Whats all this excitement about Frame Movie Mode or Progressive Scan?
Progressive scan (Sony’s term) and Frame Movie Mode (Canon’s term) are the same. This is a very controversial topic in the world of HD because Sony’s new HD camcorder is higher resolution than JVC’s, but it doesn’t have progressive scan, as JVC does. Most people seem to agree that JVC’s camera is an interesting novelty but not much of a camera. However, the lack of progressive scan is a real problem with the Sony. [10 June 1998] Here is Michael Pappas’ article on Frame Movie Mode, which explains what it is and why you might want to use it. The article will probably convince you that you want to make all your productions using frame movie mode. It means, after all, that every individual frame will be distinct and crystal clear, a tremendous advantage when capturing stills from your production. Unfortunately, like many things in life, it’s not that simple. In order to understand why, let me attempt my own explanation of how frame movie mode works.
