Note: The summaries and opinions expressed in this section are not intended to provide complete or accurate answers to the processes and complexities associated with HDV and IEEE 1394 equipment, and are not to be reproduced or reprinted in whole or in part without express written permission of VTP, Copyright 2008 by Videotape Products, Inc.

HDV offers desktop "Professionals" enhanced resolution in new low-cost equipment

Device depending, HDV formats can be stored on the same removable tape media as the DV format, which in the beginning stages of product introductions was miniDV or miniDVCAM tape with a maximum record time of 60 minutes in HDV mode, 60 minutes in DV SP mode, or 40 minutes in DVCAM mode.  80 minute mini-DV tapes are still not likely to be supported, but as more products come on line, you may still see standard size tapes supported in camcorders, such as a protopype unit first shown by Sony at NAB 2007 in Las Vegas.   What happened to the tape, however, was that the performance improves drastically with higher grade tape formulations.

For HDV tape devices, Master Grade videotape stocks and specifically HDV friendly videotape stocks generally proved to better reduce the ill effects of dropout.  HDV is not true High Definition in a professional production sense, as professional productions often want uncompressed imaging, or very carefully and mildly compressed forms of images.  HDV is nearer the type of heavily compressed images one would see in broadcast applications, or at the lower (but higher storage capacity) levels of Blu-ray or HD-DVD recordings.

If you have or develop dropout on the tape, or don't do the right things, you can affect the recording and playback of an entire group of pictures, or more, so be careful yourself in what you select as your recording media, and try to learn all that you can about the current HDV formats and why HDV is also not a format in and of itself. 

In November of 2005, JVC introduced M-DV63PROHD ProHD Media, which JVC said could reduce by up to 50% the potential error rates over their conventional use standard composition DV tape.  Sony introduced the DVM63HD as HDV media.  Remember that even if you use special HDV Master Grade stock, there will be nothing on the tape label that would indicate HDV or ProHD at all unless you write it there, as this is simply a matter of the device making the recording and the device or software attempting to play back the recording.

In some consumer products, other media is being used to record and transfer similar high definition AVCHD content, such as Sony's HDR-UX5 (on DVD+R DL double layer) and Sony's HDR-CX7 (on 4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo Media).  AVCHD (H.264) is not the same as HDV, although it is similar in certain aspects as an extension of the MPEG family.  Still, certain products such as Sony's Vegas 7 version 7.0e also supported editing files recorded with Sony AVCHD camcorders, and from version 7.0c and later, and version 8 supported reading Sony 1080-24p mode such as from the Sony HVR-V1U camcorder, and added HDV 720-24p and HDV 1080-24p templates.  Sony introduced an Express Card camcorder prototype at NAB 2007 that became the PMW-EX1 XDCAM EX camcorder in early 2008.  The user can select HDV-2 as a recording choice file type (25Mb/s 1440x1080 CBR), and then output the HDV-2 choice through the iLink port (for 1080/23.98, however, the file and stream retains pull down).  The user can also select other HD recording codecs but they would have to be externally transcoded back to the HDV-2 form.

Panasonic uses proprietary Panasonic P2 media to record and move their HD files out of their P2 HD products, but Fujinon will begin manufacturing and selling P2 compatible media.  Panasonic started P2 products for HD with their somewhat revolutionary first low cost HD solution, the AJ-HVX200 HD/SD Camera/Recorder, which competes with currently similar priced tape HDV-2, and HDV-1/ProHD models. 

Other newer high definition devices were since introduced such as those in the Sony XDCAM HD family that do not use tape. You can record several variants of 1080 HDV-2 in a .MXF file system on PDF23A (23GB capacity) or in the newest to arrive late 2007 dual layer media, PDF50 (50GB capacity dual layer) Professional Optical Disc Media, with non-linear access, special recorded native progressive frame rates (as PsF), uncompressed audio, standard definition proxy, and at the same, lower, or higher bit rates than was standardized in HDV-2.  The bit rates for HDV-2 support extended record times over mini-DV tape on both the PDF23 and PDF23A media, and the PDF50 Dual Layer Optical Disk media that can be used in the newest Sony PDWF355 and PDWF75 XDCAM HD products.

In the case of XDCAM HD, to convert .MXF files recorded at 25Mb/s CBR (Constant Bit Rate) to pure HDV-2 MPEG TS (to physically connect and transfer out content to an HDV-2 tape device from the PDW-F70 or PDW-F30 XDCAM HD "decks") requires an optional HDV-2 PDBK-102 I/O board.  This removes the .MXF wrapper, discards the MPEG-4 proxy, converts the audio to MPEG 1 Layer 2, and conforms the content to the correct IEC-61883 protocol to allow for IEEE transport stream interfacing to a compatible HDV-2 device such as the Sony HVR-M10U, HVR-M15U, HVR-M15AU, HVR-M25U, HVR-M25AU, HVR-1500, HVR-1500A, or consumer Sony HDC-7 (early 2007 and later manufacture date) or HDC-9 (2008) camcorder (in this case, 1080/59.94i only, and also requires the PDBK-102 board software update of October 2007).

There were originally two formats supported in the HDV exchange standards:  HDV-1 (e.g. JVC HDV and JVC ProHD) 8-Bit video in the 720p format, at one or more of these current or potential future frame rates of 720/25p/29.97p/50i/59.94i/50p/59.94p (MPEG-2 Main Profile at High 1440 level, always device and software depending), and HDV-2 (e.g., Sony) 8-Bit 1080i format (also MPEG-2 Main Profile at High 1440 level) at 1080/50i/59.94i (or 23.98 on 59.94i, again, always device and software depending). 

What about native HDV-type 23.98/24/30p transport streams?

Notice that true 24p (or 23.98p) did not exist in either original HDV-1 or HDV-2 iteration, although Sony began introducing 23.98p into conforming 1080i wrapping by use of a field repeat instruction set, such as with the HVRV1U, such that the stream properties could retain compatibility with 1080i interchange.  Now, Sony has newer product introduced in 2008 that can record or play back native 1080/23.98/25/30p Sony conforming 25Mb/s CBR (Constant Bit Rate) transport streams (HVRM35U, HVRM25AU, HVRM15AU, HVRS270U) through IEEE connectivity with no field repeat.  To "publish" to any of the Sony exact specifications for Sony HDV transport streams with a broadcast encoder without using a Sony chipset encoder or compatible software encoder (such as Main Concept in Vegas 8) is not particularly easy, since the streams contain private data, probably for stream properties identification (a proprietary "header" which is part of the stream type properties used in identifying compatible streams for recording and playback).  This information is not published except to developers. 

HDV-1 (MP @ H-14 4:2:0) is recorded at approximately 19Mb/s and HDV-2 is recorded at approximately 25Mb/s.  Because the IBP structure of MPEG-2 Transport Stream can also be encoded at different frame rates, such as for ATSC DTV transmission, additional varriants of HDV, such as JVC's "ProHD" for 720/24p (MP @ H-14 4:2:0) were introduced.  Panasonic's proprietary M-JPEG-based new P2 DVCPROHD formats include 720/24p as introduced, but they are not MPEG-2 based, and they are not HDV-type recordings.  The equivalent spatial MPEG profile if it were MPEG-2 based would be HP @ H-14 4:2:2 at a high bit rate (for I frame recording), but the Panasonic P2HD format is based on their DVCPROHD codec sets, and as mentioned, DVCPRO HD these use a form of Motion JPEG compression.  The AVC Intra coding used in P2 for advanced profiles is H.264/MPEG-4 Part 10 based.

HDV-1/ProHD formats can be transferred onto DVHS tape via IEEE-1394, as the combined video and audio recordings are actually MPEG-2 4:2:0 Transport Streams and less than the bit rate cutoff for DVHS picture at about 23.5Mb/s (HDV-2 in native form is slightly too high of a bit rate to record properly onto JVC DVHS SRVD400U units at 25Mb/s, as the picture will break up in playback, unless for example, you render out or change the output stream properties in Vegas 6 software to be something less than 25 Mb/s, which appears easy to do) . 

HDV-2 is intended to be MPEG-2 video Main Profile at High 1440 level, 4:2:0, also described as "MP @ H-14".  This is the same profile for HDV-1 and ProHD, but all that really means is that in the MPEG decoding rules that a set-top decoder box would have to be able to decode the picture of either.  It doesn't mean that the two formats can co-exist in an edit time line natively, because they would cause the edit system difficulty, and the display device would have a problem trying to switch back and forth between 720p and 1080i, something they can do between the time it takes for you to switch channels, but not really between one clip and another.

What about native HDV editing?

You should also know that if the NLE Editing software can handle HDV material as a .M2T file set, such as Vegas 7 or higher, it may say so, but it may also handle HDV better (and differently) than in its native form, such as when using a proprietary Windows .AVI wavelet compressed file intermediate codec such as CineForm.  Many close to HDV believe that users will migrate from native file format to proprietary .AVI file format because “the performance is currently peppier on the editing timeline” for multiple (simultaneous) streams, even though the storage increases because the bit rates get up to from “40 to 50 to 60Mb/s” (“good, better, best” picture quality choices).

To change from native file format to proprietary .AVI, the software would have to allow for a render or transcode between file types.   This could happen upon capture or output, and may be real time, depending.

The Sony HDV-2 and the JVC HDV-1/ProHD formats are not compatible with each other. You cannot mix the HDV-1 and HDV-2 formats as in 720P and 1080i without converting one to the other by special transcoding (device and software depending, as in also having to convert the potential differences in frame rates), or converting one to the other via a baseband analog HD or digital HD-SDI path with the appropriate format converter that can handle the potential differences in frame rates.  Otherwise, the monitor display fed by the decoder might not be able to switch frequency fast enough.   Certainly, no transitions between 720p and 1080i are encouraged even at the ATSC broadcast level.  For that matter, you have to be careful even within the JVC ProHD family to make sure you are working with compatible frame rates, progressive or interlaced, and how you intend to manage project workflow.

To edit any of the HDV-type MPEG-2 based compressed High Definition formats with HDV friendly software, you may need the latest versions of software and hardware, and IEEE 1394 (OHCI compliant firewire I/O).  The HDV protocols HDV uses in the I-Link interface are different than the DV protocols as HDV requires IEC-61883-4 compliance, as well as other AV/C drivers.  HDV protocols are incorporated with IEC-61883 transport stream interfacing, not FAM (or File Access Mode). That is why there is a hardware switch on both the Sony HVRZ1U and JVC GY-HD100 camcorders, to select between DV protocols and HDV protocols.  You'll find this same switch on the Sony HVRM10U, HVRM15U, HVRM25U VTRs and the JVC BR-HD50U VTR as well.  In the JVC DVHS SRVD400US units, this "switch" for compatibility with HDV-1 is done in software in the "DVHS" mode select, and it can be a bit tricky to set up.

One should bear in mind that the ability to transfer content between supporting devices does not in and of itself guarantee that original source time code will transfer across, or be recognized by the receiving device.  

Sometimes, the requirement for the NLE is to actually have IEEE-1394 (firewire I/O) on the computer motherboard itself, as opposed to simply a PCI plug-in board such as from Belkin.  This is not a requirement with Sony Vegas software, but was a requirement with one of the older Pinnacle Liquid products.  Editing and manipulating HDV video with effects and titles and in different frame rates is a separate matter.

HDV friendly software either works in one or both of two modes:  that of the native HDV specified compressed file format (.M2T), or, a special version of compressed file format that is friendly to the application software and the I/O hardware itself.  If the software is not HDV friendly, one would have to capture the video as either component analog HD or HD-SDI with an appropriate I/O capture card, and then edit in uncompressed mode, or in intermediate codec form.  Output in uncompressed HD is of course not assured, because it depends upon the power of the host platform, the I/O breakout, how many streams are running, the bit depth of the session, and how the application software recognizes the I/O boards.

As mentioned, the HDV friendly software falls into two modes: that of the native HDV specified compressed file format, or, a special version of compressed file format that is friendly to the application software and the hardware itself.

Some of the current Sony Native HDV NLE and Related Products:

The native HDV (HDV-1, ProHD, and HDV-2) file extensions look like this:

.M2A = Audio (the native MPEG file format of the audio elementary stream)
.M2V = Video (the native MPEG file format of the video elementary stream)
.M2T = Transport Stream (transport layer, which is usually removed by NLE software)

When importing HDV, first, the .M2T transport layer is removed, and then the video is removed from files and saved as .M2V if the NLE supports native HDV modes.  The audio is typically converted to and saved as uncompressed.

History of Plug-In or Native support for HDV NLE:

HDV native editing modes are prevalent in many of the latest NLE software applications, that of importing and exporting from native HDV compressed files through IEEE-1394 I/O, but in the past, sometimes HDV editing meant the application required Plug-In Partners for intermediate HDV NLE Editing in a .AVI or QuickTime MPEG2 compressed video format, such as: 

Older versions of Final Cut Pro for MAC (where it required Lumiere HD plug-in, and an edit in Quicktime)
Adobe Premiere Pro 2 (or lower) for PC (where it required a CineForm plug-in, and editing in .AVI format)

In the .AVI file form, one typically may use 3 or 4 times the space of Native .M2T files.   Uncompressed HD uses up to 52 times more hard drive space than Native .M2T files.

Starting with Vegas 7.0e, there is probably no need to use an intermediate codec when working with most of the HDV related choices (since there are even templates for 1080-24p, such as to allow import from the Sony HVR-V1U camera in 24 frame progressive mode, and a template for 720-24p, the exceptions may be 1080-25p, or 720-60p).

Vegas was always Windows software (Windows 2000, XP Home, or XP Professional) with an evolving plug-in family that back in Vegas 6 supported the optional Blackmagic Design Decklink™ boards for SD 525/625 and HD-SDI 23.98/24/25/59.94 1080 High Definition I/O, and is still, at version 7, currently an 8-Bit processing application for HD and HDV Editing along with native support for 23.98/24PsF DV, although Vegas 7 can play back 10-bit, but the real time transitions are only 8-bit.  Vegas Pro 8 also supports the AJA Xena cards. 

One always must be careful to configure all of your system resources and control settings correctly based on the limitations of both software and hardware when transferring from, or mastering back to, a VTR, and control the VTR with the correct and latest drivers.  Testing your work flow with generic material completely is always recommended in advance of you trying to do anything critical with your original material.

System requirements for Vegas 6a through 7.0e still included a 2.8 GHz or greater processor for HDV with an OHCI-compatible I-Link connector/IEEE-1394DV card, along with a minimum 512 MB of RAM, and a Windows compatible sound card, and Microsoft DirectX 9.0c or later. Ideally, the display adapter should support 3-D acceleration. Windows XP was and still is required for 24-bit audio support.  There were and still are, other requirements and limitations, too many of which to list here.

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