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From: jmturn@RINGWLD.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.video
Subject: Subject: Re: NTSC<->PAL
Message-ID: <8603140322.AA01404@CCA-UNIX.ARPA>
Date: Thu, 13-Mar-86 20:38:00 EST
Article-I.D.: CCA-UNIX.8603140322.AA01404
Posted: Thu Mar 13 20:38:00 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 15-Mar-86 21:20:22 EST
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The ARPA Internet
Lines: 55

>						  There are several production companies
>in New York which specialize in converting video from-to various formats.
>The gear to do this is VERY expensive.  The networks do this in certain
>instances, but even they contract out to these companies.  As far as doing
>it on a consumer level, I seriously doubt you are going to be able to get
>it done for a reasonable cost.
>David P. Harpe
>University of Louisville
>
>BellNet:        (502) 588-6303
>Bitnet:         DPHARP01@ULKYVX
>

How to do format conversion...
1) Get a s**tload of fast RAM.
2) Digitize the incoming signal.
3) Do line averaging
4) Do timebase correction
5) Spit it out the other side.

The reason that this has been expensive historically is item 1. Remember
5 years ago, when 16Kx1 200ns RAMs cost $1 a piece? Today you can get
64Kx1 for 89c, and that places the cost of a megabyte of RAM at about
$60. Now, even if you need 8 megabytes of RAM to digitize the signal
(which you don't...), your total memory cost is still only $320 for the
memory. All the rest of the items (2-5) could be performed by a few custom
VLSI chips. 

Why are format converters expensive? 'cause there's not enough demand to
produce in consumer quantities. Same reason a vectorscope or waveform
analyzer costs 2X a 100Mhz dual trace scope.

>NTSC - [N]ever [T]he [S]ame [C]olor

SECAM - [S]omething [E]ntirely [C]ontrary to the [A]merican [M]ethod

                           Save Your Vertical Blanking Intervals 
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            /   \
           |  *  |         James Turner
            \ _ /          (The Ringworld Engineer)
              
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(The views expressed in this message have been computer enhanced for
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