Download 8.5 Settings - Merging Technologies

19 Appendices
19.4 Video Formats & Bandwidth
Video formats are not only defined by the number of pixels on the screen. This chapter gives you all the keys to understand
the language video people use.
As usual in electronic signals, the bandwidth is the value determining the amount of transmitted information per second.
From analog to digital worlds, this value is critical.
Let's examine how a high definition color picture is more bandwidth demanding than a standard definition one.
Number of Pixels:
The number of pixels is only a part of the equation leading to the bandwidth, storage and streaming requirements
computation. But since it's a two dimensional value, we must use it as the start point of our computations.
- SD video standards:
The world is divided in two zones. One using the PAL system and one using the NTSC system. The SECAM system is
almost dead for production equipment and is only used in some countries for broadcasting purpose only.
NTSC is a 720 points x 480 lines format at 29.97 frames per second.
PAL is a 720 points x 576 lines format at 25 frames par second.
Despite a greater number of elements per frame in the PAL system, it uses almost the same bandwidth as the NTSC system
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