My head hurts

H.264, MPEG-4, Codec, HD, SDI.

This is a tiny sample of the future of television. And it makes my head hurt.

I started in television when there were three major commercial networks. The proliferation of cable was still a few years away and “working in TV” meant getting a job at a television station, perhaps working your way up and moving on to bigger markets. Working in a “Top 10” market was seen as a sign of success. I guess I don’t have to tell you things are different today.

Just like when you go to the grocery store and are blown away confused with the number of choices you have for something as simple as toothpaste, so goes the medium of television. And it’s funny how when computers first came out they were complicated, erratic and intimidating but over time they got easier to use and understand. Not so with television.

As the industry steers toward high-definition, the “kind” of high definition one chooses to create is as important a decision as any you’ll make. Will you capture in HDV? 1080i? 1080p? 720p? Uncompressed high-definition? These are some of the questions and issues I deal with now as I try and steer the Orange Television Network toward high-definition.

My experience and background is mostly on the creative side as a producer, director, editor and videographer. The technical side is something I’ve learned along the way. And let me tell you, this HD stuff is mind numbing. But fortunately I have some good friends who know this stuff better than I do and I’m consulting with a couple of vendors who are really knowledgeable so I think I’ll be able to figure out the right and best solution for OTN.

But in the meantime, google H.264 and see why my head hurts.