• Broadcasting

  Betacam question

  Posted by John Cummings on February 23, 2008 at 1:57 am

  I have a little project that I’m going to shoot on BetacamSP…in widescreen.

  Now, a probably silly question: Can all Betacam playback decks handle a widescreen picture? Any issues with output for digitizing or dubbing?

  Thanks all-
  John

  J Cummings
  DP/Chicago
  http://www.cameralogic.tv

  Lukkee Chong replied 18 years, 3 months ago 3 Members · 3 Replies
• 3 Replies

• 

  Bouncing Account needs new email address

  February 23, 2008 at 8:39 pm

  [John Cummings] “Can all Betacam playback decks handle a widescreen picture? Any issues with output for digitizing or dubbing?
  “

  What kind of “widescreen” picture are you shooting on BetaCam?

  If its a letterbox (black bars at top and bottom) then the deck won’t “know” that its any different than any 4×3 image.

  Same story if you’re shooting “anamorphic” because the image is still just 4×3 on the tape.

  So the answer is, if you can RECORD it on a standard BetaCam (or BetaCamSP or Digtial BetaCam) tape, all the same format decks can PLAY it.
• 

  John Cummings

  February 24, 2008 at 12:24 am

  Thanks, Matte…kinda what I thought.
  I try to never assume that I’m actually as smart as I think I am.

  John

  J Cummings
  DP/Chicago
  http://www.cameralogic.tv
• 

  Lukkee Chong

  February 27, 2008 at 3:08 am

  Hey,
  Like John above said, if you can record it on betasp, it can be played back on betasp. It’s up to your monitors and post equipment to transcribe the signals. For example, we switch between 16×9 and 4×3 as needed using our aging DXCd35ws camera docked with a betasp deck to record on. We do edit with our Media100’s set to 16×9 then output as needed, conforming to 4×3 if needed. We also do the same when we shoot hd (which is also 16×9 format), but that’s another story.
  lc

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