Abstract: An intermittent motion flying spot telecine capable of operating in real time provides an adequate film pull down time to allow the use of pin-registration by including a digital scan corrector (18) and a picture store and sequential-to-interlace converter (19) and by adjusting the CRT scanning circuitry (24). Three measures are employed: (I) the film is scanned with a sequential scanning raster and subsequent sequential-to-interlace conversion is performed, so as to combine two field blanking intervals into one longer one, (II) data is written into the picture store at a faster rate than required for the output and read out at a conventional rate, and (III) a triangular line scanning waveform is employed to allow line flyback time to be removed and the instantaneous line rate increased.

Abstract: A continuous-motion line-array telecine images the film image onto three linear array sensors having respective color filters. Vertical scanning is provided by the continuous motion of the film. The sensors can be spaced by an amount equivalent to a given number of line scans for one film and television format combination. To accommodate other formats, a cylindrical lens pair is selectively included, which provides a desired magnification in the vertical direction but not the horizontal direction. The sensor spacing does not then need to be changed and the sensors can be made as an integral device, so that they can be constructed closer together and are likely to have more similar characteristics.

Abstract: A flying spot telecine includes a control processor for generating and storing a MINIMUM GAIN REFERENCE value representing a minimum gain of each of a plurality of PMT sections which detect light transmitted by a film strip that is being scanned by a light spot. The control processor also generates and stores a MAXIMUM GAIN REFERENCE value representing a maximum gain of each of the plurality of PMT sections. A system gain control provides control signals to the plurality of PMT sections to control the voltage applied thereto. During subsequent operation of the telecine to modify control signals provided to each of the plurality of PMT sections dependent upon the stored MINIMUM GAIN REFERENCE and MAXIMUM GAIN REFERENCE value for the respective one of the plurality of PMT sections independently of the control signals provided to the others of the plurality of PMT sections.

Abstract: A digital video key signal generator for digital video special effects uses two cascaded programmable lookup tables. One table is addressed by the two chroma component signals and the second table is addressed by the luma signal and the output of the first table. The generator is particularly suitable for use with CCIR Rec. 601 digital signals, and can be used for a wide variety of compositing functions, using luma keys, chroma keys, combinations thereof, and multiple chroma keys simultaneously.

Abstract: In a method of converting an optical signal into an electronic video signal by means of cathode ray tube (`CRT`) scanning means, each image is scanned in a plurality of scanning operations with each scanning operation using a different area of the screen of the CRT scanning means and the signals resulting from the plurality of scanning operations are combined to provide the electronic video signal. Light from the CRT scanning means is passed through deflection means operable to deflect light from respective ones of the plurality of different areas of the screen of the CRT scanning means along the same path into an objective lens so that the same area of a film gate positioned in the optical path beyond the objective lens is scanned in each scanning operation. The output of the CRT scanning means is monitored by means of a photoelectric device operable to provide an output signal when a blemish is detected on the screen of the CRT scanning means.

Abstract: A CCD sensor for use in telecine equipment has at least one transport register into which at least some of the sensor photosites discharge. A plurality of detectors are coupled to the transport register. Successive charge packets from the register are passed selectively to respective ones of the plurality of detectors in turn.

Abstract: A line segment display is generated as two peripheral sections joined by a middle section. The middle section is generated as a series of bars of pixels, so that no pixel falls in more than one bar, and so that a calculation to determine whether or not a pixel is within or outside the line segment is carried out only once for each pixel.

Abstract: In a flying spot telecine used to generate video signals by scanning a film, the scanning raster is adjustable angularly relative to the film being scanned. The output video signal hence represents the image on the film but angularly displaced relative to the orientation of the film itself. Using this method angular and rotational picture effects can be generated without the need for expensive computer memory or complex processing of picture information.

Abstract: A clamping circuit clamps a threshold of an analog to digital converter (ADC) to a signal level just below the black level of a television signal.During the blanking period, a negative-going peak is superimposed on the input signal to produce the waveform. Each time this crosses the 0000,0001 threshold of the ADC, the polarity of the output of a comparator changes. The comparator compares the ADC output and a reference value.The input signal is biased according to the integral of the comparator output. When signal levels are stable, the comparator output is symmetrical, its integral is zero and no change occurs in the biasing.If signal levels drift, the negative going peak crosses the threshold for a second time relatively sooner or later. The comparator output becomes assymmetric and has a non-zero integral. Consequently, the biasing level changes to compensate for the drift.

Abstract: Several effects are described which are programmable in telecines. Variable aperture correction is described which allows appropriate correction to be applied to different types of film stock. Soft focus and distortion effects are also described. The effects can be selected for whole scenes or for frames or frame portions, to give a range of effects which can be used to improve picture quality or for artistic effect.

Abstract: A video special effects generator is simulated by using a telecine with a still film frame therein. Effects such as zoom and pan are pre-programmed in a store and used to change the telecine scanning raster to give the desired visual effect, the operation being timed relative to the video output signals. Aperture correction is also proposed to be programmed in a telecine in similar manner.