For the last few years, it seems everyone has been talking about High Definition TV and what it means to us.

Today, buying a new television is not as simple as in the past, when you shopped for brand and size.  Now you need to know about technical factors such as display resolution, scanning system, display aspect ratio and screen type.

I’ve prepared this simple guide in response to the questions customers are asking about HDTV.

What is HDTV and how does it differ from SDTV?

HDTV is a digital television broadcasting system that delivers picture quality superior to traditional, standard-definition TV (SDTV).

HDTV offers a significant leap forward in viewing quality, with picture resolution up to 6 times sharper because it has more lines of resolution than SDTV. The gaps between scan lines are narrower or even invisible to the naked eye. The larger the TV on which you view the HD picture, the more improvement in picture quality.

It is important to note that an HD-compatible television requires an HD signal in order to deliver the advantages of its superior, more realistic viewing experience.

What do I need to know about display resolution and scanning systems?

High Definition usually refers to a minimum of 720 lines of video format resolution displayed in a horizontal fashion from top to bottom. In general, a higher display resolution will yield a clearer, sharper image. HDTV sets offer a choice of screen resolutions of 720p, 1080i and 1080p. The “p” indicates progressive scanning and “i” means interlaced scanning. Progressive is generally better, producing smoother video that stays sharper through fast-moving video. In comparison, SDTV delivers viewing content at just 480i.

Which display aspect ratio should I buy?

I’m happy to report that you do not need to be concerned about the display aspect ratio. That’s because all new television sets come in the 16×9 widescreen ratio, whereas older sets have a 4×3 ratio.

I hear people debating the advantages of each screen type. Which one is better?

Thin, large-screen television technology developed rapidly starting in the late 1990s. The three types competing for your consideration today are Plasma, LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and LED (Liquid Emitting Display).  Without getting into technical differences, all you need to know are the key benefits of each.

A Plasma screen generally offers better contrast, better “blacks” and color accuracy, plus a larger range of viewing angle, great for action (sports & video games) and works well in dark rooms.

An LCD screen uses less power, is preferable for use with computers, and does not have a propensity for screen “burn-in,” works well in bright rooms, wide range of screen sizes.

LED TVs work well in all lighting conditions, similar to plasma for color performance, some models have ultra slim depth.

Price, screen size and life of the set are about even between the three types.

Can you recommend which TV set I should buy?

If you have any specific questions, please give us a call.

In today’s fast-paced world, video is ubiquitous. From cell phones to still cameras, virtually any electronic device has the capability to capture video. Length, quality and special features vary across devices, but they all produce video. And with the surging popularity of public video-sharing websites such as YouTube, virtually any newsworthy event can be e-blasted to the entire world in a matter of minutes – or even faster. From the simplest and silliest to the best-produced and most sophisticated, videos capture even the most finicky attention span. It seems people are so fascinated by this newly accessible and personalizable technology that they’ll watch almost any kind of video. Just think about all of the video links you’ve received in emails over the past month. This is the message we need to heed in business – Videos Get Attention!

Let’s start with the basics. Every business should have a website. Period. Today, a website is the equivalent of a business card. Would you ever consider not having business cards? Of course not. Now that we’ve established this marketing mantra, let’s talk about the value of having video on your website. The importance of video is obvious in these examples of its uses on a business website:

• Promotional Video – the perfect vehicle for telling everyone about your latest and greatest product or service
• Training Video - more compelling than a training manual
• Client/customer Testimonials – enhance your credibility with real-life compliments from the folks who know what you do
• Product Demonstration - join the infomercial bandwagon
• Before-After Video - a perfect way to show dramatic results
• Message from Business owner/President - words on paper lack the clout and personality of an owner’s first-person video
• Website Introduction Video – with millions of websites, it’s a challenge to grab and keep a visitor’s attention unless you make a great first impression with a great video story

As you can see, there are many ways videos bring a website to life with your unique stamp to distinguish you from your competition. With the ease of creating video today, you can quickly and inexpensively express your message using motion, color, audio, graphics, images and people – which would otherwise take pages to convey. The more personality your website has, the more likely visitors are to stick around and read about your products and services. Think of video on your website as the equivalent of going to a party wearing a great shirt or dress that makes a statement. Naturally, people are drawn to personality- driven websites the same way they’re drawn to personality-plus people.

If you’d like to know the next steps for creating a video “personality” for your website, email me so we can discuss various options.  Call me at 209.931.9700, or send an e-mail to info@demellovideo.com.

Remember when watching a video was as easy as popping a tape into the VCR – and it actually played? Yes, back in “the day”, video choices were limited and life was so much simpler. Today, watching a video involves an array of complex choices that require you to know about various formats and the media players on which you plan to view them.

If you’re looking to purchase a camcorder, you first need to consider the media format choices. All formats provide digital video, some in “high-def” – but that’s an article for another newsletter.

So, the four most common video formats are:

1. MiniDV (Tape)
2. MiniDVD (Disc)
3. Built In Hard Drive
4. Flash Memory Camcorder (Card)

Here’s a brief overview of the benefits / drawbacks to each format:

MiniDV (Tape): -Tape Cassette

• -Standard length 63 minutes
• -Shelf life of 10-15 years
• -Inexpensive
• -If tape breaks, can be spliced

MiniDVD:

• -3″ DVD Disc
• -Inexpensive
• -Standard capacity of 30 minutes
• -Need to finalize in camera to play in DVD player
• -May not be compatible with all DVD players
• -Succeptable to disc failures

Built In Hard Drive:

• -No need for tapes, discs or media cards
• -Need to transfer video to comnputer
• -Limited capacity on camera
• -Computer may not be compatible for video

Flash Memory Camcorder (Card):

• -Works same way as memory cards for still cameras
• -No need for tapes or discs
• -Some cards depending on capacity can be pricey
• -Need to transfer video to computer
• -Computer may not be compatible for video

When it comes time to decide, you just need to figure out which format best suits your needs at the time. There is no right or wrong. However, in my opinion, there is no substitute for tape.

We’ve all heard them – those wonderful tales our relatives love to tell at family gatherings. Sure, sometimes we even hear them more often than we’d like. But when you stop to think about it, at some point those stories will eventually be lost forever. And although we can try to repeat that information in our own words in order to preserve the memory, it’s always more meaningful and accurate coming directly from those who have lived the experience.

So, if you agree your family history is worth holding on to, it’s time to take action and capture the memories once and for all – literally!

There are companies, like DeMello Video, that can provide professional video services to meet your family memory needs. But if hiring a pro is not feasible, you can just take matters into your own hands.

But before you run off and point the family camcorder at Grandma or Uncle Bob, here are some tips to help you be successful in capturing your family history on video.

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Do It Sooner, Not Later

As people get older, memories fade or worse, so the first tip is do this ASAP. If there’s not a family gathering of some sort already planned in the near future, consider being the one to initiate a get-together. Be sure to tell the participants in advance that you plan to set aside time at the event to videotape one or more interviews to capture one-of-a-kind family memories. Also consider asking someone with video camera experience to operate the camera while you ask the interview questions. This will enable you to focus on getting great content while sharing production tasks with another family member.

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Choose Your Interview “Stars”

Many times, it’s ideal to include two or more people together on-camera to obtain the most amount of information. Getting siblings or couples to tell a story together tends to keep the conversation moving while eliminating “stage fright” or self-conscious awkwardness. Seeing the interviewees interact while story-telling also gives future video viewers a sense of their relationship, which can validate or refute family lore.

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Find a Good Place

Choose a quiet spot where everyone can focus without distractions or interruptions. Usually this requires a place indoors where you have more control over the surroundings. You don’t want nosy strangers standing around gawking. Pay attention to the background of the shot and make sure it is fairly neutral. An approach we professionals use is to move the subjects’ chairs away from the walls toward the middle of the room, so the background isn’t competing visually with the subjects.

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Steady, Freddy

Always use a trusty tripod when videotaping an interview! You want the scene to be steady and look professional. There’s nothing more distracting, annoying or headache-producing to a viewer than a jumpy, wobbly video. And if you’re holding the camera in front of your face, that’s what you’ll get!

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It’s All About the Audio

Too often our sole attention is on the visual composition of the shot, when in reality, what’s being said is the most important feature of the video. Ideally, you should use an external microphone, such as a lapel mic, placed on a shirt or dress collar or a jacket lapel a few inches from the speaker’s mouth. If that’s not available, make sure your camera’s built-in microphone is close enough to the speakers. We always recommend a sound check test prior to taping the actual interview. Ask your subjects to state their name and the alphabet in a normal speaking voice while you roll about 30 seconds of tape. To make the test most effective, use headphones on your camera to monitor the sound while shooting. Play back the test footage to be sure the audio is loud and clear enough. If possible, have another person operate the camera so you can focus on the conversation and listen over the headphones. Then if the voices get too low, you can subtly signal the speakers (without interrupting them) to adjust their voice level.

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More Conversation, Less Q & A

The goal of your interview should be a conversational style with your “stars”, rather than just getting them to answer your questions. After you set-up your camera, step to the side and conduct your interview from there. Asking questions while you make eye contact with the subjects (rather than being a disembodied voice behind the camera) will make the interaction feel more personal; your subjects will be talking to you, not the camera.

Ask questions beginning with who, what, where, when, why and how. Avoid questions that can be answered with a one-word ‘yes’ or ‘no’. If you’re having trouble thinking of good questions, General categories of questions that work well are about childhood memories, education, career, hobbies/Interests, marriage and children, faith, life lessons and perhaps some wisdom to share.

Sometimes interviews can last longer than anticipated once a good dialogue gets started. Take pre-arranged breaks as needed every 10 minutes or so, to ensure your subjects are always at “their best” on camera.

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Plan Ahead

Prepare for the interview well ahead of time. Put real thought into the type of information you want to preserve on video. Have all your questions written in advance. Conversations may flow differently than planned, which is fine, but a written list will help you stay on track to cover your key topics.

Bring photo albums to the interview to help spark memories. These can also be good topic starters, as it’s easy to describe a photograph you’re viewing. This is also a great way to elicit spontaneous and genuine emotion.
Especially with people who may be shy on camera, tell your participants a few days in advance about the types of topics you will be talking about, so they can be gathering memories and organizing their thoughts. Consider showing them your list of questions so they’re not taken by total surprise. Remember that many people are reluctant to answer questions off-the-cuff, especially when their discomfort or fumbling for answers is being recorded as part of family history.

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Share Your Video

Once you have your interview “in the can”, it’s time to share it with everyone. Not only will family and friends love watching the video, but also this distribution strategy ensures back-up copies will be stored in different locations, increasing the odds that your video will be around for future generations to enjoy. You may only get one chance to document these precious memories, so the more copies are spread around, the better.

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Gratitude

Be sure to thank your participants – your interview subjects, camera operator and anyone else who contributed to this team project – for their time and effort. Make them each feel like “stars” by gift-wrapping their personal copy and enclosing a home-made certificate of appreciation. You can also quietly ask everyone at the event to sign a Thank You card that expresses the family’s appreciation to the video subjects. If the stars use email, encourage family members to send their own statements of gratitude. Think about other ways to show thanks for their contribution to the worthy cause of “family history”.

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Questions?

If you need more tips on making your family video a start-to-finish positive experience, stop by and tell us how we can help you achieve your goal.

… Keep Both Eyes Open!

When photographing wildlife or sports with action, keep both eyes open. With your eyes open, you’ll see what will possibly enter your frame before it actually enters the frame – perhaps ruining your shot, or possibly improving it.

From eventdv.net – Branding is one of the most challenging areas for many studios. In this article by Ron & Tasra Dawson, they cover some of the key areas video producers and any small business owners can focus on in order to make quick and substantial changes in their approach to branding. read further …