A Multi-Format HDTV Camera Head

A novel way for capturing native 1080P, 1080I and 720P at 16:9 aspect ratio and a CineScope aspect ratio in 1080P of 2.37:1 will be presented. The architecture of the multi-format HDTV camera head is based on a newly designed Frame Transfer CCD-imager. It enables the design of a camera head that has multiple formats available at the HD-SDI (SMPTE 292M) output of the camera head itself. — The camera head utilizes 3 Frame Transfer (2/3 inch) CCDs with 9.2 M-pixels each (including overscan). Through the use of a 12-phase system all the vertical resolutions of the SMPTE 274M and SMPTE 296M standards are possible. Under software control (Dynamic Pixel Management) these pixels are pre-arranged, at the CCD, into image cells. The image diagonal (11-mm) is independent of spatial resolution and therefore the same for all scanning formats. — The video processing chain consists of three 12 bit ADCs followed by two newly designed ASICs that allow multi-format video processing. Amongst many other outputs, the ASICs have an SMPTE292M compatible 20bit parallel output can be serialized to obtain a HD-SDI output at the camera head. The above video chain offers full digital processing capability. — A dockable concept is exploited in full to enable: • A multi-purpose adapter for ‘stand alone’ operation with battery power input, gen-lock Input and HD-SDI output (1.5 Gbps), • A wide band analog TRIAX adapter (Y = 30 MHz, Cr, Cb = 15 MHz) for transmission up to 3000 ft of cable. • Future adapters to offer the possibility of optical fiber transmission with longer cable lengths or a (DCPRO HD) camcorder

Published

2000-10

Content type

Original Research

DOI

10.5594/M00163

ISBN

978-1-61482-933-1