Playback.HD is an independently run television production company producing music, arts, entertainment and documentary programmes. It excels in bringing together the highest standard of craft skills and the latest production technology to produce some award winning programmes.

The high definition television production of a Midsummer Night's Dream, performed by Pacific Northwest Ballet Company from Seattle won the International Dance Screen prize for best televised stage performance in 1999. The programme 'Cecilia and Bryn at Glyndebourne', directed by Brian Large, received recognition at the IBC Production Solutions Awards in 2000 for Achievement in Acquisition.

Playback.HD was established in 1993 when Europe was developing high definition television widescreen production technology. Equipment was at the early design stage. It was hard to make programmes that could stand alongside modern day production techniques which used lightweight cameras and sophisticated editing.

Nevertheless part funded by the 16-9 European Union Action plan and working in collaboration with BBC Research and Development Department, innovative solutions were devised to make highly successful music and dance programmes. They were downconverted and then exported around the world. They had to look spectacular not only to entertain but to sell the new technology.

The recordings shot in 1250-line HD were made with limited facilities and often over several performances. The equipment had to be adapted to use modern techno-cranes, remote heads and battery portable rigs. Editing was very cumbersome and time consuming. BBC R&D engineers and editors often worked long hours with much patience and and a sense of humour in order to solve complex problems.

But the real achievements came through the putting together of a competent and experienced team of programme makers - craftspeople who learnt the new technology of HD to deliver film like quality with budgets only marginally above standard tv rates. Many were successfully projected on to large cinema screens - a forunner to electronic cinema.

Recent programmes have been co-produced and marketed in collaboration with BBC Worldwide who sell them to the new HD broadcasters in the US and Japan and standard definition broadcasters elsewhere. Some recent titles have been produced on the BBC DVD label.

Nigel Shepherd is the Managing Director and exclusive owner of PlaybackHD.

For a list of Playback HD and BBC collaborations click here.