DIGITAL EFFECTS

Digital effects provided Beta fans with a rock steady pause (still) picture and step-motion plus it added some other interesting extras. Before digital came along the analog video on the screen was always coming from the tape in real time. Even in pause it came directly from heads spinning against the tape surface. Beta VCRs with digital capability however can display a picture that is saved in memory and provided by the tape. Digitally produced video is not subject to tape jitter, head alignment or tracking errors like analog and the stored image can be put to some interesting uses. This memory and stability is unitized in special effects like recall, pause, scan, flash-motion and step-motion. A digital picture can also be tinkered with and handled in special ways. It can be altered or used for picture recall, picture-in-picture, flash-motion, image tiling, slow-motion and high speed scanning. This last one allows you to see a picture even during rewind and fast forward. And for good measure in some top of the line models Sony added zoom, freeze, mosaic blocking, and picture art. Four models introduced digital processing to the Beta VCR line up. They were the SL-810D, SL-HF840D, and SL-HF860D. Digital effects in some form were included in a few later high-end models as a feature with picture enhancement. For information on the digital VCRs click here.

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