Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!ccut!wnoc-tyo-news!scslwide!wsgw!headgw!cvgw!yamanaka From: yamanaka@cv.sony.co.jp (Brian Yamanaka) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.graphics Subject: Re: Single Frame recorders Message-ID: Date: 27 Mar 91 01:41:22 GMT Sender: news@cv.sony.co.jp (Usenet News System) Distribution: comp.sys.amiga.graphics Organization: Sony Corporation, Consumer Video Group Lines: 79 In article <5252@mindlink.UUCP> Gord_Wait@mindlink.UUCP (Gord Wait) writes: Gord Whitman states: |I appreciate that single frame recording is extremely tough on a video deck, |but I guess you haven't convinced me that it has to be expensive.. Humour me, |here and see if this makes sense: |For my pentax to be able to do the 4 frame insert edit, the tape deck spins up |the heads, does a bit of preroll, and with the accuracy of probably less than a |horzontal line of video starting from the vertcal interval, erases line by line |the existing video track, replaces it with incoming video, and after 4 frames Video is written in a single pass as a complete field thus it is only possible to start from the vertical interval and not a horizontal interval. Actually this means it is either hit or miss - we either start at the correct field or overwrite the previous field. That's why the deck writes four frames to insure that at least two or three fields are not overwritten. |quits. Upon playback there is no apparent jump in the video, so I assume the |control track is still intact. Since this deck doesn't have a TBC, the output |probably isn't the best, but never the less, the ONLY difference between this |and a Single Frame edit (ignoring color frame problems for now, just mechanical |issues) is that the counter in my camera counts to 4 before it quits, instead |of counting to 1. The other difference, is that lacking time code, I have no |way to accurately start the record at a specific frame, BUT I do have the |mechanical capability to cut in new video starting in the vertical interval and |ending in the vertical interval. By the way, this mode works whether I have |pre-striped the tape with video, (insert edit) or if I start with a blank tape |(assemble). I know that I wouldn't want to try to broadcast the video I get |from this mode, but it is more than adequate for an animation preview. In |summary, I believe that if it the deck is accurate enough to do flying erase |edits, then it is more than accurate enough to do a single frame edit. As to |being hard on the deck, I would much rather wear out an $800 deck than a |$10,000 deck on animation previews. Please correct me if and where I am wrong. |Sincerly, Gord Wait. Well you got me there. Actually I hadn't actually tried to use a deck with four frame recording until you mentioned this. I used a new camcorder model that has time-code but mechanically is probably identical to your Pentax. It seems that the camera could be used for "animation preview", but again the largest issue is the pure durability of the mechanical deck. The unit was not designed for constant use of this feature and we could not possibly honor the warranty for such a product. I would have to agree that a product for "animation preview" would be very desirable. The problem here would have to be purely a marketing decision. Demand would have to warrant the development costs of such a deck and the possible costs in supportting such a product. Currently single frame recording is seen as a fad. Video tape technology may not be the best solution, and will be replaced by digital recording directly to hard disk (using some sort of compression). By storing the animation to disk it is easier to edit with guaranteed accuracy. Of course the final animation would be then recorded to video for distribution. Of course this is strictly my own opinion (and would probably surprise my employers). Personally I would love a deck which could do "animation preview" and I will keep this in mind when discussing such issues. I wish I could promise more than that, but I want to keep my job. |-- |Gord Wait |Member of Technical Staff |ASIC Engineering |SMOS Systems |Vancouver Design Center |Gord_Wait@mindlink.UUCP Best regards, Brian -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Brian YAMANAKA (aka The VISCA dude) |"I knew I should have made that Sony Corporation, Personal Video Group | left turn at Albuquerque." Email: yamanaka@cv.sony.co.jp | -Bugs Bunny ------------------------------------------------------------------------------