Someone suggested me to buy this PAL Blackburst Generator, but what is it and what does it do?? Does anybody out there have any clue??

Cheers...

It generates sync and a black signal to use throughout a broadcast or post facility. Black burst contains sync and that's how it got it's name. Sync is used to time all the VTR's, cameras, SEG, Chryons, NLE's etc. in a facility. It's not as common in the digital era as it was in analog. Broadcast facilities still need and use sync.

Hamad,
A Blackburst Generator will generate a composite video signal with the picture area set to black level. They are used for synchronization when you are using multiple sources and also as a source of a black picture signal.
What sort of set up are you running - why do you think someone has suggested that you need one?

Robin

Well I was going to purchase the Avid Media Composer Adrenaline Editing Suite and someone had suggested that I should get this machine with the editing suite...

I never heard of it before since my background is in film but most of the work I'm doing now is for broacasting... So I was not too sure what was this machine for nor do I know whether I should go ahead and purchase it or not!!?? And in what way will I use it with the Avid Editing Machine??

Thanks a lot for your time and info :-)

Does the Avid even input an external sync? I don't remember my old Avid Media Composer accepting external sync. Of course that doesn't mean that newer models wouldn't be different. Any Avid users know for sure?

Folks at one tv station in my town are using old Sony M3 camera as blackburst generator for their Beta SP recorders and video mix. It works fine for them and is very cheap, since you can find such old cameras for symbolic price.