Nikon D300 User Manual page 608

A computer should display any of the video formats, as will a
standard TV (SDTV). Any of the video modes, including the
720p HD 1280×720, will play on your SDTV through the
included-in-the-box AV cable. The HD mode displays in the
wide-screen format, with a black space at the top and bottom
of the picture. Using an HDMI mini (type C) to HDMI
standard (type A) cable, you can play full HD videos on an
HDTV. An HDMI cable is not included with the camera.
They are easily available online and in many electronics
stores. We'll talk more about how to display video in a later
section, which includes pictures of the cables.
My Recommendation: I like to shoot longer videos, so I
often use the 640×424 mode. It has enough resolution that I
can display it on my computer monitor, and it easily works on
a standard television (SDTV) for grandma and grandpa to see.
If their TV doesn't have RCA jacks to plug in the AV cable,
their VCR usually does. The 20-minute length of 640×424 is
usually sufficient for what I am shooting, and displays
full-screen on an SDTV.
If I know I can get by with a 5-minute video, I may switch to
720p HD mode (1280×720), especially if I am shooting a
video of some spectacular place. HD video will display in
wide-screen format on an SDTV directly from the camera.
Since the segment length is limited to 5 minutes in the HD
1280×720 mode, the file size is not a big concern. It should fit
on a standard CD. If you want to use the 640×424 mode to
send files to friends on a CD, just remember to limit your
video length to about 12 minutes, 10 to be absolutely safe.
A full-length 20-minute segment at 640×424 will not fit on a
CD. A 20-minute segment at 320×216 will fit on a CD.
608