"P" vs. "K"

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"P" vs. "K"

There are a lot of numbers being thrown around regarding resolution - 4k, 3k, 2k, 1080p, 720p, etc. They all seem to get lumped in together as HD but I want to draw the definite distinction between them. "K's" while being high in resolution are not HD at all, in fact they aren't even video. "P" denotes a digital video HDTV format - information that conforms to a SMPTE HD protocol - 292M, 274M, 296M and references Tri-Level Sync to maintain a frequency and cadence that can be broadcast. "K" means RAW data that must be converted into some sort of viable video format before it can broadcast. The "K's" do not utilize video sync and do not conform to any protocol or color space other then whatever has been arbitrarily assigned to them. So in other words - "P" is video and "K" is data. A VariCam or Sony F900 is a video camera. A RED is a data camera. A Phantom is either a video camera or a data camera depending on if you are shooting "P" or "K". Just because a camera is tapeless - HPX, HVX, EX1, etc. - it does not make it a data camera. The data that would be recorded to digital video tape is instead recorded to a Hard Disk but the information that is recorded is still in the form of digital video and NOT RAW data. For example, you can shoot 1080i DVCPro HD files to a P2 card, give those files to the satellite feed truck and they can be on the air almost instantaneously. Not the case for "K". Someday with some modifications, "K" or some from of it may be a viable broadcast format. At this moment however, we just don't have the bandwidth to accommodate it.

Here's the Wiki on HDTV >>>

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Film Camera Gates vs. Digital Sensor Sizes - numerical data

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Film Camera Gates vs. Digital Sensor Sizes - numerical data

I was going through some old research the other day and found something I made that I feel is worth posting here. It's basically a table that lists the physical dimensions of various film camera apertures and video camera sensors. Awhile back I was trying to find a "normal" lens size for each format, i.e., in Super 35 a "normal" lens is considered to be a 35mm. Of course by "normal" lens I mean, one that basically recreates the natural, undistorted perspective and field of view of the human eye.

This is determined by measuring the diagonal distance of the imaging area (sensor or aperture). A lens size that corresponds to this diagonal distance in milimeters theoretically should recreate an undistorted Field of View. In practical application the actual dimensions of 1/3" and 2/3" camera sensors varies widely from manufacturer to manufacturer. The "1/3" and 2/3"" label are used more as a camera classification than an actual size. Therefore, there really isn't a way to accurately systematize and correlate lens sizes and Field of View to video camera sensors. This information can help get you in the ball park though and is useful for finding equivalent lenses across various formats. 

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