Posted by Bill Farnsworth on 09/19/05 15:11

<mmaker@my-deja.com> wrote
> As far as I remember, HDCAM records 1440x1080 luminance pixels with
> color samples for about 1/3 of those pixels. I don't know the details
> of his movie, but Lucas may have been using an uncompressed camera that
> could shoot up to 1920x1080 with full color information, recording to
> hard disk.
>
> Even 35mm film's greatest supporters only claim that the original
> negative is equivalent to about 4k pixels across, and that's dropped a
> lot by the time it's been through multiple analog reproduction stages
> to get the final print onto the screen. I believe most effects shots
> are scanned at around 2048 pixels wide, and parts of the 'Toy Story'
> movies were rendered at only 1280 pixels wide.
>
> I went to an IMAX seminar some time ago where they were arguing about
> whether CG for an IMAX frame should be rendered at 6k or 12k pixels
> across, and IMAX is a _HUGE_ negative compared to 35mm.
>
> Mark
>

So there is no confusion; In Episode III, Sony's second generation of HD
camera was used. And that camera was the Sony HDC-950 24P CineAlta. ( 4:4:4
RGB uncompressed 1920 X 1080) with specifically modified set-up software.
The main record format was in the new (for 2003) HDCAM SR. (NOT HDCAM)

Bill F.

[Back to original message]