Betacam SX

Betacam SX, is a digital version of Betacam SP, launched in 1996 by Sony. It was designated as a cheaper alternative to the DigiBeta format. It was successful in news-gathering operations, and it is still used in some operations, despite going out of production.
== History ==
The format was launched in 1996 by Sony, serving as the digital version of Beta SP and a cheaper alternative to Digital Betacam. It was successful with ENG operations, which had a legacy of Betacam and Betacam SP tapes. 
However, in 2007, cassette production discontinued, and as of 2008, Beta SX machines are no longer available from Sony.
== Technical details ==
=== Compression ===
Beta SX uses MPEG-2 compression, in comparison with other systems that use 4:1:1 or 4:2:0 coding. It gives better resolution and it also allows certain post-production processes. 
=== Audio ===
The format has 4 channels of 48 KHz/16-bit PCM audio.
== Appearance ==
The shell's color is yellow, with a black spine. This is unique compared to Beta SP, where it has the same color in the shell and the spine. The color layout is similar to DigiBeta, except that the shell's color is blue. 
The text color is black, aside from gold text in the spine.
== Issues ==
=== Camcorder noise ===
The Betacam SX camcorders were generally considered by most sound recordists to be quite noisy in operation, possibly due to the amount of computer processing power, and the subsequently generated heat led to cooling fans being used to keep the camera at a reasonable temperature.
== Usage ==
The Beta SX format was successful in news-gathering, where they have legacies of Betacam and Beta SP cassettes. The format is still used in many news-gathering operations despite going out of production, including CTV, WSB, KFMB, KNTV and KSTS. 
== Gallery ==
Beta SX camcorder.jpg|A Beta SX camcorder in side view
Betacam SX portable VCRs.jpg|Portable VCRs supporting Beta SX
== External links ==
* Betacam SX - Museum of Obsolete Media
* Betacam SX - Media College
* Betacam#Betacam SX - Wikipedia