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7
Preface
About High Definition
and Broadcast Formats
More and more video formats are introduced every year.
Making Final Cut Pro the center of your post-production
workflow ensures that your suite is compatible with the
latest broadcast and high definition formats.
This chapter covers the following:
 Overview of High Definition Video Formats (p. 7)
 About the Apple ProRes 422 Codec (p. 9)
 About the Apple Intermediate Codec (p. 10)
Overview of High Definition Video Formats
Digital high definition (HD) formats are defined by their vertical resolutions (number of
lines), scanning methods (interlaced versus progressive), and frame or field rates. For
example, the 1080i60 format has 1080 lines per frame, uses interlaced scanning
(indicated by the i), and scans 59.94 fields per second. HD frame rates are compatible
with NTSC, PAL, or film.
Note: For comparison to HD formats, standard definition (SD) video formats are now
defined in similar terms. For example, 480i60 has 480 lines, interlaced scanning, and
59.94 fields per second (NTSC).