Expert opinion on producing sd dvd for display on large HDTV.
 

Hi all,

We are at a crossroads where consumers are playing sd dvd's on large HDTV's. Hopefully it won't last more than a few years.

We are in this situation because while people where able to jump right into HDTV (LCD, PLASMA, DLP, etc) without having to worry about compatible with all SD and HD video signals, they where not willing to buy a HD player while the format war was on.

I'm looking for info for producing the best possible sd dvd, from HD footage, for display on large HDTV's.

Since LCD, Plasma, DLP and other large screen HDTV's operate in progressive mode, I think its best to shoot in HD progressive mode then down convert to sd progressive during the encoding process. If you convert from interlaced to progressive you'll get a softer but acceptable look to the video and it eliminates the flickering, blockiness and jaggie edges. .

Are there any issues, such as video levels, that need to be considered or adjusted while in Premiere prior to encoding a sd dvd for display on LCD or plasma HDTV's as opposed to the older sd CRT display TV's?

Dark lit scenes pose the most problem. When I adjust them to look good in premiere, the resulting sd dvd looks washed out on the HDTV.

I let wiser people give you premiere advice but there is a really helpful article/rant by Adam Wilt on this subject here... http://provideocoalition.com/index.p...is_resolution/

The article posits some interesting and quite logical concepts. It, however, doesn't back it up with much useful how-to information.

We are all bound to the limitations of the technology we're immersed in. Hi-def screens and Blu-Ray loosen these technological shackles somewhat, but they're still there. So the rules don't really change much over what they were five years ago. The most important rule, IMO, is make sure the camera captures the best image possible. That means light it right and use the correct camera settings (shutter speed, f stop, frame rate, custom color, etc.). There's really no substitute for that and there's no parameter you can tweak in post to get something you lost on a shoot.