Secret software?....Best Way to down convert?

[Darren_Wharton]

I've seen some great footage coming out of the Z1 & Fx1 in
HD mode on HD screens, and also the many great clips within these pages.

My problem!

Can some one please tell me how HD footage is downconverted for DVD or normal SD broadcast so that it can be viewed on a standard def TV's.....yet still retaining it's HD filmic look?

Is it secret software?

The reason I'm a bit confused is:

On UK TV at the moment we are getting many new dramas such as 'Bleak House' and documentaries such as the BBC's brilliant new 'Planet Earth'. These programmes have been filmed in HD video, and they look amazing, filmic, sharp & detailed, even on my standard Def TV.... far, far superior to older programs using SD Digibeta.

These programs are not being broadcast in HD, otherwise my TV would'nt play the signal...right?.......or wrong?

So if they are being broadcast in Standard def, what is the conversion process.? and more importantly how does the footage maintain it's HD integrity & look so superior?

Is it some secret software.......or am I missing something here?

Cheers

Darren Wharton
www.darrenwharton.demon.co.uk

 

[mrstoney]

That's a hard question to answer. There really isn't any secret software, there are many different software and hardware to do the downconversion. If you are watching the shows on a SD TV, then it is being downcoverted and with some brand of hardware converter before it hits the transmitter. Sorry I can 't really tell you more than that.