SD & HD Explained
Ignore the helicopter – it’s the exact same type of machine whether you use the HD or the SD version. That means the positioning rate for both types is identical at £500 per flying hour.
Ignore the camera mount. Both helicopters are equipped with 21st century “gimbals” made by Cineflex. These are positioned right on the nose and offer 360 operation with 5-axis stabilisation. It was good enough for Planet Earth.
Both our systems shoot to a standard greater than current UK, European & worldwide broadcast specification.
SD
We shoot all-digital PAL 625 and record this to either digiBeta (SDI – best quality) or DVCAM (composite – but easier to transfer to a tapeless edit). The camera is completely under the control of the operator who sits in the rear of the cabin and has a full menu available – including aspect ratio. We can shoot real 16:9 or 4:3.
HD
An HD system cannot be called HD unless it really is full bandwidth HD from beginning to end. Many, many current cameras claim HD – but don’t actually meet the UK broadcast standards for HD. We designed our system around the widely accepted BBC HD Specifications and this means we meet the HD requirements of all broadcasters.
From the moment the light passes into the Canon eHD XS lens until it arrives as a shot in your programme, you get full bandwidth HD.
Shooting HD, compared to SD, is a little different. The depth of field for HD is less, the focus is more critical and the camera is not quite so capable in low light. So – we should allow a little more time for getting your shots. However, the upside is the incredible difference in resolution, colours and overall sharpness & detail.