The HDC-300 — A Second-Generation HDTV Camera

Considerable experience was gained by a widespread international deployment of the first-generation HDC-100 cameras within a diverse spectrum of HDTV program origination. Throughout, a close dialogue was maintained between these many end users and our HDTV camera design engineering group. A working alliance of the video and film communities was also developing the parameters for a complete rendering of an HDTV studio origination standard, which was finally completed by SMPTE in 1988 in the form of the now well-known SMPTE 240M. This emerging standard was to shape many of the technical decisions in the design of the new HDC-300 camera. The HDC-300 design sought to realize a camera system more compact and lightweight, and having a lower power consumption, than its predecessor. Major investments in new technologies were made. A totally new pickup tube design — the result of a collaborative effort of Sony, Hitachi, and NHK — produced a 25-mm tube, smaller than that of the HDC-100. The use of the latest in contemporary microcircuit packaging techniques constituted a central aspect of the overall design program.

Print ISSN

0036-1682

Published

1990-05

Content type

Original Research

DOI

10.5594/J03877