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MillimeterHDV@Work
Dec 12, 1997 12:18 PM
Calibrating your HDV camcorder's LCD
By Steve Mullen
With an HDV camcorder that has a professional lens, such as the JVC GY-HD100, you can easily control exposure via the aperture. Moreover you have the choice of multiple gamma curves—each of which can be adjusted. This is in addition to the Master Level control.
All exposure-related adjustments assume you have a calibrated field monitor. For many videographers, this will be their camcorder’s LCD.
Minimally, for exposure calibration you’ll need a source of color bars that have a “pluge” bar. All HDV camcorders provide a source of color bars. A SMPTE chart has a pluge bar that is placed between full black (0 IRE) bar and a lighter gray bar.
Begin calibration by adjusting white level (contrast) until the white chip bleaches out — and then back off from this too-bright level. Now adjust black level (brightness) until the pluge is very slightly more visible than the full black bar.
Below you’ll see three images — the middle image is adjusted correctly.
 Black Level: Too High |
 Black Level: Correct |
 Black Level: Too Low |
 |
Grass Valley announces software upgrade for Turbo iDDR
Offering new features and functionality, Grass Valley announced that its Turbo iDDR (Intelligent Digital Disk Recorder) is now shipping with updated software (version 2.2). The Turbo has found a home in a wide variety of live event systems as well as fixed media facilities that are reducing their reliance on videotape for A/V presentations.
The new enhancements include operational improvements as well as support for the HDV-2 format, expanded QuickTime import features, and an Ethernet Socket interface for the AMP protocol.
This software will be pre-installed on new Turbo unit shipments, and will be available as a free update for units that have already shipped. Existing Turbo owners can contact their reseller or visit the Turbo website to get information on how to obtain the update.
With the new upgrade, Turbo users will now be able to load HDV-2 material via FireWire from Sony HDV camcorders and VTRs or HDV files from NLE systems.
Turbo already supported JVC's HDV-1 format. Users will also be able to import QuickTime H.264-encoded HD content. Using the Advanced Media Protocol (AMP) over the new Ethernet Socket interface, developers can more easily control a Turbo with the Ethernet protocol from non-PC devices.
The Turbo iDDR is a new class of VTR replacement that leverages the digital storage, networking, and media-management capabilities of Grass Valley's Emmy award-winning Profile video servers. It's like having a complete AV center in one small package.
