The future of video

[DogSoldier]

Hello Everyone,

This post consists of two parts so I'm not sure where to put it. Please move it to the appropiate forum if necessary.

First, I want to discuss my take on the future of video, image files and the like. I am a content producer. I make videos for a living. Like the majority of producers, I work in a small shop with only a few coworkers. I've been a producer for 10 years and have witnessed remarkable changes with the introduction of digital video.

As with all new technology, it first starts with the major studios and network television stations. Then it filters down to smaller stations like ourself and then finally to consumer applications. By the time new technology reaches us, it is more user friendly than it's initial inception, but no where near simple enough for the average user.

For example, I remember when MPEG-2 encoding, DVD authoring and DVD burners first came down to a level where a small production house like ours could afford to spend $10 to $15k on the software and hardware. There was a learning curve and eventually we taught ourselves how to do all that was needed to make DVD's.

Now, of course, anyone who can press record on their $200 DVD recorder can make a DVD.

But there's still a disconnect between what the technology can do and what is being done. As a content producer, my background is not in programming languages or networking. We're not technically deficient, by any means. We understand better than most about RGB vs RTU 601 color space. We understand interlaced fields, luminance signals, keyframes, bandwidth... etc.

However, everyday we are being challenged to learn more about programming, datastreams, file formats and the like. In a larger production house, software and hardware engineers would be available to take over these aspects of content production. But in a smaller shop like ours, we have to learn it all ourselves.

For instance, I'm exporting a DV stream from my AVID Media Composer to file transfer to our image server which will send out an analog stream to the cable provider.

In the past we would only export out to tape. You would be amazed how much content is still downgraded to analog tape when going from editing bay to the duplicator or to broadcast.

But the new technology doesn't always want to cooperate. In this instance, the Avid wants to reverse the field order on the export. At least it appears as though that is what's happening, If I knew how to analyze the file myself then I could not only communicate with Avid tech support easier or better yet, fix it myself.

At anyrate, things are changing and video producers are more and more being asked to understand programming. Doom9 has been very helpful in the past as that I've downloaded many of the utilitites here to help solve problems. But now I want to be ahead of the curve and bridge the gap between software engineer and video engineer.

So here's part 2. Where do I start? Do I need to learn C programming? Do I need to learn another programming language? I understand how video files work, now I want to get under the hood.

Thanks for your help,

DogSoldier
Producer

[HeadBangeR77]

I can't be of any help to you from many reasons. I would just like to write: good you've brought such a topic up, and I hope it will develop into an interesting discussion, which I will be following as a silent observer. ;)

good luck!

[Zarxrax]

I definitely don't think you need to learn programming, at least not from anything you have described in your post (not that it's not a useful skill).

Have you spent some time to learn AviSynth? Using it you could solve problems like knowing what field order your video is in. It might seem like programming, but it's not :p

[Blue_MiSfit]

Seriously. Learn AviSynth if you haven't already. If you later need to learn programming (to write your own filters etc), it will give you a good basic understanding.

I started really diving into it a few years ago, and have learned a tremendous amount. It's amazing what a simple script can do to repair the damage that powerful (yet amazingly foolish) professional apps like NLEs (FCP, Avid, Premiere) can do to video.

It sounds like you have the resources and intelligence to become a power user!

Good luck.

~MiSfit

[writersblock29]

@DogSoldier

Being a professional videographer, I feel your pain. The real issue is uncertainty with knowing exactly where technology is going to lead us. Right now in the field of consumer video, we have a format war going on (when do we not, alas... :rolleyes: ) so it's really tough to tell where the tide will turn. When DVD settled into the mainstream--as you've stated--it was really just a matter of waiting for programers to come up with more efficient ways of producing content that eased the transition from tape (either analog or digital signals) into MPEG2 which relied soundly on DVD specs. Even in my work, I remember plunking down $2K on CCE 2.5, then spending well more time than I care to mention trying to get everything to work--all the while trying to maintain high standards and preserve my professional reputation. Now we have freeware encoders like HC that rival what I blew a nice chunk of money on. Kind of makes my gut sink thinking about it now... but we all do what we have to.

Really the best advice I can offer is to take a wait-and-see stance, combing forums such as this (okay, ESPECIALLY this) and try to get the word on the street as to what consumers are interested in; they, in the end, have the power to determine what's left standing after the smoke clears. I realize that, in providing content for streaming to cable, you're under more pressure to get your hands dirty than I am (the majority of my clients see no need for anything other than DVD, most not being wowed at all by high-def signals*). But in absence of a crystal ball, who knows who will emerge the victor--and for how long?

It never hurts to study programming; who knows? Maybe one day you'll be another Jdobbs and simplify a process that used to give millions headaches... or at the very least, understand enough about the process to be a valuble beta tester for someone else who's jumping off the cliff. One question: How much time do you have to devote to it? Programing itself is an evolution whose advancements are marked by leaps and bounds, and--at least, I've found--every bit as tough to keep track of as video encoding advancement. You sure your plate isn't loaded full enough?

There's really no easy answers to your (our) delema. I wish I could be of more help.

*Sidenote: The reason why most of my clients aren't wowed by high-def is because so little of it's availible to them, in truth. Most high-def programing they see on their televisions is actually up-converted Standard Def, so a true comparision isn't possible without actually pumping money into either Blue Ray or HD DVD and comparing apples to apples. Once they do, even I'll be in trouble!