Audio Video News

The popularity of camcorders is proof positive that video hobbyists want to do more than watch movies. They want to make them too.

Shooting and editing raw footage has gotten considerably easier than it used to be, but what about integrating computer graphics into your latest creation? TV One Multimedia Solutions has the answer: the CORIOgen Eclipse scan converter and special effects generator. The $695 device lets you overlay computer graphics on top of NTSC or PAL video, fade from video to computer images and vice versa, mix sources, and dissolve from one scene to another at varying rates.

The CORIOgen Eclipse features an integral digital luminance keyer for layering graphics at several levels of transparency over Composite or S-Video signals, although not over RGB signals. Any and all black areas of the computer image can be replaced with the external video. An AutoSet feature automatically resizes the computer image to make it fit the video screen. Once operating parameters are established via the onscreen display, they are stored in the Eclipse's non-volatile memory for use the next time the unit is powered up. The CORIOgen supports horizontal scan rates up to 100kHz. All signals are processed using 24-bit technology.

Recommended resolution is 1024 x 768 pixels at any refresh rate, with 1600 x 1200 the maximum resolution. A 2X digital zoom allows the expansion of any quadrant of the computer image to the full size of the screen. The CORIOgen Eclipse is compatible with both PC and Mac computers, and can be controlled from its own front panel, by a computer through the RS-232 port An internal version of the CORIOgen Eclipse can be installed in computers with PCI and ISA slots.

TV One makes a wide variety of video signal processors and editing tools for professionals. Many of them are suitable for serious hobbyists, too. The diminutive (1.5" H x 7.25" W x 4" D) CORIOgen Eclipse comes with a two-year warranty.