Anamorphic widescreen

Abstract: This paper describes an advanced compatible television (ACTV) system intended for the single-channel transmission of widescreen EDTV images. Existing NTSC receivers display a selected 4: 3 portion of the widescreen image with standard NTSC resolution. However, a new widescreen receiver, tuned to the same 6-MHz RF channel, displays a widescreen image with a resolution in excess of 400 lines/picture height in both spatial dimensions. To produce the NTSC-compatible signal, the original widescreen high-definition signal is separated into four components: (1) the main NTSC signal with the side panel low frequencies time compressed into the horizontal overscan regions, (2) the time-expanded side panel high frequencies, (3) the extended horizontal-luminance detail, and (4) the extended vertical-temporal luminance detail. Components 2 and 3 are quadrature modulated at low amplitude by a new phase-controlled subcarrier at 3.1 MHz. Component 4 is inserted in quadrature with the RF picture carrier. This paper discusses how the four components are processed to insure full compatibility at the NTSC receiver and complete recoverability at the ACTV receiver.

Abstract: An NTSC compatible, single broadcast channel, widescreen EDTV system encodes and decodes a television signal comprising: (1) a main, standard formal NTSC signal component with low frequency side panel image information compressed into the overscan regions thereof; (2) a time expanded high frequency side panel image information component; and (3) an extended high frequency horizontal luminance image information component. Components (2) and (3) quadrature modulate an alternate subcarrier, other than a chrominance subcarrier, having an alternating phase unlike that of the chrominance subcarrier.

Abstract: RCA 84,323 Canada Abstract of the Disclosure A system is disclosed for partially decoding an encoded widescreen, extended definition television signal into a signal that is compatible with existing consumer video cassette recorders (VCRs) and video monitors. The encoded signal is compatible with existing television standards to produce a video image having a conventional 4:3 aspect ratio. Signals representing side panel information, to be appended onto either side of the 4:3 center panel, are encoded in the signal and are not visible in the image produced by a conventional receiver. The disclosed system includes decoding circuitry which recovers the side panel signals, appends them to the center panel signal and changes the time correspondence of the total signal so that it represents an image having a 5:3 aspect ratio. Luminance and chrominance components of the decoded video signal are provided as output signals of the decoder and to input ports of a conventional video cassette recorder (VCR) such as an S-VHS or ED-Beta machine. The signal recorded on the VCR may be replayed on a widescreen monitor. The decoder includes an optional vertical interpolator to compress the widescreen picture vertically to generate a signal which produces a properly proportioned widescreen image when displayed on a conventional display device.

Abstract: A widescreen television signal having left side, right side and center panel information is converted into a signal compatible with a standard television system, such as NTSC. In the compatible signal, center panel information is expanded to occupy the standard display region seen by a viewer, side panel low frequency information is compressed into the horizontal overscan region, and side panel high frequency information modulates an alternative subcarrier other than the chrominance subcarrier.