Hi-Vision

Key takeaways

Hi-Vision belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Hi-Vision to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Hi-Vision from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Hi-Vision (a contraction of HIgh-definition teleVISION) is the term used to refer to a high-definition television (HDTV) standard developed in Japan. It is a registered trademark of NHK Engineering Systems. The standard was never implemented outside of the country and was only available in media formats abroad.

Overview The image quality for Hi-Vision has more than twice as many scan lines as NTSC standard television broadcasting making it high-definition quality compared to standard quality. The aspect ratio of the screen is also wider at (16:9) compared to the standard (4:3). As of 2016, there are two types of Hi-Vision broadcasting standards in Japan: digital Hi-Vision broadcasting for satellite broadcasting (ISDB-S) (BS/110-degree CS) and terrestrial digital Hi-Vision broadcasting (ISDB-T). Note that analog Hi-Vision broadcasting (MUSE) via satellite broadcast was discontinued on September 30, 2007 and now only digital versions are available.

Analog Hi-Vision After the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, research began at the NHK Science & Technology Research Laboratories to find a way to develop a higher quality image that would be possible to broadcast across televisions within the country. In 1976, the world's first 30-inch Hi-Vision monitor was completed. In the 1980s, the first equipment to be compatible with the Hi-Vision video signal were released. This included professional television cameras, high-resolution cathode ray tubes, video tape recorders, and editing and production equipment. Around this time, real preparations were being made for the practical use of this standard. The nickname “Hi-Vision” also began to be used around this time. In May 1982, two programs, “The Beauty of Japan” and “Various Images for HDTV,” were produced as the world's first Hi-Vision production programs. On New Year's Eve then same year, the “NHK Red and White Song Contest” was recorded in Hi-Vision for the first time. It was recorded as an experiment to see how viable it was to record and produce in Hi-Vision. Then in 1989 for its 40th edition, the contest was again recorded in Hi-Vision where it then continued to be recorded in the same standard to this day. In 1984, the MUSE (Multiple Sub-Nyquist Sampling Encoding) system was developed, which used digital technology to compress the bandwidth and enable analog broadcasting via satellite. Satellite television used MUSE experimentally in 1989 with some compatible equipment being used to broadcast music programs and select content. During the 1990s, Hi-Vision compatible products were starting to become available for home consumers with the most notable being Hi-Vision LD. This was an enhanced version of LaserDisc that was compatible with the MUSE format and offered Hi-Vision quality. The product saw huge success and led to many titles being released in the format. This product was only released in Japan. A less successful consumer product that was released was W-VHS, a videocassette format that also used MUSE. It was available internationally, however was not successful globally or even locally compared to Hi-Vision LD. NHK wanted to establish Hi-Vision (1125/60 HDTV) and MUSE as the global standard for HDTV after having success developing it and deploying it within the country. Part of this plan involved using the term “High Definition Television” as the English translation for their Japanese term “高品位テレビ” rather than Hi-Vision. Initially, NHK had set the aspect ratio for Hi-Vision television at 5:3 (1.67:1), which is close to the European Vista standard, but during the standardization process it was adjusted to 16:9 (1.78:1), which is closer to middle point between the European and American Vista standards (1.85:1).

Digital Hi-Vision NHK wanted to establish Hi-Vision television as a global standard and continued to actively promote standardization across Europe and the US. However, due to political reasons and other factors; Japan, the US, and Europe ended up adopting different formats for HDTV broadcasting. In the US, HDTV development skipped analog broadcasting and to use digital broadcasting from the start. Europe did the same. In Japan, on September 30, 2007, analog HDTV satellite broadcast was ceased, leaving only digital Hi-Vision. The technology was replaced by Japan's ISDB digital standard.

Device support for Hi-Vision

Hi-Vision LaserDiscs On May 20, 1994, Panasonic released the first Hi-Vision LaserDisc player. There were a number of Hi-Vision LaserDisc players available in Japan: Pioneer HLD-XØ, HLD-X9, HLD-1000, HLD-V500, HLD-V700; Sony HIL-1000, HIL-C1 and HIL-C2EX; the last two of which have OEM versions made by Panasonic, LX-HD10 and LX-HD20. Players also supported standard NTSC LaserDiscs. Hi-Vision LaserDiscs are extremely rare and expensive. The HDL-5800 Video Disc Recorder recorded both high definition still images and continuous video onto an optical disc and was part of the early analog wideband Sony HDVS high-definition video system which supported the MUSE system. Capable of recording HD still images and video onto either the WHD-3AL0 or the WHD-33A0 optical disc; WHD-3Al0 for CLV mode (up to 10 minute video or 18,000 still frames per side); WHD-33A0 for CAV mode (up to 3 minute video or 5400 still frames per side). These video discs were used for short video content such as advertisements and product demonstrations. The HDL-2000 was a full band high definition video disc player.

Reel to reel VTRs

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Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Hi-Vision

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Hi-Vision claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Hi-Vision before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Hi-Vision ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Hi-Vision

In research: Hi-Vision appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Hi-Vision in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Hi-Vision is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Consumer electronics, Hi-Vision, High-definition television, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Hi-Vision outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study Hi-Vision in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Hi-Vision means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Hi-Vision out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Hi-Vision in simple terms?

Hi-Vision (a contraction of HIgh-definition teleVISION) is the term used to refer to a high-definition television (HDTV) standard developed in Japan. It is a registered trademark of NHK Engineering Systems.

Why does Hi-Vision matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Hi-Vision?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Hi-Vision.