the media mandala

Yesterday at NAB 2008 in Las Vegas, Red announced their new 5K Epic and 3K Scarlet camera continuing to push the industry in a direction that is very exciting.  Although they are not taking pre-orders, with a delivery of early 2009, the rumor is the 3K Scarlet camera price is going to hover in the 3-4 thousand dollar range.  If you need a catch up:  That’s a rather inexpensive camera that hovers above the quality of an HD image and just below a Film 4K image.  Having seen the amazing 4K clarity of Peter Jackson’s Crossing the Line last year at NAB on a 4K projector, I can understand how film celluloid is going to be replaced.  Less people are going to the theater with their new HD home installations. You also have pro-sumer and professional content developers that will soon have the capacity to raise the quality of their production beyond HD for a reasonable price.  The question I raise is this:  Will HD broadcast networks and film studios be able to compete in a few years?  Today’s television SD and HD standards obviously are created to keep compliance with consumer products that have been established and maintained by the industry NTSC and FCC governing board.  Two things can happen in the next two years:  A inexpensive introduction of a 37″ or higher computer display that displays resolutions that exceed HD 1080p (the highest ATSC standard). The second is a higher efficient codec that can delivery lossless quality within manageable download times.  This is going to happen eventually.  The thought is that the film and television industry may not have an advantageous quality edge in the future.  Perhaps this is why organizations such as the MPAA as so freaked out.  If consumers in the future witness the ability to see films in 4K and the costs are affordable, the phrase “Keeping up with the Joneses” is going to take on a whole new meaning.  Story is still king and I am left baffled why people send me links to youtube such as a skateboarding dog.  As the dusto of what I describe as “internet awe” clears, decent content with well written subject matter are emerging.    The near future may be that your future movie trailer could be saying “coming soon to your 4K home theater” and possibly “starring Mr. and Mrs. Jones.”  With the ease of posting to a growing youtube community, will the dominate streaming video posters in the adoption of this not too future technology create a standard over the regulation of the networks and film industry?  Will the mass market create a better market?