Digital Betacam Deck (Sony DVW-500)


Usage


Connection


Configuration Hints

Several of the important configuration options are hidden above and behind the front panel of the digibeta. To access the these additional configuration options, pull the two side handles forward, and then rotate the panel upwards.

These configuration options are mostly used when placing time codes on to your tape.


Additional notes

Blacking/Timecoding

Using videotapes that have been blacked and timecoded will make your life much easier. Laying down an uninterrupted black video signal prepares the tape for insert editing. See the
Editing Video Tapes page for more details on insert editing, assemble editing, and timecode.

Timecode format is hour:minute:second:frame. Minutes and seconds range from 0-60 while frames range form 0-30.

  1. Route black to the digibeta through a transcoder (FS1 or FS2).

  2. Set the TC Generator EXT/INT switch to INT (top panel on right, pull whole front out by handles to access)

  3. Set the TC Generator REGEN/PRESET switch: PRESET (next to above)

  4. Set VITC switch to ON (bottom underneath panel, tilt front panel out to access)

  5. In order to set the time code to 00:00:00, use the following buttons below the counter display on the front panel:

    1. Press the TC button - indicator lights

    2. Press the HOLD button - digits flash

    3. Press the RESET button then the SET button

  6. Press the record and play buttons at the same time on the main panel.

  7. I highly recommend that you let it run all the way to the end of the tape unless you're desperately pressed for time.


Troubleshooting

If you're recording bars and tone at the beginning of a tape (as you should if you're going to use it as part of a conference compilation later), note that the audio levels display is a bit confusing. It may look like the tone is at -20db, but actually it should be measured from the rightmost "Cue" thing which shows that it's actually set correctly at 0db. (If you're really curious - there are two display modes, one from -60 to 0 (as marked) and one from -40 to +20. It's in the latter mode.)

The correct input for audio is to have the four analog lights at the bottom set.

If you're getting a bunch of wierd record/playback artifacts, make sure that the PREREAD switch at the bottom left of the counter display is set to Off. The white switch two spaces to the right should be set to PB not PB/EE. If somebody has messed with the PREREAD switch it might be necessary to powercycle the deck before things work again, since it can be in a loopback state where raw input is being fed through to the output.

If you see wierd block artifacts during playback, another possibility is that the deck is trying to sync off a junk signal. Make sure to route some clean signal into the deck, for instance with

 telect -lntsc -iblack -ofs1
 telect -lsdi -ofs1 -idigibeta
(You should make sure that fs1 is set to use composite input, and that the digibeta deck is set to use the digital input.)

Return to Main Video Menu
videolab@graphics.stanford.edu
Last modified: Tue Mar 14 17:42:12 PST 2000