RCP Engineer Vol
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.RCP Engineer Vol. 28No. 5 Sept./Oct.. 1983 - apmeillals ...~11111111011111.1141 ' ' 141141*/***/***/~0. 11.401111101141101.1101MOMPOI ONNOININ 100.444 .00.4011814~0101WW11 WI 0.0141114MNOMMION 11 I 1.. .1.44446.6116, 94-6 00011101110401110110110. -SUMP 41.11111111111144 41.1itt., 4'44* 4111190111.111411110111411111101. 04 4.11110 00004.1., *.w4+4,1 *4= id* - *SW* am4.10 4040440040440140. 110 410.11111.41411.1 4040111100414014. 4*' ."1".0° 140* ormqowwfir"*". 411sW le owalmift .11.160 .01101441440140 ' ^. 400010441100 11/1.44 ***16/4/441 1.4101.4.4 4./5.4 Ps 'I'1 A.4,A*111. 1445.4141 44661441 11144111. 01+.1 441/14/44,014.0111040.6. 4.4541A444.61 404.0615'144.4 I Pt 011/11114/1" 1110* 41141µ44+!^54+i. 410111414P4**44.1.4. ,A.A1.*4+14 44144. I .1 ,.4, ,0444 14440 *MO 'x 14 44 .2441114116 44141111 4404040 okrta1A1411***/.41.1. 414/4/44414111.411114. 11111.1.114 .raw """ 444 MAW 4111 1/0/444 I 44, 4 441 4.044440 .4444 404014.41111. 04.0 +111411.1 414141414.1041 "%a* 4114.4441.1 411tIO111.0.11/14$4+ *4004.14.4.441.4444.44... 014404.014, WI 0101 46.4.44111 14,1O. a. 014 ,Amp AA* 144440.11004110.144 0.4 .1 .14. E T TONY: Sunny DIGITAL skies allday very hot. BROADCAST HIGH: 95 LOW: ?2 HUMIDITY: 75% NBC & NABTS AIR QUALITY: Good PRESENT TOMORROW. More TELETEXT sunshine and continued hiqh temperatures. Front cover graphics produced by Laurence Merritt and James Kimac (Art director: Annette Geyer) of NBC Teletext maEngineer A technical journal published by RCA Technical Excellence Center 13 Roszel Road P.O. Box 43:, Princeton, NJ 08540 TACNET: 226-3090 (609-734-3090) RCA Engineer Staff Tom King Editor Mike Sweeny Associate Editor Louise Carr Art Editor Frank Strobl Contributing Editor Betty Gutchigian Composition Phyllis Grimm Secretary Editorial Advisory Board Jay Brandinger Division Vice -President and General Manager, "SelectaVision" VideoDisc Operations John Christopher Vice -President, Technical Operations, RCA Americom Jim Feller Division Vice -President, Engineering, Government Systems Division Mahlon Fisher Division Vice -President, Engineering, Video Component & Display Division Hans Jenny Manager, Engineering Information NBC Teletext, based on exciting new digital broad- cast technology, promises to be an entirely new Arch Luther Division Vice -President, Engineering medium for the exchange of information. Some and Product Assurance, Commercial Communications have called it an "electronic magazine," but it could Systems Division eventually offer much more. Graphics are one of the main concerns of teletext producers, and Howie Rosenthal Staff Vice -President, Engineering NBC-as our cover shows-is no exception. The Joe Steoger Division Vice -President, Engineering, front cover images were made at NBC with equip- RCA Service Company ment and software from Videographic Systems of Bill Underwood Director, Technical America. Thanks to Barbara Watson at NBC Tele- Excellence Center text, New York, we can show them to you. Bill Webster Vice -President, Laboratories NBC transmits teletext "pages," over -the -air, in the vertical blanking interval of the standard TV Consulting Editors picture. Today, few people own the decoders needed to see the images we've reproduced, but Ed Burke Administrator, Marketing they are in development. The system operates Information and Communications, according to the North American Broadcast Tele- Government Systems Division text Standard (NABTS) currently being refined by Walt Dennen Manager, Naval Systems Department standards -setters at RCA Laboratories and else- Communications and Information, where (see the article on page 15 by Brian Astle). Missile and Surface Radar NABTS partisans point to two key advantages of Charlie Foster Manager, Systems and Procedures, the variable coding that their system uses- RCA Laboratories superior graphics, and software compatibility with John Phillips Manager, Business Development videotex systems (videotex essentially operates as and Planning, RCA Service Company a two-way teletext transmitted over telephone and cable -TV lines). NABTS alpha -geometric graphics give reliable color and identifiable reproduction of company logos-a must for attracting advertiser To disseminate to RCA engineers technical information of professional value To publish support. in an appropriate manner important technical developments at RCA, and the role of the -MRS engineer To serve as a medium of interchange of technical information between various groups at RCA To create a community of engineering interest within the company by stressing the interrelated nature of all technical contributions To help publicize engineer- ing achievements in a manner that will promote the interests and reputation of RCA in the engineering field To provide a convenient means by which the RCA engineer may review his professional work before associates and engineering management To announce out- standing and unusual achievements of RCA engineers in a manner most likely to enhance their prestige and professional status The changing environment for technical standards Imagine moving into your newly con- Whereas U.S. television standards structed home and finding that your organizations are desperately trying electrical subcontractor has installed to head off a total collapse, the inter- the latest in improved technology for national environment for standards in the wiring, connectors, and control some ways has been greatly circuits. Very good so far, but sup- improved in recent years. The inter- pose also that the voltage and fre- national arena (especially in televi- quency are different from those of sion) has long been dominated by K.H. Powers your appliances and none of the old nationalistic pride and political con- plugs will fit the new sockets. siderations. The international stan- This extreme case illustrates mis- dards bodies such as the CCIR have placed marketplace standards, and had to be content with documenta- one finds it difficult to imagine that tion of existing national standards as any responsible industry could permit a thwart to the proliferation of un- such a chaotic situation by not set- necessary new ones. The historic ting specifications for compatibility event that occurred in 1982, when the across system interfaces. Yet, the CCIR Plenary Assembly adopted broadcast industry is facing just such unanimously a single specification a dilemma today in the wake of for the signal interface in the all -digi- landmark Federal Communications tal television studio, constituted a Commission (FCC) decisions on ste- new high in international technical reo AM, teletext, and, imminently, cooperation. multi -channel television sound. The euphoria of this unprece- Many de facto standards serving dented success will linger as groups us well today arose because a com- of nations are now busily reaching petitive shake -out in the market left a agreements rather than hotly debat- few products that, at the time of their ing such new possible standards as introduction, either stood alone or did analog component interfaces and not require interfacing with other sys- extended -definition television for new tems. The 3/4 -inch U-Matic videotape transmission systems such as the cassette is a good example. In the Direct Broadcast Satellite. absence of a shake -out, the market- RCA engineers have historically place fails, leading to multiple stan- contributed to television standards dards that are often detrimental to all development and are continuing to concerned, particularly when one do so in the interests of RCA and the standard has little to offer over television industry. Although this another. issue of the RCA Engineer highlights In response to the FCC's moves the applications of digital technology toward deregulation, the television in television, the thread of standardi- industry is forming the new zation issues permeates much of the Advanced Television Systems Com- work reported. mittee. The Committee will coordinate the development of voluntary U.S. national standards for the generation, distribution and reception of improved -quality television signals made possible through emerging new technologies. The intention of the Committee is to anticipate the Kerns H. Powers technology and to set specifications Staff Vice -President, for interfaces before new products Communications Research create incompatibilities. RCA Laboratories alMaiEngineer Vo . 28 I No. 5 Sept.Oct. 1983 history 4 RCA Automated Systems: Twenty-five years on America's Technology Highway A.J. Skavicus standards setting 10 The development of international television standards R.N. Hurst 1K.H. Powers 15 Teletext standards in North America B. Astle digital 26 Technology for digital television broadcast topics F.J. Marlowe 30 Component analog video recording for studio applications T.M. Gurley 1C.J. Haslett 38 Digital videotape recorders: Tape format and error -concealment considerations G.A. Reitmeier 44 Wideband picture detail restoration in a digital NTSC comb -filter system A. Acampora 48 Some power considerations for consumer -type high -definition -television displays W.E. Babcock 1W.E. RoddalW.F. Wedam general interest 57 Post -molding processing is a unique requirement for VideoDisc D.F. Hakala departments Patents, 601 Pen and Podium, 621 News and Highlights, 65 Copyright © 1983 RCA Corporation All rights reserved in this issue... digital broadcast 128 Skavicus: "We have over 100 military contracts and will continue to AMERICAS TECHNOLOGY expand our leadership role in all our systems areas." HIGHWAY Hurst/Powers: "The document