| Unless you've been living under a rock for the past | | | | resolution available in HD at the moment creating the |
| couple of years it's difficult to escape the advent of | | | | clearest images. |
| high definition technology which has been brought to | | | | Progressive Scanning vs. Interlaced Scanning |
| video games, DVDs, TVs, digital camcorders and | | | | Having a high resolution is all very well but unless the |
| cameras. The cream of the crop at the moment is 'full | | | | pixels can be scanned quickly then the benefits of the |
| HD', but why would you want to shell out for a full HD | | | | resolution will be lost. 'Scanning' is how quickly the |
| camera instead of a normal high definition camera? | | | | image can be processed and displayed on a screen. |
| Here's why: | | | | Most normal cameras come with interlaced 'i' scanning, |
| Full HD Camera vs. Normal HD Camera | | | | which means that the image is drawn using alternating |
| The principle difference between a HD and a full HD | | | | lines of pixels. The even lines will appear followed by |
| camera is the number of pixels (points of light) the | | | | the odd lines, which is often imperceptible to the eye |
| camera contains when it produces either a still or | | | | as it fills in the blanks. |
| moving image. Just like with your television set, digital | | | | Progressive 'p' scanning, however, displays the full |
| cameras scan horizontal lines of pixels which produce | | | | image all at the same time. A full HD camera with |
| an image for the eye. By increasing the number of | | | | progressive scanning not only has the highest |
| lines of pixels, the pixel density is much greater which | | | | resolution, but can display that resolution all at once in a |
| creates a much sharper and clearer image. | | | | continual sequence without the image flickering. |
| In order to qualify as a standard high definition video | | | | The bonus of progressive scanning is that the images |
| camera, a product must be '720', which means there | | | | keep their clarity even in slow motion and can capture |
| are 720 horizontal lines of pixels and 1280 vertical lines. | | | | much better still photos from video frames. The |
| A full HD camera will have 1080 horizontal lines | | | | combined quality of 1080 pixel resolution and |
| and1920 vertical ones, which is why there is such a | | | | progressive scanning makes full HD a must-have for |
| buzz around '1080' technology - it is the highest | | | | anyone serious about their digital cameras. |