Original "ACE" Controls

Front View of ACE, Showing Controls. File Size 41k

Microprocessor Control. Full Digital 4:2:2 True "S" Processing
(Superceded by our new ACE Converter which has more features)

INTRODUCTION

The ACE is mains powered via a 13A plug top adaptor and designed to be connected between any type of video source and up to four VCRs or TVs etc. It can be used during normal Linear Editing or for Computer Editing where it can increase your productivity by providing Real Time correction during capture and also optimise the video quality of your final VHS copies. Home Cinema owners will find the ACE perfect for format conversion, copy enhancement, correcting playback deficiencies and for adjusting colour rendering to suit individual taste or to match room lighting. All versions of the ACE can be used with Broadcast, Laserdisc or DVD video for colour conversion from all other common world standards to your normal standard.
Please see the Performance and Specifications page for full technical details of this and all of the many other ACE facilities.

The ACE is very flexible, allowing a wide variety of video faults to be corrected and also allowing you to use your creative abilities during copying or editing. The range of the controls has been deliberately kept as wide as possible to allow you full control over the video and audio. This instrument is designed both to correct and enhance your video production or viewing experience. The following descriptions explain the main purpose of each control and there is also a 'Useful Tips' section in the Instruction Manual where some interesting and useful combinations are suggested. Click Here for Example Screens showing some of the effects which can be achieved.

Click on any Control Group in the Picture Above to go Directly to its Description.

Colour Controls:

SATURATION: This control allows you to adjust the level of colour in the picture from zero, i.e. Black and White only, up to twice the normal colour level.

BALANCE: This control alters the colour balance of coloured areas without affecting white balance and is especially useful for correcting any residual faults in skin tone when white balance has been corrected. This is important as White Balance alone does NOT cure All colour faults. The ACE is unique in offering both.
NOTE: On the NTSC Version or when using the automatic NTSC to PAL Conversion this control acts as a HUE control.

<-SHIFT->: After recording and video processing you will often find that the colour seems to 'bleed' out of the coloured areas. This is caused by faults in the video processing which can move the colour sideways compared to the black and white parts of the picture and is particularly evident with multiple generation copies. This control allows the colour part of the picture to be moved horizontally left and right to line up the colour properly and eliminate the colour bleed.
Vertical Colour Shift is provided by the COLOUR SHIFT ^ Control to cure colour droop.

White Balance:

RED, GREEN and BLUE: These controls affect the colour of the white areas and all of the lighter parts of the picture. They allow correction of white balance colour faults caused when a camcorder does not properly compensate for colour of lighting, to match video from different camcorders or to compensate for deficiences in any video production. Contrast, brightness and colour saturation are not affected. These controls can also be used creatively to add tints, create sepia effects etc. or to create blank screens of almost any colour to separate sections of your video, as fully described in the ACE Instruction Manual.

Video Controls:

CONTRAST & BRIGHTNESS: These operate like those on your TV except that they probably have a wider range. Together they can correct many exposure faults and help create a wide variety of special effects.

Special Effects:

SHARPNESS: This control allows the sharpness, or detail, of the picture to be corrected to compensate for losses in copying etc. A wide range of Both Boost and Cut are provided to cover all eventualities. On the ACE this control gives a beautifully symmetrical improvement to the sharpness of edges, unlike some units.

DIGITISE: As this control is turned clockwise it gradually decreases the number of colour and brightness levels in the picture, resulting in an increasing paint effect. At its most effective position the brightness levels are only black and white with no shades of grey. Colour levels are similarly restricted. Used at intermediate settings this control can convert a normal picture into something similar to a cartoon with bold colours in blocks. This control also allows you to clean up your own captions and in combination with other controls allows you to add background or foreground colour to simple hand drawn or printed black & white captions.

Left Hand Push Buttons:

BYPASS: Depressing this button will cancel ALL settings Except the Rear INPUT SELECT, and the Red BYPASS LED will light as a warning. Pressing this button IN allows you to compare the effect you have created to the original signal i.e. to compare the difference 'Before' and 'After' processing.

INVERT OPTION: Pressing this button allows you to cycle through the options in order: Normal / Negative / Colour Invert / Video Invert. In Negative Mode it is possible to view colour negatives, assuming you have a slide converter and film strip holder or can improvise. With Colour Inverted, green turns into purple, blue into yellow and skin tone a ghastly blue colour. Ideal to turn people into monsters! With Video Inverted, black parts of the picture go white and vice-versa. With Normal Colour this can have a quite pleasing but spooky effect. The White Balance and Colour Balance controls provided on the ACE are essential for colour correction of negatives.

COLOUR SHIFT ^: Pressing this button allows you to cycle through the Vertical Colour Shift range of 0 to +3 lines and back to 0, to get rid of 'colour droop' often resulting after several generations of copying.

Right Hand Push Buttons:

TEST SELECT: Pressing this button allows you to cycle through the test patterns in order: Normal/Colour Bars/Blue Screen/Red Screen. The Broadcast standard Colour Bar Test Pattern and the Red and Blue Blank Screens can be used to check your own equipment performance, to check your TV’s Contrast, Brightness and Colour Saturation settings and as a professional lead in to a video programme, especially if this is to be sent to be copied.

OUTPUT TYPE: Pressing this button allows you to cycle through 4 output combinations on the "S" Video Output & SCART Connectors, allowing access to "S" or Dual Composite Video on the "S" Output Socket and to RGB or YUV on the SCART Socket.

POWER: The operation of this button will come as no surprise. It must be IN for normal operation!

Fade/Wipe Controls:

With NO Wipe buttons pressed the ACE automatically performs Fades, otherwise Wipes are performed. When more than one button is depressed the wipes will start from all selected sides together, giving 15 different effects. Button Options (plus combinations) are : WIPE LEFT - WIPE RIGHT - WIPE TOP - WIPE BOTTOM

ACTION: This button initiates an Automatic Wipe or Fade. Pressing it IN will cause the picture to fade or wipe to black. Releasing the button to OUT will cause the picture to be restored by a reverse fade or wipe.

AUDIO: With this button pressed IN the Audio can be faded along with the Video fade or wipe.

MANUAL: This button selects between the Automatic Fade or Wipe and the Manual Fade or Wipe:

SPEED/MANUAL: With the MANUAL button left OUT this control adjusts the speed of the Automatic Fade or Wipe from approximately 1 to 5 seconds. With the button IN this control allows Manual fading or wiping. In this mode the Wipes can also be used to create fixed masks e.g. to create a Widescreen effect.

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