Betacam question
 

Hi,

Here is an old school question for some of you who may have worked with/or still are working with Betacam.. Specificly the Sony 1800 model record deck..
I know it records vidoe in the 4:3 aspect ratio.. but does it have a way to record 16:9 standard definition?? I know you can record a letterboxed 4;3 version(becuse I did it yesterday) but I still do not know(I doubt it does) if it can record 16:9 standard def, kind of like we have in the DV world???

Thanks for any response..

Mike Moncrief

If it can I've never found the way to. I don't think it's capable but like yourself I might have missed it.

Don

Hello,

OK Thanks, thats what i figured.. Know anything about Digi-Beta?? Is it the same as far as just doing 4:3 ?? no 16:9 standard def.???

I thin the Digi-Beta deck model # is DVW-A500..

Mike Moncrief

Analogue video doesn't really bother that much about ratios - all it needs is the correct number of fields, frames and sync. The actual data recorded isn't important. It's the display end where things get adjusted. So if you have a beta recording, letterboxed, it's still a 4:3 recording in the conventional sense, just that black is recorded on the unused frame lines. Modern TVs detect the black and do the appropriate adjustment if the screen is widescreen. When you work in the digital domain, the pixel width and height is part of the spec - but in analogue it isn't.

Yes you can record an anamorphic image onto dbeta (as you can with every other 4:3 format). You can record a 16:9 image squished to fit a 4:3 frame.

I dont believe dbeta has any method of flagging the material as anamorphic... you can put a sticker on the tape (or its case), label it as anamorphic, and mention in the slate that it's anamorphic.