Ye olde analogue High Definition video from 1987 at DVinfo.net

Andrew Smith · January 7th, 2026, 07:00 PM

Freshly uploaded to YouTube, this is from the master tape for the industry demo of the Japanese Hi-Vision television format from way back in 1987 - 18 years before HDV video cameras came on to the market (which for most of us would be the earliest HD format access). This is the industry demo for the format.

On a side note, I remember seeing a HDTV demonstration at World Expo '88. I can't remember which pavilion it was in except that it was one of the corporate ones. It would have been on a CRT screen back then of course, and my main reaction to it was "wow, it looks like a movie". No idea if they were playing back from this particular early format or not.

Enjoy.

Andrew

Doug Jensen · January 8th, 2026, 08:47 AM

A blast from the past. I saw that at NAB in 1988.

Christopher Young · January 11th, 2026, 10:18 PM

Yup! Same here. But at IBC in '88. They also showed some tennis coverage footage from Wimbledon. It just blew our minds that we could see the hairs on the tennis ball close-ups and the fine stitching on Princess Diana's clothes on the close-ups as she was being presented to the players.

Chris Young

My how times have changed.
https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK...Eng-Inf-34.pdf

W. Bill Magac · January 12th, 2026, 01:22 PM

Looked pretty good on my 2024 MacBook Pro. Not just resolution, I was also impressed how good the skin tones and colors looked.

Christopher Young · January 13th, 2026, 06:51 AM

Imagine how we felt back in '88! Every aspect of it blew us away. Skin tones, colors, dynamic range. None of us had seen an electronic image anything like it. Remember it was analog too, not digital. It was mind snapping at that time. And as you say, still looks pretty good today, 38 years later!!

The best thing we ever saw prior to this was Electrovision, way back in 1964. Invented by the self-taught "electronics whiz" Bill Sargent (H.W. Sargent Jr). The film was the second of some productions that used the system. By using the 25 frames per second 819-line SECAM video standard (in use in France for television broadcasting at the time), the video could be converted to film by kinescope recording with sufficiently enhanced resolution to allow big-screen enlargement. It is considered one of the seminal events in the pioneering of music films, and more importantly, the later concept of music video.

Chris Young

January 7th, 2026, 07:00 PM	#1
Andrew Smith Equal Opportunity Offender Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 3,145	Ye olde analogue High Definition video from 1987 Freshly uploaded to YouTube, this is from the master tape for the industry demo of the Japanese Hi-Vision television format from way back in 1987 - 18 years before HDV video cameras came on to the market (which for most of us would be the earliest HD format access). This is the industry demo for the format. On a side note, I remember seeing a HDTV demonstration at World Expo '88. I can't remember which pavilion it was in except that it was one of the corporate ones. It would have been on a CRT screen back then of course, and my main reaction to it was "wow, it looks like a movie". No idea if they were playing back from this particular early format or not. Enjoy. Andrew NHK's This Is Hi-Vision (1987 Analog HDTV Sony HDV-1000 HDVS 1" Master Tape Demonstration Footage) - YouTube

January 8th, 2026, 08:47 AM	#2
Doug Jensen Vortex Media Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 3,504	Re: Ye olde analogue High Definition video from 1987 A blast from the past. I saw that at NAB in 1988. __________________ Vortex Media http://www.vortexmedia.com/ Sony FS7, F55, and XDCAM training videos, field guides, and other production tools

January 11th, 2026, 10:18 PM	#3
Christopher Young Trustee Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 1,610	Re: Ye olde analogue High Definition video from 1987 Yup! Same here. But at IBC in '88. They also showed some tennis coverage footage from Wimbledon. It just blew our minds that we could see the hairs on the tennis ball close-ups and the fine stitching on Princess Diana's clothes on the close-ups as she was being presented to the players. Chris Young My how times have changed. https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK...Eng-Inf-34.pdf Attached Thumbnails

January 12th, 2026, 01:22 PM	#4
W. Bill Magac Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: New England USA Posts: 89	Re: Ye olde analogue High Definition video from 1987 Looked pretty good on my 2024 MacBook Pro. Not just resolution, I was also impressed how good the skin tones and colors looked.

January 13th, 2026, 06:51 AM	#5
Christopher Young Trustee Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 1,610	Re: Ye olde analogue High Definition video from 1987 Imagine how we felt back in '88! Every aspect of it blew us away. Skin tones, colors, dynamic range. None of us had seen an electronic image anything like it. Remember it was analog too, not digital. It was mind snapping at that time. And as you say, still looks pretty good today, 38 years later!! The best thing we ever saw prior to this was Electrovision, way back in 1964. Invented by the self-taught "electronics whiz" Bill Sargent (H.W. Sargent Jr). The film was the second of some productions that used the system. By using the 25 frames per second 819-line SECAM video standard (in use in France for television broadcasting at the time), the video could be converted to film by kinescope recording with sufficiently enhanced resolution to allow big-screen enlargement. It is considered one of the seminal events in the pioneering of music films, and more importantly, the later concept of music video. The T.A.M.I Show Full (HD) - YouTube Chris Young Last edited by Christopher Young; January 13th, 2026 at 06:59 AM. Reason: Added to