Sales Potential
7.1 Multiple Standard Sales
If you have made the master recordings on HDCAM using the 24P or 25P recording format, then it is relatively easy to produce economically many versions from this master, in many different formats. Directly from the Sony HDW 500 or similar video tape recorder (VTR), assuming it is fitted with all the conversion cards, you could play out in 24P, 25P, 30P, 23.98P, 29.97P, 59.97i, 60i and 50i. That covers most, if not all, of the television formats around the world. From the same master it is possible to print out to film in almost any aspect ratio from 1.175:1 right up to 2.4:1. Clearly, by originating in the economical and convertible formats of either 24P or 25P using the HDCAM, HDCAM-SR tape or even, nowadays, a portable hard drive to store the final version, many markets are opened up that otherwise might have been closed or for which it would have been too expensive to provide a suitable version.
7.2 Multiple Venue Sales
Therefore from a 24 or 25P HDCAM master any television station or cinema can receive a version that precisely fits their requirements. There are other venues and display points that should be considered. In-store large screen displays will benefit from the added quality and color depth of High Definition (HD). Very large screens or video walls of images are increasingly used for sales presentations; the difference in visual impact on such screens between pictures originated on conventional television formats, or even Super 16 mm, and HD, can be quite startling. When multiple screens are used the format will fulfill all likely requirements; think of an in-store situation where you might want a video wall at one point in the store but require several conventional televisions around the store. Economics may force you to use domestic televisions around the store but the big screen would be better supplied from a true HD source.
7.3 Additional Sales to HD Users
Currently, the USA, Japan and Australia have HD transmission systems and are often prepared to pay a premium for HD programs. Europe and the UK in particular are fast catching up. Most broadcasters deem an HD program to be one originated in true HD either in the 1920 × 1080 or the 720 × 1280 formats, depending on the local standard, or one shot on 35 mm and transcribed through a telecine capable of sufficient quality. With the possible exception of wildlife programs, most broadcasters will not accept more than a very small percentage of material originated on Super 16 mm or Digi Beta. As can often happen, a single additional sale to an HD station can more than finance any extra costs involved in HD origination. Clearly, a prudent producer would try to make the sale before production begins, but it is quite likely that there are reasons, some even economic, to shoot on HD even without a pre-sell in place. If this is the case then a post-production sale to one of these stations, particularly given the premium they might pay, can be very nearly all profit. The only costs involved are transcribing an extra HDCAM tape and shipping.
7.4 Future Proofing
The raw tape stock is unlikely to last physically as long as film, even given that both are stored in ideal conditions. The cost of lengthening the life of an HD tape is very low; you just make a clone every 20 years or so. The cost of preserving film is high for, even if the master negative exists in perfect order, new prints are expensive, though new copies will be required at far longer intervals.
There is always the argument that recording standards may change and they certainly will, eventually, but HD is so easily convertible between standards I cannot see why a copy in some new format could not be made simply and economically in any newly arrived format. If you want to make a new television copy at full resolution from a film the cost can be considerable, involving both telecine and processing charges.