stock, and many prime-time TV shows are using them for second-unit work. Several network specials have already aired that intercut HDV recordings with HDCAM, and the list of independent feature films shot in HDV continues to grow.

A Variety of Options

Sony, being the first to market with an HDV camcorder, uses interlaced video--the same recording technique found in its consumer DV cameras. The Sony HVR-Z1U professional camcorder, for example, shoots high-definition 1080i pictures at 30fps and comes equipped with a Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T 12X zoom lens.