How do I begin downloading?

First, you must register on our homepage to be confirmed for downloads. Click "register". Fill out the required texts and you will recieve a confirmation email.

Once confirmed, login using your e-mail and password chosen at registration and begin browsing!

What is the right format to upload?

The required formats for upload to HD Video Taxi are as follows:

• DV (NTSC DV and PAL DV): for all clips that originate in the DV, MiniDV or DVCPro25 format. Quality level of 100%.

• PhotoJPEG: for non-DV progressive-scan clips, including HDV720p. Quality level of “high” (75%) or better (please do not go above 95%, in order to keep file sizes reasonable).

• MotionJPEG-B: for non-DV interlaced clips, including HDV1080i. Make sure that the field order matches the original material (most likely upper-field first for non-DV)

There are many encoding programs that offer these codecs. We recommend either Sorenson Squeeze or Apple's Compressor.

Download Compressor Droplets for PhotoJPEG, Motion JPEG-B or DV.

Download Sorenson Squeeze settings for PhotoJPEG, Motion JPEG-B or DV.

We also recommend MPEG Streamclip (http://www.squared5.com). It is a free open source program with batch capabilties.

Quicktime Pro (http://www.apple.com/quicktime/pro) also offers these codecs at a lower cost however the compression and batching options are limited.

*Before uploading, please verify the quality of your clips by a) monitoring them from your NLE using a broadcast-standard monitor, and b) opening them in Quicktime Player and using the "Window" > "Show Movie Properties" command to verify that all settings, including resolution, codec, and frame rate, are as they should be.

I only need Standard Definition video?  Why do I have to download HD footage? 

SD (Standard Definition) refers to the "legacy" old video viewing, storage, and transmission systems represented by NTSC, PAL and SECAM when color TV was introduced in the 1950s. On February 17, 2009 all full-power broadcast television stations in the United States will stop broadcasting on analog airwaves and begin broadcasting only in digital.  HD (High Definition) is the new enhanced video standard.  Superior in color and resolution (sharpness and detail), an HD clip can also be sized to fit any SD image, 4:3 or 16:9 making it a "one size fits all" format meaning only one download.