Anyone know what causes the diagonal striping betweens lines of contrast? For example, a sharp color next to white produces this striping when the camera is moving in a pan. Is this just typical of 4:1:1 video or are there prosumer camcorders that have resolved this problem?

Only seen during pans or fast moving objects? Sounds like an interlace artifact.

Does it look like this (http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&postid=39089#post39089)? If so, it's as Don guessed, interlace artifact. You might want to search the topic using the search button in the upper right. The lines are more pronounced on a computer monitor because of the nature of the display.

Jeff

Thanks for the comment, but, no, the artifact is seen during normal playback through the camera on a tv.

If you see this "striping" only on slightly oblique area's while panning /tilting you probably see the "stairstepping" which relates to the sampling and (interlaced) line structure character of DV.
Longer shutter time settings reduce this effect by introduction of some extra motion blurr.

Can you post a captured frame with a sample of the effect for us to see.

Don,
Thanks for your input...I'll work on getting a sample for you to take a look at. However, I am interested in the response from Andre. The "stairstepping" effect is what is happening and seems to relate to sampling. I will try the longer shutter speeds and post the results.

Andre,
Is this something that you see on your video? Also, do you know at what sampling rate this digital stairstepping smooths out? I came from an analogue (beta and 16mm film) background and do not like this problem that I am seeing with these 4:1:1 cameras.

Thanks a lot (Don, Andre and Jeff) for your thoughts on this. I am about to start work on a documentary series using digital for the first time and want to make sure that I understand the image limitations.

Bill,
Sampling rates are fixed in DV. Yes I can see stairstepping in DV images. This belongs to the often mentioned "edge business" in digital images and manifests itself in different ways like stairstepping, twitter, straddling, moire ...all belonging to the domain of spatio-temporal aliasing effects. Reducing resolution also reduces aliasing effects and motion blurr is one of the ways to get this (if there is motion!). So keep your shutter at 1/60 when panning.tilting.

Many thanks Andre...sounds like you understand this issue. I'll keep your advice in mind.

Thanks again.