Path: utzoo!utgpu!utstat!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uflorida!ufqtp!sutherla
From: sutherla@qtp.ufl.edu (scott sutherland)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Camcorder/Genlock Question
Message-ID: <776@orange9.qtp.ufl.edu>
Date: 10 Nov 89 23:34:23 GMT
Reply-To: sutherla@qtp.ufl.edu (scott sutherland)
Distribution: na
Organization: University of Florida Quantum Theory Project
Lines: 92



	Okay all you video guru's, I have a neophyte question. I was
just in a local video store and was shown a used 8 mm camcorder. It
was a SONY (in case anyone cares) and had controls on it just like a
VCR, as well as being a camera. NOW, to my question. 

	Let's say that I want to GENLOCK my Amiga graphics with LIVE
(NOT pre-recorded on tape, but LIVE) video. Normally, I would forsee
the following setup. 


	|---------|
	|         |
	|Camcorder|--output->---|
	|   or    |		|
	| Camera  |		|
	|---------|		|
				|
				|
	|------------------|	V--------->video input
	|		   |----------|
	|       Amiga	   |Genlock   |
	|		   |----------|
	|     3000 ;^)	   |       |
	|		   |	   |----> video and amiga graphics out
	|		   |       |
	|------------------|       |     |--------------|
				   |-----|video in	|
					 |		|
					 |   VCR for   	|
					 |		|
					 |--------------|



Thus, the camcorder is used for the external video, the Amiga for the 
graphics (e.g. titling) and the VCR is used to record the output.

	Now, being a college graduate student has taught me one thing:
POVERTY! :)    Okay, so I am exagerrating somewhat. Still, I cannot 
afford an Amiga, camcorder, and editing VCR. Well, I have an Amiga,
but no camcorder. And you really DO need an editing VCR for any serious
work. Really! (Of course, that did not sway the loan officer at the
local bank into giving me that dam# loan.) So, I had an idea. Well,
it was just one! Anyway, not having any experience with Genlocks or
camcorders, I am not sure if it will work. For this idea, you need
to think of the camcorder as 2 SEPARATE ENTITIES, a camera and a 
video recorder. I will draw it as such, but attached. My idea is as
follows:

						/Genlock input
	|-------|---LIVE video out of camera-| /
	|Camera |			     |/	|---------------|
	| Part	|			|----V--|		|
	|	|			|Genlock|		|
	|-------|---------|   Genlock	|-------|   Amiga	|
	|		  |    out------->|	|		|
	|  Recorder Part  |		  |	|---------------|
	|  of Camcorder   |<-Recorder in--|
	|-----------------|


Thus, the camera part of the camcorder is the external video, the Amiga
is the graphic source (titles), and the recorder of the camcorder is used
to record the sync'd output of video and graphics from the Genlock.
This would be much cheaper for recording video and graphics together. I
do realize that one fall back of this is that you have to know ahead of
time exactly where your graphics have to go and where to put the live 
video so that nothing vital is hidden from view by the titles, but this
is not such a terrible thing. And, since 8 mm camcorders, as well as
many others, have flying erase heads, it would be possible to assemble
edit inside the camcorder. 

	Now, I'm not saying that this would be as easy as having the 
first set up, or even having an editing studio, with 2 professional
editing decks, a controller, time-base correction, a sophisticated 
character generator (some camcorders have some rudimentary titling 
built in to them), BUT it would get the job done and is not to 
expensive. 


	So, does anyone know of any reason why this wouldn't work?? 
I want to know because I saw a used SONY 8 mm camcorder for sale
(as I mentioned above) for $600! It is in excellent shape and would
not only give me basic editing features, but would allow me to 
experiment with genlocking and with just plain video making. 


Thanks,

Scott Sutherland
sutherla@qtp.ufl.edu