This morning , Steve Jobs proclaim 2005 “ The Year of High Definition Video , ” using the announcements of Final Cut Express HD and iMovie HD as the kick - off compass point . Now , you could use any of Apple ’s three picture - redaction applications — Final Cut Pro HD being the other one — to edit HD video on the Mac .

Sort of .

These days , the term HD is bandied about more often then jokes about press malfunctions . But there are many different kinds of HD video — what Apple is referring to is a format known as HDV . If it sound suspiciously like DV with an H in front of it , there ’s a good reason for that . HDV is a highly - compressed MPEG-2 video format that get you immortalize HD onto regular DV tapes , at nearly the same data pace . HD camcorders — such as those by JVC or the Sony theoretical account shown - off on the keynote stage Tuesday by Sony President Kunitake Ando — sport FireWire connective to make capture TV simpleton . It really is HD for the bulk — the hoi polloi with disposable income . At $ 3,500 to $ 4,000 , HDV camcorders are n’t cheap ( since you may pick up a DV camcorder for around $ 500 ) , but to be mediocre , the time value for the quality is undeniable . The data pace for HDV is exchangeable to what you ’d find oneself on an high-definition television programme .

The most interesting thing about Apple ’s high - definition announcements , however , is the fact that Final Cut Express HD and iMovie HD are the first Apple apps to admit native HDV import and editing capabilities . Although Apple has said that it plans to add HDV support to the flagship Final Cut Pro HD , it has yet to do so . For once , the low - end apps can do something the pro - level program can’t — yet . ( Final Cut Pro HD can , however , edit Panasonic ’s DVCPRO format natively , as well as uncompressed HD using extra hardware . )

Of course , you ca n’t just pop out a disk into your SuperDrive and sunburn a high definition DVD . And even if you could , there ’s not much out there to play it . Currently , all you could do is export your ruined movies back to tape and connect your HDV camcorder to a high - definition television receiver in ordination to see the full quality . But as the new Blu - beam and HD DVD data formatting start to take off ( and camcorder prices put down ) , it will become more realistic to use HD .

So maybe a good room to describe 2005 would be theFirstYear of gamey Definition Video .