Life is tough for video editors right now. You get used to working in standard definition, get used to all the little intricacies, how to avoid the pitfalls of the NTSC standard and so on. Then along comes high definition, the bloated, over-paid drama queen of the video world. Suddenly there’s loads more standards to deal with, and to make it worse, almost all the equipment that worked for years in a predictable manner has to be replaced. Video decks, monitors, scopes, everything must go.

Clearly, the transition to HD is a very expensive one. Unfortunately, it’s also inevitable in most cases, with more and more producers abandoning SD formats in favour of HD ones. Well Quantel reckon they’ve got the solution in what they’ve dubbed "Pay As You Go HD".

The concept of Pay As You Go HD is ridiculously simple. You buy a standard Quantel "eQ" system, which is already in use in facilities around the world as an online editing system. When you have a HD job come in, you simply pay Quantel for a code that unlocks the HD functionality, and you’re set. Presumably this means that the system is already tested within your environment, as the hardware and software are exactly the same as your regular eQ, just with a few more functions. Codes can be bought in weekly or monthly intervals, and once they expire, you have your standard definition eQ to use as normal.

Ah, but what about the cost? How much money will you save by hedging your bets on HD? The official figures from Quantel are that you can buy the system at 60% of the cost of an “unlocked” HD eQ. From then, a one week HD license is $2250, or a one month license is around the $8000 mark. In the event that you decide to make the switch to HD permanently, you can buy a license to completely unlock it, and Quantel will refund you 50% of what you paid in licenses in the previous 6 months. Of course, all the HD infra-structure, such as the HD video decks will need to be bought separately (or rented), but at least it becomes less of a blow, particularly to facilities who were considering investing in an eQ anyway.

This is less a risky, in-your-face bold move by Quantel than it is a very clever marketing strategy. Because HD is still on something of a threshold, some facilities have already invested in HD hardware and are unlikely to switch to a Quantel system, whilst others are apprehensive about investing such a large initial outlay. Obviously there are facilities who might never make the switch to HD, but for those who are still on the fence, this could be what they need to make the leap (provided they like the idea of having an eQ), and I have no doubt we’ll see other manufacturers offering similar deals.

You can get more information at Quantel’s website or by reading their HD As You Go Whitepaper