Video Formats and Frame Rates



HD and SD digital Video Formats, Frame Rates and Data Rates

FormatFrame RateGross Data Rate (Mbps)Net Data Rate 10bit (Mbps)Net Data Rate 8bit (Mbps)
720 x 576 i/25 50 270 207 165
720 x 576 psf/25 25 270 207 165
720 x 480 i/29,9759,94270207165
720 x 480 psf/29,9729,97270207165
1920 x 1080 p/5050297020371628
1920 x 1080 p/59,9459,94297024851990
1920 x 1080 i/255014851036828
1920 x 1080 i/29,9759,9414851242993
1920 x 1080 p/24241485995796
1920 x 1080 p/252514851036828
1920 x 1080 p/23,9823,981485994796
1920 x 1080 p/29,9729,9714851242993
1920 x 1080 psf/23,9823,981485994796
1920 x 1080 psf/24241485995796
1920 x 1080 psf/252514851036828
1920 x 1080 psf/29,9729,9714851242993
1280 x 720 p/25251485460384
1280 x 720 p/50501485921883
1280 x 720 p/29,9729,971485599479
1280 x 720 p/59,9459,9414851104883




Illustration of different frame rates

The frame rate is the number of images distributed in one second. A "50p" or "XXXXp50" video stream contains 50 images per second (frames per second, fps). With interlaced video the 50 frames are actually only half frames with every alternative number of lines.
One second equals 1000 msec, a video stream with a frame rate of 50 fps carries five images in 100 msec (a 1/10th of one second).


50 progressive frames per second (Europe)
each frame containing a full image
50 interlaced frames per second (Europe)
each frame containing a half image with every second line
60 progressive frames per second (US)
each frame containing a full image
60 interlaced frames per second (US)
each frame containing a half image with every second line
25 progressive frames per second (Europe)
each frame containing a full image
24 interlaced frames per second (Movie Format)
each frame containing a full image
25psF progressive segmented frames - 25 progressive frames,
transported as 'interlaced' fields
each frame with two fields from identical time slot
24psF progressive segmented frames - 24 progressive frames,
transported as 'interlaced' fields
each frame with two fields from identical time slot
24 movie frames with a double shutter to create 48 images per second 24 movie frames with a triple shutter to create 72 images per second




EBU Nomenclature for digital Video Formats

The generally used term for the video format with 25 frames (full images) containing each two fields (half images) was/is "i50" or "i60". For "i50" it meant 25 frames with 50 fields, the number "50" corresponded with the number of transmitted images (full images, frames, or half images, fields). A progressive format with 50 full images (frames) is "p50", the number "50" again corresponded with the number of transmitted images (full images, frames, or half images, fields)
In contrast to the format "i50" (with 25 frames and 50 fields) a progressive format with 25 frames that transports these 25 frames via 50 fields, the "psf" format (progressive segmented frames), is called "psf25". Actually both formats "i50" and "psf25" are 100% identical on the transport stream. The only difference is that the fields in the interlaced video (i50) are recorded at different times, one after the other, and in the psf format each two fields are generated from one progressive frame, recorded at the same time.
The number 50 and the number 25 in "i50" and "psf25" mean the same !

The EBU (European Broadcasting Union) defines:

a format with 25 frames and 50 fields (interlaced):  i/25
a format with 25 frames (progressive): p/25
a format with 50 frames (progressive): p/50

"EBU - TECH 3299, High Definition (HD) Image Formats for Television Production" (version Jan 2010)

The 'number' now corresponds always to the number of full images (frames) and not to the number of transmitted images (frames or fields). This way the "psf25" and the "i/25" indicate correctly that they carry the exact equal number of images (frames and fields).
It will still led to confusion because EBU "i/25" a US "i50" (would be a "i60") describe the same ....




"old term" EBU Term HD / SD Active Lines Interlaced / Progressive Active Image Format Number of Frames Number of 'Half' Frames
576i50576i/25SD576interlaced720 x 57625 full frames50 interlaced 'half' frames
1080i501080i/25HD1080interlaced1920 x 108025 full frames50 interlaced 'half' frames
1080p241080p/24HD1080progressive1920 x 108024 full frames ('movie' format)  -
1080p251080p/25HD1080progressive1920 x 108025 full frames)  -
1080p501080p/50HD1080progressive1920 x 108050 full frames)  -
720p50720p/50HD720progressive1280 x 72050 full frames  -