Professional Documents
Culture Documents
By Stephen DaVega
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The format was licensed to RCA (Radio Corporation of America) for use in their
"television tape recorders" and Ampex's invention revolutionized the television
industry by eliminating the kinescope process of archiving television programs on
motion picture film (at least in the U.S.; in Britain, the BBC and most of the ITV
companies continued to use kinescoping alongside videotape until the late
1960s; in most developing countries, many television broadcasters continued to
use kinescoping alongside videotape until the mid-1970s).
The Ampex broadcast video tape recorder also facilitated time-zone broadcast
delay so that networks could air programming at the same hour in various time
zones.
One of the key engineers in the development of the quadruplex video recorder
for Ampex was Ray Dolby, who went on to form Dolby Laboratories, a pioneer in
audio noise reduction systems.
Since the early 1950s, Bing Crosby and others tried to record video on very fast-
moving magnetic tape. One semi-successful attempt was the BBC's VERA
format.
Only Ampex had the wisdom to rotate the heads at high speed and keep tape
movement slow. The "Quad" head assembly has 4 heads that rotate at 14,400
rpm. They write the video vertically across the width of a tape that is 2 inches (5
cm) wide and runs at 15" (38cm) per second. This allows programs of one hour
to be recorded on one reel of tape. But in 1956 one reel of tape cost $300
(equivalent to $2000 in 2004). The machines themselves cost about $75-100,000
(about a half a million dollars today). So the only videotaped archives that exist
are network programs as the typical television station could not afford an Ampex
VTR.
Ampex had trademarked the name "Video Tape", so competitor RCA called the
medium "TV Tape" or "Television Tape". The terms eventually became
genericized, and "videotape" is commonly used today.
In 1948, ABC used an Ampex Model 200 audio recorder for the first-ever U.S.
tape delay radio broadcast of The Bing Crosby Show.
In 1967, ABC used the Ampex HS-100 disk recorder for playback of slow-motion
downhill skiing on World Series of Skiing in Vail, Colorado. Thus began the use
of slow motion instant replay in sporting events. Also, that year, Ampex
introduced the Ampex VR-3000 portable broadcast video recorder, which
revolutionized the recording of high-quality television in the field, without the need
for long cables and large support vehicles. Broadcast quality images could now
be shot anywhere, including out of airplanes, helicopters and boats.
In 1970, Ampex introduced the ACR-25, the first automated robotic library
system for the recording and playback of television commercials. Each
commercial was recorded on an individual cartridge. These cartridges were then
loaded into large rotating carousels. Using sophisticated mechanics and
compressed air, the "carts" were able to be loaded into and extracted from the
machine at extremely high speed. This allowed TV stations to re-sequence
commercial breaks at a moments notice, adding, deleting and rearranging
commercials at will. The TV newsroom also began to use the ACR-25 to run
news stories because of its random access capability. From the earliest days of
the medium, television has been used as a vehicle for advertising in some
countries. ...
The Ampex video system is now obsolete. Those machines which still survive
have been pressed into service to transfer recordings onto modern digital video
formats.
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8mm: 8mm (official name: Video8) is a type of video cassette recorder and
video tape format originally developed by EIAJ (Electronic Industries Association
of Japan) and others in 1983. 8mm camcorders often are similar to higher priced
HI-8 units, having compact size, image stabilization, and digital zooms. Regular
8mm tapes are the exact size and shape as their HI8 counterparts, but record
video at a lower resolution level, and therefore, are less expensive. 8mm has a
maximum tape length of 120 minutes in SP mode or 240 minutes in LP mode
and has a resolution of up to 270 lines. The video quality is somewhat better than
that of the VHS format. Kodak released its first 8mm camcorder in 1983/84 w/255
lines of resolution. The tapes generally are either 60 minutes or 120 minutes
long.
One of the major drawbacks of the format is that the tapes are incompatible with
VHS VCRs. 8MM (and Hi-8) tapes cannot be put into a standard VHS video
recorder, a common misconception. Because the tape size is different than a
standard VHS tape, it is not possible to make an adapter for the tapes that would
fit in a VHS VCR. There are no adapters to achieve this. They must be
transferred to VHS in order to be viewed on a regular VCR.
8mm is mainly used with video cameras and was until recently one of the
dominant formats for video cameras. 8mm cameras were popular because the
small tape size meant video cameras using this format could be much smaller
than cameras using the VHS format. The tapes are about the size of an audio
cassette, making the format popular for travel when space is at a premium.
There were attempts to move the format over to the home VCR market as a
replacement for VHS tapes. 8mm VCRs were manufactured, and even some
8mm tape versions of some movies were sold. However these attempts were
generally not successful, and until the price of DVDs fell to reasonable levels,
VHS remained the dominant format for home use.
The 8mm video format was standardized in 1984. Sony introduced the
Handycam, one of the first cameras to record on to 8mm video tapes. This type
of camera soon became more popular than the more bulky VHS camcorder.
8mm is still a fairly popular format for video cameras, however it has currently
been superseded by miniDV, also referred to as DV.
It is also worth noting that 8mm tapes (like all videotape) will eventually
deteriorate and lose their recorded contents over time. Tapes that are older than
10 years may start to degrade. Amongst other problems, they can become sticky
and jam playback units or become brittle and snap. It is recommended that
footage archived on the 8mm format, be transferred to miniDV (for future editing)
or DVD (for long term optical archiving).
Like all videotape, 8mm tapes should be stored vertically out of direct sunlight, in
a dry, cool dust free environment.
Tapes from HI-8 camcorders generally must be played using the camera as the
source, as Hi-8 tape players are rare. which means the user often must connect
cables to their television or VCR.
With 415 lines of horizontal resolution, Hi8 provides superior quality to the
original 270-line 8mm format as well as VHS tape.
Digital8 will also play back existing Video8 and Hi8 tapes, even over 1394/i.link,
allowing such tapes to be read into NLEs (at least, those for which the lack of
timecode is not an issue -- batch capture utilities are unlikely to work, since
Video8/Hi8 timecodes are not sent across the 1394 connection).
All Digital8 camcorders can record from the analog inputs (at least outside the
EU), and all are equipped with i.link ports for digital dubbing and NLE
connections.
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The Video Home System, better known by its acronym VHS,
is a recording and playing standard for video cassette recorders (VCRs),
developed by JVC (with some of its critical technology under lucrative licensing
agreements with Sony) and launched in 1976. VHS officially stands for Video
Home System, but it initially stood for Vertical Helical Scan, after the relative
head/tape scan technique. Some early reports claim the name originally stood for
Victor Helical Scan system.
VHS became a standard format for consumer recording and viewing in the 1980s
after competing in a fierce format war with Sony's Betamax and, to a lesser
extent, Philips' Video 2000.
A standard T-120 VHS tape has a recording time of 2 hrs, and the resolution is
250 lines. Their appeal, or course, is the convenience of easy playback. The
large VHS camcorders are almost a thing of the past at this point. There are still
a few models available, but their substantial size and weight make them a difficult
sell against smaller camcorders VHS record at a slightly lower resolution than
8MM..
The video bandwidth is achieved with a relatively low tape speed by the use of
helical scan recording of a frequency modulated luminance (black and white)
signal, to which a frequency-reduced "color under" chroma (hue and saturation)
signal is added. In the original VHS format, audio was recorded unmodulated in a
single (monaural) linear track at the upper edge of the tape, which was limited in
frequency response by the tape speed. More recent hi-fi VCRs add higher-quality
stereo audio tracks which are read and written by heads located on the same
spinning drum that carries the video heads, frequency modulated to the unused
frequency range in between the chroma and luma signals. These audio tracks
take advantage of depth multiplexing: since they use lower frequencies than the
video, their magnetization signals penetrate deeper into the tape. When the video
signal is written by the following video head, it erases and overwrites the audio
signal at the surface of the tape, but leaves the deeper portion of the signal
undisturbed. The excellent sound quality of hi-fi VHS has gained it some
popularity as an audio format in certain applications; in particular, ordinary home
hi-fi VCRs are sometimes used by home recording enthusiasts as a handy and
inexpensive medium for making high-quality stereo mixdowns and master
recordings from multitrack audio tape.
Another linear control track, at the tape's lower edge, holds pulses that mark the
beginning of every frame of video; these are used to fine-tune the tape speed
during playback and to get the rotating heads exactly on their helical tracks rather
than having them end up somewhere between two adjacent tracks (a feature
called tracking). Since good tracking depends on the exact distance between the
rotating drum and the fixed control/audio head reading the linear tracks, which
usually varies by a couple of micrometers between machines due to
manufacturing tolerances, most VCRs offer tracking adjustment, either manual or
automatic, to correct such mismatches.
The control track can additionally hold index marks. These are normally written at
the beginning of each recording session, and can be found using the VCR's
index search function: this will fast-wind forward or backward to the nth specified
index mark, and resume playback from there. There was a time when higher-end
VCRs provided functions for manually removing and adding these index marks--
so that, for example, they coincide with the actual start of the program--but this
feature has become hard to find. A sign, perhaps, of the obsolescence of the
VHS format.
vs.
VHS became a standard format for consumer recording and viewing in the 1980s
after competing in a fierce format war with Sony's Betamax and, to a lesser
extent, Philips' Video 2000. VHS initially offered a longer playing time than the
Betamax system, and it also had the advantage of a far less complex tape
transport mechanism. Early VHS machines could rewind and fast forward the
tape considerably faster than a Betamax VCR since they unthreaded the tape
from the playback heads before commencing any high-speed winding (most
newer VHS machines don't do this any more, as improved engineering has
stopped head-tape contact from being an impediment for fast
Ultimately Betamax did manage to make up the difference on recording time, but
this was too little too late for Sony, and Sony ultimately conceded the fight in the
late 80s, bringing out a line of VHS VCRs. Beta survived as a professional
format, and VHS had no serious competitors in the home video market until the
arrival of DVD and digital video recorders. (Other formats such as 8mm and
MiniDV have arisen, but have been mainly used for production purposes; neither
has ever mounted a serious challenge to VHS's dominance as the set-top format
of choice, being relegated to secondary roles.)
VHS-C was one of the pioneering formats of the camcorder market, along with
Video8. VHS-C was larger than Video8, but was compatible with VHS tapedecks,
making the choice between the two non-obvious, and splitting the market.
A higher quality version of VHS-C was released, based on S-VHS, known as S-
VHS-C, that competed against Hi8, the higher quality version of Video8.
Camcorder users who prefer to insert their video tapes directly into their VCR
may want to consider using the VHS/C compact format. VHS/C is regular VHS
video tape wound into a smaller cartridge.
Since the cartridge is smaller, the length of VHS/C tape is limited to a maximum
of 45 minutes - though longer times can be achieved using a long play mode,
the quality usually is poor compared to the faster (sp) speed. The compact tapes
are inserted into your VCR using a cassette adapter which comes with each
VHS/C camera. Once inserted, the tape plays just like any other VHS tape
you’ve ever used.
VHS/C compact model Camcorders, on the other hand, remain a popular choice,
offering many of the same key features as 8MM camcorders, at an equally
affordable price. VHS/C records at a slightly lower resolution that 8mm.
To view the better picture that SVHS provides, a direct video connection to the
monitor was required, ideally an S-Video or component video connection as
opposed to a composite or RCA connector. Older television sets tended not to
support this, negating much of the improvement in picture quality, but with the
boom in popularity of DVD appropriate connectors have become common on mid
to large-sized screens.
Home S-VHS decks never became popular outside of Japan, probably mainly
due to their high cost; S-VHS camcorders (S-VHS-C) did become popular for
high-end amateur work, as it allowed for at least second-generation copies
(necessary for editing) to be made at good quality.
Normally records 1125 lines of analog RGB video, but can switch to an NTSC
mode, in which it can either record twice as much high quality NTSC video, or
even two different video signals. The latter function is used for field sequential 3D
video.
HD content is stored at 28.2 Mbit/s, while SD content can be stored at bit rates
from 14.2 Mbit/s down to 2.0 Mbit/s. The most capacious D-VHS cassette can
store 3.5 hours of HD content and between 7 and 49 hours of SD content,
equivalent to 44 gigabytes of video data. This cassette contains 1378 feet (420
m) of tape, equivalent to a 3.5 hour NTSC or 4.9 hour PAL VHS cassette.
Although Video8 acquired a digital variant, Digital8, D-VHS has not been adapted
to will be adapted to a compact format, as the industry has moved on to better
formats since first transitioning to digital tapes, during the era of Digital8 et al.
New format by JVC. This is a digital "bit bucket" format which is intended to store
future digital broadcasts directly in its compressed format. Particularly, the
machines will not have conventional video inputs and outputs at all - they work
through a set-top decoder, just like direct digital broadcasts off the air. The
machines will all have IEEE 1394 digital interfaces, like some DV format
equipment do.
Longest tape should be able to store 44.4 GB of data. Recording times depend
on the mode used, ranging from 3.5 hours of HDTV to 49 hours of 2 Mbps video
in LP mode. Standard mode will record seven hours of video at 19.14 Mbps.
Digital S is a digital format downward compatible with S-
VHS. Cassette is basically a W-VHS high coercivity tape in a dust-proof version
of the VHS cassette case. Digital S rivals the much more expensive Digital
Betacam in terms of picture quality because of the mild compression and 4:2:2
quantizing.
JVC's Digital S editing deck sports a rarely seen feature, video pre-read head,
which allows the old video recording to be played back while recording new
signal just after that. This makes A/B roll edits possible with just two decks.
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The Video 2000 cassette was slightly bigger than a VHS cassette. Special
features were the possibility to record/play 4 hours of video on each side of the
cassette and most models included a piezoelectric automated system for track
following, known as dynamic track following. Some models used this such that
even still and picture-search pictures were displayed perfectly. Piezoelectricity is
the ability of certain crystals to produce a voltage when subjected to mechanical
stress. ...
Video 2000's predecessor was the Philips Video Compact Cassette (VCC)
Format introduced in 1972. The first Video 2000 video recorder VR2000 was sold
in 1979, and the last V2000 products by Philips were produced in 1988.
[1] (http://home.wanadoo.nl/martijnbelle/Philips/philips.html) Video Compact
Cassette (VCC) was the official name of Philips domestic video format, later (and
much more commonly) known as Video 2000. ... 1972 was a leap year that
started on a Saturday. ...1979 is a common year starting on Monday. ...1988 is a
leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Video 2000 was in some respects technically superior to both Betamax and VHS,
but the format was introduced late, at the height of the VHS / Betamax war.
Whereas VHS and Betamax were world standards, Video 2000 was marketed
only within Europe. By the mid 1980's VHS was starting to establish itself as the
de facto home video standard, and Video 2000 could never overturn its position.
The position was exacerbated because Philips failed to produce a much
demanded portable recorder early on in the format's life. By the mid-80's Philips
had conceded defeat and began making its own VHS format machines. Sonys
Betamax is the 12. ... Top view VHS cassette with US Quarter for scale Bottom
view of VHS cassette with magnetic tape exposed The Video Home System,
better known by its acronym VHS, is a recording and playing standard for video
cassette recorders (VCRs), developed by JVC (with some of its critical
technology under lucrative...
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The format was introduced in 1971 but it is still used by some videographers
who have been using the format for a long time. It can produce good quality
video and 3/4" decks are still commonly available in duplicating houses. U-Matic
has been used by professionals the world round and found mostly in studios. The
format is slowly being replaced with digital equipment such as DV and Mini DV.
Umatic has three different versions (LB, HB and SP), which differ by the
subcarrier frequencies used for luminance and chrominance recording. U-Matic
LB (Low Band) has been around from the early 70s and is one of the oldest
cassette video formats HB (High Band) has increased chroma subcarrier
frequency, which improves color resolution.
U-Matic SP is still a popular production format for those not wealthy enough to
use Beta SP or similar. Although U-Matic doesn't appear much better than Super
VHS on paper, the higher color resolution and much better signal-to-noise ratio
make the picture subjectively far more enjoyable. The U-Matic tape transport is
also much faster in changing modes, which makes editing less frustrating.
LB and HB U-Matic tapes are often used for archiving because of the relatively
low tape costs and low recording density, which makes the tapes robust against
aging.
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Digital versions of Betacam VTRs can typically play back analog cartridges. In
2001, Sony announced it would no longer make analog camcorders. Following
are the Betacam formats.
Model Recording Method
Betacam Component Analog
Betacam SP Component Analog (metal tape)
Digital Betacam 4:2:2 Digital (uses DCT)
Betacam SX MPEG-2 Digital
MpegIMX MPEG-2 Digital (higher Bitrate)
HDCam 10-bit DCT compressed/ 4:2:2 HD res
HDCamSR MPEG-4 Digital 4:4:4/HD res
BetaCam was first introduced in 1982. It is currently geared for broadcast use,
although there have been some less expensive models destined more for
industrial use. Pictures you will get using a BetaCam system (or other
component format) will generally be markedly superior to those you would get
using any of the preceding formats. Colors in particular come out looking much
more vibrant and objects appear three-dimensional. The superiority of BetaCam
shots comes partly from the technical aspects of the tape format but also in large
part because of the use of superior optics and other camcorder and VTR
components (and generally better operators!).
Betacam videotape recorders (VTRs) are not your ordinary home VCRs.
Used in professional studios, they cost from 50 to 100 times that of a
consumer VHS machine. Betacam is the de facto broadcast video format
worldwide, and cartridges come in small and large formats.
All use the same shape cassettes, meaning vaults and other storage
facilities do not have to be changed when upgrading to a new format. The
cassettes come in two sizes, S and L. Betacam cameras can only load the
S tape, while VCRs can play both S and L tapes. The cassette shell and
case for each Betacam cassette is colored differently depending on the
format, this allows for easy visual identification. There is also a mechanical
key that allows a video tape recorder to tell which format has been
inserted.
Some Digital Betacam equipment can also read Betacam and Betacam SP
tapes. Along with the identical cassette size, this meant for easy upgrading.
Another key element which aided adoption was Sony's implementation of the
Serial Digital Interface (SDI) coaxial digital connection on Digital Betacam decks.
Facilities could begin using digital signals on their existing coaxial wiring without
having to commit to an expensive re-installation.
The 2:1 compression is based on DCT (discrete cosine transform), like most
modern video compression techniques. Each field is compressed separately.
Hot from the ovens at Sony, Betacam SX is a digital format using a 4:2:2 coded
variant of MPEG. Like DVCPRO, it's capable of accelerated playback/recording
and is part of Sony's new all-digital production concept, targeted especially for
ENG and newsroom use. Some units are 4:3 / 16:9 switchable.
Despite primarily being a tape format, some decks are actually disk/tape hybrids
and provide rudimentary stand alone non-linear editing capabilities. "Briefcase"
field editors resembling laptop computers are available, similar to what
Panasonic has for its DVCPRO format.
With its new IMX VTRs, Sony introduced some new technologies including SDTI
and e-VTR. SDTI allows for audio, video, timecode, and remote control functions
to be transported by a single coaxial cable, while e-VTR technology extends this
by allowing the same data to be transported over IP by way of an ethernet
interface on the VTR itself.
IMX VTRs such as the MSW-2100M are capable of playing back Digital Betacam
cassettes as well as analog Betacam SP cassettes, but can only record to their
native IMX cassettes. S tapes are available with up to 60 minutes capacity, and L
tapes hold up to 184 minutes.
MPEG IMX tapes are a muted green.
HDCAM VTRs generally play back all older Betacam variants, and tape lengths
are the same as for Digital Betacam, 40 minutes for S and 124 minutes for L
tapes.
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:
MII introduced in 1986, is Panasonic's answer to BetaCam SP. All
MII tape is metal. The 90 minute cassette at 4 by 8 inches (11 by 19 cm) is
considerably smaller than the 90 minute BetaCam SP cassette. However the
dockable decks take only a small 20 minute cassette (3.6 by 5 inches - 9 by 13
cm).
Be aware if you get into MII that at some point repairs may become an issue and
that few duplicating facilities or clients are likely to have MII. Therefore you will
probably have to copy your MII programs to another format at some stage.
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The MicroMV format does not use the DV format; instead, it uses MPEG-2
compression, like that used for Video CDs (VCDs) and DVDs. This means that
footage recorded on MicroMV format cannot be edited with most computer DV
editing software (though iMovie does support MPEG-4 movies). MicroMV
camcorders have USB 2.0 ports, and Sony supplies its own video editing
software (for Microsoft Windows only). The Moving Picture Experts Group
(MPEG) is a small group charged with the development of video and audio
encoding standards. ... Video CD or VCD is a standard format for storing video
on a Compact Disc. ...DVD is an optical disc storage media format that can be
used for storing data, including movies with high video and sound quality. ...The
title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ...MPEG-4,
introduced in 1998, is the designation for a group of audio and video coding
standards agreed upon by the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG). ...Note:
USB may also mean upper sideband in radio. ...Microsoft Windows is a range of
commercial operating environments for personal computers. ...
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Software is currently available for ordinary home computers which allows users
to record any sort of computer data on MiniDV cassettes using common DV
decks or camcorders. A 60-minute MiniDV tape will hold approximately 13
Gigabytes of data in this form of usage as the DV video format has a constant
data rate of 3.6 Megabytes per second (3.6 MB/s x 60 seconds x 60 minutes =
12,960 MB per hour = 12.9 GB per hour).
Mini DV tapes are the smallest of the video formats. They take and maintain
crystal clear images because of the nature of a digital format. Editing enthusiasts
benefit from Mini DV as well, since copying between two units is done with no
quality loss. That means edited or copied video looks and sounds every bit as
good as the original footage. Mini DV tapes are available in 30, 60,63 and 80
minute lengths. Digital camcorders have the highest resolution of all the
camcorders, starting at 500 lines.
DVCPRO cassettes are always labeled with a pair of run times, the smaller of the
two being the capacity for DVCPRO50. A "M" tape can hold up to 66/33 minutes
of video. The color of the lid indicates the format: DVCPRO tapes have a yellow
lid, longer "L" tapes made specially for DVCPRO50 have a blue lid and DVCPRO
HD tapes have a red lid.
The DVCPRO VCRs can play back DV and DVCAM tapes, but MiniDV tapes
usually require an adaptor.
DVCPRO was from the start intended for ENG use, as well as for industrial or
'prosumer' applications. Designers placed as higher priority better error
correction and ease of analog editing. The format quickly found use in NBC's
newsgathering operations, which gave the format a tremendous boost. DVCPRO
videotape machines will play back DV and DVCAM tapes without an adapter.
MiniDV tapes require an adapter for use in a DVCPRO machine. DVCPRO
machines do not record on MiniDV tapes.
DVCPRO HD, formerly called DVCPRO 100, couples four DV codecs in parallel
to achieve a 100 Mb data rate, which is sufficient for 720p progressive scan
digital video, or 1080i interlaced digital video. DVCPRO HD machines will play
back any DVCPRO tape at the recorded data rate, or upconvert it to a 100 Mb
data rate.
Since the memory capacity of the P2 card is relatively low (as of February 2005,
2GB and 4GB cards are available), cameras, decks and drives have multiple
slots, with the ability to span the recording over all slots. This way, effective
recording time is multiplied, allowing up to 80 minutes on 5 4GB cards in normal
DVCPRO mode. Cards are recorded in sequence, and when a card is full, it can
be swapped out while another card is recording, allowing unlimited recording
time assuming an adequate supply of cards is available. If a card is partially full,
the deck will record only until it's full. Unlike tape, old video cannot be recorded
over accidentally. Old footage must be manually deleted.
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D-series
D-1 was the first major professonal digital format, introduced by Sony in
1986/87. Although still considered a quality reference, D-1 is expensive to buy
and use and has been mostly superseded by the more cost effective later
formats.
Panasonic's D5 format has similar specifications, but was introduced much later.
A format for component digital video tape recording working to the ITU-R 601,
4:2:2 standard using 8-bit sampling. The tape is 19 mm wide and allows up to 94
minutes to be recorded on a cassette. Being a component recording system it is
ideal for studio or post production work with its high chrominance bandwidth
allowing excellent chroma keying. Also multiple generations are possible with
very little degradation and D1 equipment can integrate without transcoding to
most digital effects systems, telecines, graphics devices, disk recorders, etc.
Being component there are no color framing requirements. Despite the
advantages, D1 equipment is not extensively used in general areas of TV
production, at least partly due to its high cost. (Often used incorrectly to indicate
component digital video.)
D-2 was developed by Ampex around the same time as D-1 was introduced
and is meant to be a fully transparent storage for composite video, useful for
composing "spot tapes" for programmes such as news. D2 is a professional
digital video format, created as a lower-cost alternative to D1. The format still
used no digital compression, but saved bandwidth and other costs by sampling a
fully encoded NTSC or PAL composite video signal and storing that directly on to
tape, rather than sampling component video. This is known as digital composite.
D2 used 19mm (3/4") tape loaded into cassettes. PCM-encoded audio and
timecode are also recorded on the tape. The tapes are similar to the more
popular D1 format, though they are not interchangeable.
D2 has always had a mild stigma associated with it, and as of 2003 only a
handful of broadcasters use it, and even then only to access materials recorded
when the format was more popular.
The VTR standard for digital composite (coded) NTSC or PAL signals that uses
data conforming to SMPTE 244M. It uses 19 mm tape and records up to 208
minutes on a single cassette. Neither cassettes nor recording formats are
compatible with D1. D2 has often been used as a direct replacement for 1-inch
analog VTRs. Although offering good stunt modes and multiple generations with
low losses, being a coded system means coded characteristics are present. The
user must be aware of cross-color, transcoding footprints, low chrominance
bandwidths and color framing sequences. Employing an 8-bit format to sample
the whole coded signal results in reduced amplitude resolution making D2 more
susceptible to contouring artifacts. (Often used incorrectly to indicate composite
digital video.)
D-5 have both been developed by Matsushita. D-5 units can use two different
sample rate / resolution combinations and are generally capable of playing back
D-3 tapes. While D-5 is still a studio format. D-3 camcorders are available from
Panasonic.
D-4 As a curiosity, D-4 doesn't exist and probably never will, as the number 4
is a major taboo in Asian cultures (4 being pronounced the same as "death" in
Japanese). Rumours go that this even delayed the standardization of D-3 and D-
5.
The number 4 in Eastern cultures has similar bad connotations to the number 13
in Western cultures. Specifically, the Chinese/Japanese character for four is shi
which also sounds much like the word for death.
Many traditionally minded Chinese car owners refuse to accept license plates for
their new cars that end with the number 4. So much so that the authorities in
China have bowed to public demand and do not issue such license plates, much
to the chagrin of reform-minded Chinese who wish to get rid of old superstitions.
HD material also is often captured for post production of film projects, especially
on lower budget films, from the Super 16mm film format (15:9 aspect ratio crops
well to 16:9 HDTV widescreen ratio) whereby the HD D5 scanning equipment is
cheaper by the hour than a full resolution 2K film scan. Most importantly the
1920x1080 resolution at 24 progressive frames per second, with MPEG-2 or
MPEG-4 compression, can be edited on high-end desktop computers in 2004.
A digital tape format which uses a 19mm helical-scan cassette tape to record
uncompressed high definition television material at 1.88 GBps (1.2 Gbps). D6 is
currently the only high definition recording format defined by a recognized
standard. D6 accepts both the European 1250/50 interlaced format and the
Japanese 260M version of the 1125/60 interlaced format which uses 1035 active
lines. It does not accept the ITU format of 1080 active lines. ANSI/SMPTE 277M
and 278M are D6 standards.
The tape can be shuttled and search up to 32x speed. Video sampled at 4:2:2 is
compressed at 3.3:1 using DCT-based intra-frame compression (DV). Two or
four audio channels are recorded at 16-bit, 48 kHz sampling; each is individually
editable. The format also includes two cue tracks. Some machines can play back
analog S-VHS. Digital S rivals the much more expensive Digital Betacam in
terms of picture quality because of the mild compression and 4:2:2 quantizing.
JVC's Digital S editing deck sports a rarely seen feature, video pre-read head,
which allows the old video recording to be played back while recording new
signal just after that. This makes A/B roll edits possible with just two decks.
D16: A recording format for digital film images making use of standard D1
recorders. The scheme was developed
specifically to handle Quantel's Domino (Digital Opticals for Movies) pictures and
record them over the space that sixteen 625 line digital pictures would occupy.
This way three film frames can be recorded or played every two seconds. Playing
the recorder allows the film images to be viewed on a standard monitor; running
at 16x speed shows full motion direct from the tape.
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