Rec. ITU-R BT.709-5
1
RECOMMENDATION ITU-R BT.709-5
*
Parameter values for the HDTV
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standards for production
and international programme exchange
(Question ITU-R 27/11)
(1990-1994-1995-1998-2000-2002)
Scope
This Recommendation defines the image format parameters and values for HDTV. Part 1 of this
Recommendation is not in current use and is included to capture historic evolution of the Recommendation.
Part 2 of the Recommendation is widely deployed; implementers of broadcasting technologies should apply
the values contained in Part 2.
The ITU Radiocommunication Assembly,
considering
a) that for many years HDTV programmes have been produced in several countries;
b) that parameter values for HDTV production standards should have maximum commonality;
c) that two HDTV scanning standards, 1125/60/2:1 and 1250/50/2:1, were previously
developed for that purpose, having a significant number of parameters which have been agreed on
a worldwide basis, and for which some equipment remains in use;
d) that a HDTV common image format of 1 920 pixels by 1080 lines providing square pixel
sampling and a number of interlace and progressive picture rates has been designed for digital
television, computer imagery and other applications (in this Recommendation, the term pixel is
used to describe a picture element in the digital domain);
e) that the parameters defined for all these systems meet the quality goals set for HDTV;
f) that film productions are an important programme source for HDTV broadcasting and,
conversely, the use of HDTV production systems has significant benefits for film programme
production;
g) that high-quality conversion between the various HDTV systems, as well as down-
conversion to 525/625 television systems, has been successfully implemented;
h) that programmes produced and archived will not become obsolete using these standards,
recommends
1 that for HDTV programme production and international exchange, one of the systems
described in Part 2 of this Recommendation, should be used.
*
Radiocommunication Study Group 6 made editorial amendments to this Recommendation in 2009 in
accordance with Resolution ITU-R 1.
**
“A high-definition system is a system designed to allow viewing at about three times the picture height,
such that the system is virtually, or nearly, transparent to the quality of portrayal that would have been
perceived in the original scene or performance by a discerning viewer with normal visual acuity.” Report
ITU-R BT.801.
