British soaps lead the changeover to high definition – Emmerdale makes the transition
Emmerdale has become the British network ITV’s first soap production to be recorded in high def.
It joins Channel 4’s Hollyoaks and the BBC’s Doctors, while the long-running Coronation Street is expected to make the change from SD shortly.
ITV Productions spent half a million pounds on new studio cameras and lenses for Emmerdale’s leap to HD, investing in eight Ikegami HDK-79EXIII HD cameras with Canon HD lenses.
It was reported that stars of the soap were concerned about the show’s transition, worried that the new HD video would draw attention to facial wrinkles.
Lucy Pargeter – Chastity Dingle on the soap – said: “We all held our breath because we’d heard all the horror stories. However, it was fine – if you don’t look too closely.”
A number of different HD cameras and lenses were tested over a six-month period from June 2007. Different technologies from manufacturers were mixed and matched and trials were done using on-screen talent and the Emmerdale sets.
Comments