Mini DV 3CCD Viewcam
Recorder/Player:
DH-4000
First 3 CCD DV Camcorder under
$2000
This unit sells in Japan already (Jan) under $2400
and is expected to be under $1799 by July 1997 street price. This is quite remarkable when
you think that not only does this unit have a large 4" LCD HiRes screen, is DV
format, w/four seperately editable digital audio channels but, 3CCD 410k chips on board for professional
color accuracy and definition. I expect this camera in U.S. market about late summer 1997
and may sell for about $2k depending if the Sony clones and Canon's new entry are out!
Now,
if this unit had DV Input/Outputs we could have use this
camcorder as our playback/ copycam VCR and our master record/master edit VCR (in either SP
or LP speed). This unit has been optimized for the 16 X 9 wide screen format for Digital
TV and panoramic movies. If you could see the photo you would see that the camera is so
small and compact that it fits comfortably in a woman's hand. We're talkin tiny!!
For those that must know every minutia of detail here's poor old
tired chuckmeister typing this till his fingers are nubbies!!
Sharp Introduces A New
"Digital ViewCam"
with 16:9 Wide-Screen Recording and Playback Capabilities
VL-DH4000 Features the Industry's First Wide-Format
3-CCD Camera,
Plus New
Wide-Format, High-Resolution LCD Monitor
Flash Memory
Allows Still Images to be Saved and Uploaded to
PCs via Infrared Optical Data Link
Product Name:
LCD Digital Video Camera
Model No.
VL-DH4000
Nickname
Digital ViewCam
System
DVC recorder for consumer use;
SD system
List Price
250,000 yen (not including tax)
Monthly
Production
10,000 units
Date of Release in Japan August 26, 1996
OSAKA, JAPAN - Sharp
Corporation, a major comprehensive
electronics manufacturer, announces the introduction of
a new
model of its Sharp ViewCam into the Japanese market. The
VL-DH4000 Digital ViewCam is the first video camera
in the
industry to be equipped with three 16:9 wide-aspect-ratio CCDs.
A new 4.3-inch wide-format, high-resolution LCD
monitor allow
users to record and playback high-quality wide-screen video
images
"exactly as they appear".
Wide-format 16:9 video images offer a horizontal field of
view 33%
(approx.) wider than the conventional 4:3 format,
plus, the image is
not cut off at the top and bottom during playback. There is
simply no
comparison to the beauty and impact of wide-screen
images such as
scenes with large numbers of people, dramatic sports shots or
magnificent
outdoor scenery. The true value of this feature is clearly
evident in play
back on wide-screen 16 x 9 format TVs or future digital
DTV.
In addition, when combined with the optional Still Image
Unit (sold
separately), users can store still video images in separate
flash memory,
and later upload the images to personal computers via a digital
optical
(IrDA) communications link.
With advanced in television, the spreading use of
computers, the evolution
of digital networks, and the advent of a new
information-oriented society
that continues its current dramatic march forward, the VL-DH4000
is being
offered as a next-generation digital video camera
based on the LCD
technologies & digital techniques are Sharp's area of
strongest expertise.
1.
The industry's first wide-format 3-CCD camera system to deliver
high-resolution
"wide-screen" images
Sharp has developed a
new wide-format CCD with a 16:9 aspect
ratio, the same as
used for wide-screen TV, and built three of them
into a system that
captures the three primary colors (red, green and
blue) separately. This
3-CCD is the same approach used in all of the
professional broadcast
cameras. Coupled with digital recording, it
delivers outstanding
image quality. In addition, its horizontal width is
33% wider than
conventional 4:3 video images, and in shots with large
numbers of people,
expansive outdoor scenes, or dramatic sports shots,
etc., it excels at
capturing beautiful video with a sense of realistic
presence.
2. High-resolution
(154,000 pixels), wide-format TFT (4.3-inch) LCD monitor
A newly developed 16:9-aspect-ration TFT
(active matrix) LCD screen lets
users play back video taken with the
VL-DH4000's 16:9 3-CCD camera
system and enjoy detailed,
distortion-free, wide-screen video images.
3. 1.5X LP (Long
Play) Mode
The VL-DH4000 features a "Long Play
Mode" that extends recording
time by 50% (1.5X) while maintaining
high image quality. Tape speed is
slowed by recording using a track width
narrowed to two-thirds of normal.
The result is the ability to record 90 minutes of video on a 60-minute tape.
4. System
expansion capability designed for the new "multimedia era"
Sharp has developed a companion
Still Image Unit (optional; sold separately)
that applies optical
communications technology and flash memory storage,
both areas of expertise for Sharp,
to the field of videography. With this unit,
users can upload high-resolution
still video images to personal computers, etc.,
using infrared digital
communications (IrDa) without the
need for a cable
connection. In addition, still
images can be stored separately in flash memory,
allowing the unit to be used like
an electronic still camera. Looking forward to
the multimedia era with its
constantly evolving digital and networking
technologies, this feature is
being offered to broaden the horizons of the world
of the Sharp ViewCam.
[VL-DH4000 Digital ViewCam Outstanding Features]
1. Wide-format 3-CCD
Camera System
Sharp has developed a new
"wide CCD" with the same 16:9 aspect ratio used
for wide-screen TV. Compared to
the conventional 4:3 aspect ratio, this system
allows a 33% wider horizontal
(right-to-left) recording width (when shot using
identical subject heights).
Dramatic, impressive video images, such as scenes
with large numbers of people, majestic outdoor scenery, etc., can be recorded.
Plus, the VL-DH4000 can also do
"squeeze recording" of images from the wide-
format CCDs, letting users enjoy
distortion-free playback of full-fledged wide-
screen video on the LCD monitor or
on a wide-screen TV.
In addition, thanks to the
adoption of the 3-CCD Camera System (3 pick-up
chips, each with 410,000 pixels)
which makes the most of the high-resolution
offered by digital video
recording, users can enjoy crystal-clear wide-format
pictures with high image
definition, reduced color blur, & improved S/N ratios.
2. 4.3-inch
wide-format LCD monitor
Sharp has also developed a new
4.3-inch "Wide-Format LCD Monitor" with
a 16:9 aspect ratio. Wide-screen images captured with the VL-DH4000 fit
perfectly on the screen for easy
checking, and since recorded images are
processed in wide-screen format at
every step, from shooting to playback,
users can enjoy high-quality,
distortion-free video images at playback.
In addition, the LCD pixel count
is 154,000 (40% more than the previous
VL-DC1 model) for better
resolution on the LCD monitor screen.
[Specifications]
Aspect ratio 16:9
Monitor size 4.3 inches
Screen pixels 154,440
660 x 234 dots
Brightness 400 cd/m2
Viewing
angle 105/130
(vertical/horizontal)
3. Sharp has taken the
lead in the industry by providing an LP
(Long-Play) Mode that increases
recording time by 50% while
maintaining high image quality. This technique works by
narrowing the recording track width to two-thirds of normal
(10µ -> 6.67µ), thereby
making it possible to record up to 90
minutes of video material on a 60-minute tape.
4. Digital system
expansion capabilities: IrDA* and RS-232C
interfaces 1)
By attaching the optional VR-SU i till Image Unit
(sold separately), users can upload high-resolution digital still
video images to personal computers, etc. Users can readily find
new ways to enjoy video, including creating video photo albums
or manipulating video images. IrDA (Infrared Data Association)
2) In addition, using
the video recording capabilities of the Sharp
ViewCam, users can record continuous full-motion video on tape
and still images separately in flash memory, allowing the Sharp
VL-DH4000 to be used like an
electronic digital camera. Being
able to use tape for full-motion video or flash memory for still
video
images facilitates image
retrieval & editing using personal computers.
5. Other features
1)
30X Digital Zoom (12X Optical)
2)
One-touch 1.5X/2.5X Instant Zoom
3)
16-bit 48-kHz PCM Digital Stereo Recording
4)
Time Code compatibility to mark each individual frame
5)
Digital Image Stabilization for jitter-free shooting
6)
Cut Playback function to quickly skip past extraneous scenes
during playback
[New Optional Accessories]
Product name
Model
Accessory Kit
VR-KT92
Soft Case
VR-SC3
Sun Hood
VR-BF92
Still Image Unit
VR-U1
Digital Still Image Transfer
Software (Windows version) VR-PK30W
PC Interface Cable
VR-PCB30
Serial interface cable
(RS-232C compatible)
Digital Still Image Transfer Software (VR-PK30W; sold
separately)
is required to upload digital image data to personal computers, etc.
, using the Still Image Unit.
*Window(R) is a registered trademark of
Microsoft Corporation.
[Specifications]
Video recording system
Digital component recording
Video sampling rate and number of
quantization bits
Luminance signal: 13.5 MHz, 8 bits
R-Y signal: 3.375 MHs, 8 bits
B-Y signal: 3.375 MHz, 8 bits
Audio recording system
PCM digital recording
Audio sampling rate and number of
quantization bits
16-bit, 48 kHz, stereo (recording and playback)
16-bit, 44.1 kHz, stereo (playback only)
12-bit, 32 kHz, stereo (playback only)
Recording time
SP Mode:1 hour;LP Mode: 1.5 hours (using a 60-minute cassette)
Image sensor
Three 16:9-aspect-ratio 1/4-inch CCDs
(approx. 410,000 pixels each)
Image sensor
Three 16:9-aspect-ratio 1/4-inch CCDs
(approx. 410,000 pixels each)
Lens
12X F1.6 lens, f = 4.2 to 50.4 mm
Minimum illumination
8 lux
Monitor
4.3-inch color LCD (154,440 pixels)
Speaker output
300 mW
Microphone
Stereo
Video OUT
1 each S-Video and composite video (RCA jack): output only
Audio OUT
1 each right and left stereo channel; output only
System Expansion Jack
Digital input/output (still video OUT when Still Image Unit is attached)
Power consumption
9.7 W
(with Auto Focus and Digital Image Stabilization: OFF, Backlight: "Normal,"
and Zoom: STANDBY)
External dimensions
(W) x (H) x (D)
193 x 125.5 x 103 mm (7.6" x 4.9" x 4.1")
Main unit weight
880 grams (1.9 lbs) (main unit)
Operating weight
1,060 grams (2.3 lbs) (With VR-BL81 Battery Pack, cassette tape, and lens
hood installed)
Supply voltage
3.6 VDC
Accessories
A/V Box: 1 each, LCD Screen Protective Cover: 1 each, Lithium Battery: 1
each, A/V Cable: 1 each, S-Video Cable: 1 each, Cleaning cloth: 1 each,
Instruction Manual: 1 each, Warranty Card: 1 each
I will sort this out after some sleep. Later this
will all be on the MATRIX at....
http://www.supervideo.com/elegance,htm
SHARP ELECTRONICS USA
email at davisp@sharpsec.com
fax at (201) 529-8869
toll free at (800) BE-SHARP
