from a Panasonic press release
TOKYO, May 11 — Panasonic, the brand name for
which Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. is known, and Sony
Corporation today announced specifications for "AVCHD," a brand new high
definition (HD) digital video camera recorder format the two companies
jointly established. The AVCHD format allows for recording and playback
high-resolution, digital HD images using 8cm DVD media.
The two companies have started preparations for licensing to
extensively promote the format throughout the industry.
In Japan, BS digital HD broadcasting and digital terrestrial
broadcasting are expanding widely. Coupled with the emerging growth of HD
broadcasting across the world, penetration of HD-capable TV sets is gaining
unprecedented momentum. This sets the stage for enjoying HD images more
easily at home. Panasonic and Sony will extensively promote this format
throughout the industry as the new HD digital video camera recorder format
best suited for the HD era.
The "AVCHD" is an HD digital video camera format for recording
1080i and 720p signals onto 8cm DVD media by using highly efficient
codec technologies. The format employs MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 codec for video
compression, and Dolby Digital (AC-3) or Linear PCM for audio codec. This
makes it possible to develop HD video camera recorders which achieve
compact size as well as high-quality video and audio.
The MPEG-4/H.264 codec is a promising technology which is over two
times more efficient than MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 codec technologies. By adopting
this technology, an "AVCHD" video camera recorder can record high quality
HD video images onto 8cm DVD media.
by interlace method
by progressive method
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060511/NYTH038/AVCHDLOGO )