Film vs. video tape

[Kinnick.At.Night]

I remember asking my dad when I was a kid why the resolution of sports events, even from only a decade or so earlier, looked awful, while old movies were pristine. He went into a long conversation about recording on film vs. video. Keep in mind, I asked him this during an era when there wasn't any digital motion media being recorded. So, that adds to my confusion. What was my dad explaining? Why is the quality of old analog film of such superior resolution to old analog video tape?

 

[FAUlty Gator]

I remember asking my dad when I was a kid why the resolution of sports events, even from only a decade or so earlier, looked awful, while old movies were pristine. He went into a long conversation about recording on film vs. video. Keep in mind, I asked him this during an era when there wasn't any digital motion media being recorded. So, that adds to my confusion. What was my dad explaining? Why is the quality of old analog film of such superior resolution to old analog video tape?

If you were to pull out the videotape, you'd discover that there are no images on the tape, unlike what you'd see on film. Videotape and VCR cassettes have the video printed as magnetically recorded electronic signals. Machines are the only ones who can read these signals, and they aren't printed as images. Film has actual imprinted images. It also doesn’t stretch as much as an overused tape does.

 

[Kinnick.At.Night]

If you were to pull out the videotape, you'd discover that there are no images on the tape, unlike what you'd see on film. Videotape and VCR cassettes have the video printed as magnetically recorded electronic signals. Machines are the only ones who can read these signals, and they aren't printed as images. Film has actual imprinted images. It also doesn’t stretch as much as an overused tape does.

Wow. And I suppose unlike film, video tape is victimized by time.

 

[The Tradition]

If you were to pull out the videotape, you'd discover that there are no images on the tape, unlike what you'd see on film. Videotape and VCR cassettes have the video printed as magnetically recorded electronic signals. Machines are the only ones who can read these signals, and they aren't printed as images. Film has actual imprinted images. It also doesn’t stretch as much as an overused tape does.

Correct, and the quality of the original signal, the recording machine, and the playback machine all come into play, too.

 

[Kinnick.At.Night]

So, basically...technology failed us with video tape? Is that fair to say? I can't speak for the costs at the time when video was used vs. film. And I don't know what was required for each medium to be implemented. Yet, look what we lost. We've got decades of recordings that are awful in quality. Of sports, world events, family vacations, weddings, funerals...you name it.

 

[Kinnick.At.Night]

Look at the difference in resolution here. Between recordings made at the same time. Crazy.

 

[seminole97]

So, basically...technology failed us with video tape? Is that fair to say? I can't speak for the costs at the time when video was used vs. film. And I don't know what was required for each medium to be implemented. Yet, look what we lost. We've got decades of recordings that are awful in quality. Of sports, world events, family vacations, weddings, funerals...you name it.

Have you seen Boogie Nights?

 

[Kinnick.At.Night]

Have you seen Boogie Nights?

Yes. And I'm pissed they couldn't get the master tapes to release their album!

 

[h-hawk]

"Film is analog so there are no real "pixels." However, based on converted measures, a 35mm frame has 3 to 12 million pixels, depending on the stock, lens, and shooting conditions. An HD frame has 2 million pixels, measured using 1920 x 1080 scan lines."

 

[Kinnick.At.Night]

"Film is analog so there are no real "pixels." However, based on converted measures, a 35mm frame has 3 to 12 million pixels, depending on the stock, lens, and shooting conditions. An HD frame has 2 million pixels, measured using 1920 x 1080 scan lines."

We had it correct decades ago.

 

[seminole97]

We had it correct decades ago.

Yeah, but when porn was on film you had to watch it in theaters with PeeWee Herman.

 

[Kinnick.At.Night]

Yeah, but when porn was on film you had to watch it in theaters with PeeWee Herman.

So, the point of all of this is there was no way to make film quality playback available to home consumers until digital media arrived? Correct?

 

[seminole97]

So, the point of all of this is there was no way to make film quality playback available to home consumers until digital media arrived? Correct?

Digital storage on tape was just way, way cheaper to make and reproduce.
Also, once it’s digital you’ve opened the door to compression and transmission over all kinds of mediums.
Thirsty dudes have driven a lot of tech.