Basic Betacam Camerawork, 3rd Edition

Dual format cameras

The transition between 4:3 aspect ratio television and the conversion to 16:9 has produced an interim generation of dual format cameras. Different techniques are employed to use the same CCD for both formats.

Fig. 1a

Fig. 1b

If a CCD block design is optimized for the 4:3 shape and is then switched to the 16:9 format, lines are discarded at the top and bottom of the frame in order to convert the image area to a 16:9 shape (Fig. 1a). As 4:3 working occupies the same area of the CCD as a standard 4:3 camera there is no change in ...