Abstract: A video signal processing system employs an amplitude compander for reducing the effects of transmission noise. The compander includes a transmitter nonlinear amplitude compressor for amplifying small signals and compressing large signals. A receiver includes an amplitude expander with an inverse transfer function. The nonlinear compressor generates out-of-band frequencies which are removed by a transmitter output filter, producing signal distortion. To compensate for such distortion, the transmitter duplicates certain receiver processing circuits, including the receiver amplitude expander and a filter for generating a prediction signal. The prediction signal is subtracted from the transmitter input video signal before the video signal is amplitude compressed at the transmitter, producing an error signal which is transmitted. The error signal is small if the prediction is good, whereby noise reduction results from compressor gain at the transmitter.

Abstract: A system is disclosed for partially decoding an encoded widescreen, extended definition television signal into a signal that is compatible with existing consumer video cassette recorders (VCRs) and video monitors. The encoded signal is compatible with existing television standards to produce a video image having a conventional 4:3 aspect ratio. Signals representing side panel information, to be appended onto either side of the 4:3 center panel, are encoded in the signal and are not visible in the image produced by a conventional receiver. The disclosed system includes decoding circuitry which recovers the side panel signals, appends them to the center panel signal and changes the time correspondence of the total signal so that it represents an image having a 5:3 aspect ratio. Luminance and chrominance components of the decoded video signal are provided as output signals of the decoder and to input ports of a conventional video cassette recorder (VCR) such as an S-VHS or ED-Beta machine.

Abstract: A TV camera comprises a pair of CCD imagers subject to defects. Defect detection is done by comparing signals from the imagers, thus saving the expense of a defect location memory and also detecting more kinds of defects than one would detect by just comparing one signal to a fixed reference. As a result, CCD imagers with defects can be used thus increasing production yield of such imagers.