New Vincent First Digital Video Architecture With CCIR 601 Video Engine
The Media 100 group at Data Translation today announced the first CCIR 601 (ITU R601) digital video architecture. The Vincent 601 digitial video engine and the Theo superprocessor support:
4:2:2 digital component signal processing;
CCIR 601 (rectangular) and computer graphics (square) pixels with real-time digital resampling for conversion between the two standards, 720x486, 640x480 (NTSC) and 720x576, 768x576 (PAL) images;
SMPTE-259 serial digital I/O;dual JPEG CODECS for 300+ KB/frame YUV signal processing per video stream; real-time alpha channel;
Movie 2 bus connector; and SMPTE-259 serial digital Junction Box.
The new Vincent 601 digital video engine is shipping now for the Macintosh and runs existing Media 100 software. Future enhanced versions of Media 100 will provide a range of new features based on the Vincent 601 digital video engine and the Theo superprocessor. Availability of Theo will be announced at a later date.
"Proprietary black box video is dead," said John Molinari, general manager of the Media 100 group at Data Translation. "The new Vincent architecture is the first to deliver complete support for the CCIR 601 (ITU R601) recommendation on a standard off-the-shelf personal computer. It is designed for tomorrow's multiplatform program authoring environments and will serve as the digital video platform for new Media 100 products. "
The Vincent 601 digital video engine is a YUV 4:2:2 digital component video processing platform with hardware and software for digitization, compression and real-time processing of video signals.The Theo superprocessor integrates with Vincent 601 through an over-the-top connector, augmenting Vincent 601's function with SMPTE-259 serial digital I/O, real-time digital resampling for bi-directional conversion between square and rectangular pixels, a Movie 2 bus connector and a second JPEG CODEC.
Theo Superprocessor to Provide Real-Time Digital Resampling for 601 Rectangular and Computer Graphics Square Pixels
Theo will provide real-time digital resampling for transparent, on-the-fly conversions between video's CCIR 601 rectangular pixels and computer graphics square pixels. This real-time conversion capability allows video editors and program authors to quickly edit programs that include content captured (quantized) in square and rectangular pixel formats. No other digital video system provides real-time, on-the-fly digital resampling.
Vincent 601 Digital Video Engine
The Vincent 601 digital video engine delivers the audio and video processing horsepower to handle the volume of data associated with audio and video signals in real time and at broadcast quality. The Vincent 601 circuitry processes video in the broadcast-industry standard YUV color space, 4:2:2 digital component. It avoids image degradation associated with video processing architectures based on RGB graphics cards, which must execute mulitple color space conversions (4:2:2 YUV to 4:4:4 RGB) to process video signals in RGB color space. Following is an annotated list of significant Vincent 601 features and functions:
Feature Function Real-time computer architecture Real-time nonlinear editing Audio digital signal processor (DSP) Real-time audio processing YUV color space JPEG CODEC Full-frame video compression and decompression with dynamic Q factor supporting 300+ KB/frame YUV 4:2:2 digital component video stream Dedicated color effects circuitry Real-time adjustment of tint, saturation, brightness, contrast, colorization, posterization and solarization Dedicated field programmable Field interpolated motion gate arrays (FPGAs) effects Dedicated alpha channel Real-time processing of static and scrolling text and real-time keying of PICTs with alpha channel Real-time effects FPGAs Real-time preview of transition effects PCI bus interface PCI bus master for high-speed data transfer between Vincent 601 and host PC Analog video I/O Analog composite and component video I/O. User selectable support for 601 rectangular and computer graphics square pixels User selectable support for 720x486, 640x480 (NTSC) and 720x576, 768x576 (PAL) images Analog audio I/O 16 bit audio ADC and DAC with programmable gain amplifiers to send and receive -10 to +4 audio signals, with patented phase lock loop for full-time lip sync capability Scalar filter Picture-in-picture support Data mixer Directs flow of data on video bus Over-the-top connector Integration with Theo
Theo 601 Superprocessor
The Theo superprocessor is designed to augment the functionality of the Vincent 601 digital video engine with the following features and fuctions:
Feature Function SMPTE-259 serial digital I/O (SDI) Lossless serial digital I/O for D1, D5, Digital Betacam, DVCPRO, Dvcam Two channel pairs of embedded Input/output via SDI digital audio SMPTE-259 Second YUV color space JPEG CODEC Full-frame video compression and decompression with dynamic Q factor supporting 300+ KB/frame YUV 4:2:2 digital component video stream for real-time 2D and 3D effects processing Movie 2 bus connector Seamless integration for real-time operation with industry-standard 3D digital video effects (DVE) architectures Scalar Chips Real-time digital resampling for bi-directional conversion between square and rectangular pixels Two channel pairs of AES/EBU Input/Output via balanced digital audio XLR connectors Two channel pairs of S/PDIF Input/Output via digital audio unabalanced RCA connectorsReturn to today's headlines