From: kimnach@lims01.lerc.nasa.gov (GREG KIMNACH)
Subject: Re: Sony Beta format
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Keywords: specs
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
Date: 30 Jul 1992 14:42 EST  

In article <1992Jul30.095832.12489@sactoh0.sac.ca.us>, mfolivo@sactoh0.sac.ca.us (Mark Newton-John) writes...
>I usually research the subject before I post, but I can't find the
>right materials for it, so I'll proceed anyway.
> 
>About the Beta format, there is some confusion from some about what
>was SHB Beta, ED-Beta, SuperBeta, and just plain Beta. (I'll leave
>out Betacam and Betacam SP) I can't remember the exact term, so
>don't flame me...

Betacam's only similarity to Betamax is the tape.  These are beasts of an 
entirely different nature.

> 
>There were improvements to the Beta format since it's introduction
>and hence, many "flavors", as I'll call them. 

Betamax is a "family" of formats.  But "flavors" will do :-)

>The improvements were
>to the picture quality by moving the carrier frequency (right
>term?) 

Yes.

>higher and higher to acheive better horizontal line
>resolutions. To further confuse the issue, Japanese Betamaxes had
>different names for the enhancements.
> 
>I believe the carrier frequency for Beta was at 4.7 MHz (also VHS)
>that gave the 220~ line resolution. SuperBeta increased this to 5.6 MHz to 
>get 280~300 lines.  In Japan I believe this was called HiBand Beta.
> 
>Super HiBand Beta increased this to 6.0 MHz for around the 330~
>line range. I think the Japanese called this HiBand Beta 6.0 MHz.
>This was found only in high-end Betamaxes, like the SL-HF900 and
>SL-HF1000. It is sold now in the "dream machine" SL-HF2100.

Actually, B1shb was not available on the US SL-HF900; however, the 
necessary circuitry was there that enabled the 900 to be modified (by BTH 
Labs in CA, for example) to record in B1shb.  Also, the Japanese refer to 
SuperBeta, in general, as "HiBand Beta."

Let's not forget also that Beta and SuperBeta each have a frequency 
deviation of 1.2MHz compared to VHS's 1MHz.  ED-Beta has a frequency 
deviation of 2.5 MHz compared to Hi8's and S-VHS's values of 2.0MHz and 
1.5MHz, respectively.  

> 
>These Beta formats use the standard oxide tapes.
> 
>After the introduction of S-VHS, that had better line resolutions
>than SHB Beta, 

Sony and Matsushita/JVC were developing these "extended definition" VTRs
concurrently.  JVC unveiled S-VHS one day before Sony--just so that it could 
claim to have been "first."  (We all know that "first" isn't always "best"!:-)) 

>Sony developed ED-Beta, Extended Definition Beta as
>a "Prosumer" format. This format used metal tapes (S-VHS uses oxide
>tapes, don't let anyone con you otherwise- I think M-II uses metal
>tapes) ED-Beta pushed the carrier frequeny to 9 MHz, to give 500
>lines of resolution, to give HDTV (at the time- MUSE?) quality. I
>am not sure about Japan, but in the US, the demand for ED-Beta has
>fallen off. I do not think Sony makes the ED-Beta machines
>available anymore. Sony did make four models for the Japanese
>market as opposed to the two they released here.

A minor point: the peak white level occurs at 9.3MHz.

> 
>ED-Beta is not downward compatible, in fact, ED-Beta tapes will not
>work in Betamaxes. 

Very true.  Also, I tried to record ED-Beta on an L-500 Pro-X tape into which I 
punched a "recognition hole."  (I wasn't about to play a metal tape on my SL
-HF2100!)  I found two things out: 1) ED-Beta does need metal tape!  The 
coercivity of oxide just not sufficient for  the wide bandwidth signal.  It 
looked like s__t played back on the 9500.  2) A SuperBeta deck just cannot 
play back an ED-Beta signal.


>If they did, they'd eat the heads.
See above.
>ED-Beta machines will play and record in SuperBeta, they did not have SHB
>Beta.

And standard Beta. 

>The ED-V7500 only recorded BII and BIII, I can't remember if
>the ED-V9500 recorded BIs. This was for standard Beta. For ED-Beta,
>the only speeds were BII and BIII.

Again, the US version of a Japanese model was stripped down.  The 9000 does 
record in B1shb--not ED Beta I, as some thought.  (See Video Review circa 
May 1988 for a review of "The Ultimate VCR" which reviewed and raved about
the EDV-9000.)  But, here in North America we got the 9500.  No B1shb.  
Even the Japanese version of our SL-HF860 & 870D models recorded in B1shb.  
Americans, it seems, want two-hour+ recording.  Lastly, the EDW-30F (i.e., 
professional version of the 9500, only records in BII, although it will 
do inserts at BIII.

> 
>The EDC-55 videocamera (this was NOT a mere camcorder) only used
>ED-Beta tapes, and recorded BII and BIII. It used a C-mount Tamron
>10-105mm lens (as I remember), had a 2 CCD camera section, and was
>modular in design. Was there a 3 CCD module available?

I don't know about the EDC-55, but my EDW-10F (the professional version of 
the 55) has a Fujinon bayonet-mount lens.  As far as I know, no there has 
not been a 3-CCD camera.  Although the ED camcorder can be used with Betacam 
cameras (DXC-3 ? I'm not familiar with these model numbers).  It wont dock 
directly though--you'd have to use a cable connection.

> 
>To summarize, there is Beta, SuperBeta, Super HiBand Beta, and
>ED-Beta.
> 
>Hope this clears things up a little. There may be some minor
>inaccuracies, Bill Vermillion can correct me.
> 
> 
>-- 
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Greg
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