"ACE" Convertor Special Versions

Special Versions which offer the standard features but with different power-up conditions:

Special Versions which offer extra unusual features which are NOT on the standard unit:

Inverse Zoom for Image Reduction / Underscan

Option "I" replaces the Digitise function with an Inverse Zoom function created by combining Letterboxing with Pillarboxing. In this mode the ACE Converter's normal video zoom function starts from an initial 25% size reduction, i.e. from an underscan position. The standard 5.5% zoom steps then allow the image to be expanded upwards to full size. At a setting of 2 or 3 steps below this the image will be 10% to 15% below normal size so fully visible on all normal (non-underscan) monitors. This new facility thus allows the use of normal monitors as underscan monitors. Existing aspect ratio conversion and zoom facilites are unaffected. The only loss is the Digitise facility, often unused. All other ACE Converter facilities remain unchanged and this new option can be combined with special options Z and/or W and in each case will replace Digitise with Inverse Zoom. In fact we recommend adding Option "Z" to Option "I" unless you wish to use the ACE regularly in Inverse Zoom mode.

Professional Contrast Control working as Video Gain

Option "J" Changes this so that reducing Contrast makes the video darker and eventually black at zero Contrast. This is typical of the way Video Gain controls work on professional equipment. The only loss is the ability to create a Full White screen by reducing Contrast to zero and Brightness to maximum. This is because the brightness range with this option cannot cancel the brightness reduction caused by setting Contrast to Zero and with Zero Contrast the maximum Brightness will be a mid grey level. The option of creating a coloured blank screen using the Red, Green and Blue controls still exists but at Mid Grey rather than White level. This option can be added to any other.

Output Colour Burst Permanently Enabled

Option "B" ensures the colour burst is always ON. The main disadvantage is that a TV monitor on the output of the ACE will then show colour noise when the ACE is fed with a noisy monochrome video input as the TV's colour decoding circuitry will not be turned off.

BLACK Screen Instead Of RED Screen

Option "C" replaces the RED Screen with a Colour Black Screen. This is ideal for recording onto new tapes to give continuous timecode for easier editing. Please note that a Colour Black screen can also be generated on the normal ACE using the fader but only if you provide a continuous colour video source.

GREEN Screen Instead Of RED Screen

Option "G" replaces the RED Screen with a GREEN Screen. For colour background keying Blue and Green are the normal colours chosen with Red very rarely used. So this option may be of use to those wishing to use the ACE to generate colours for background keying.

Quicker Video / Audio Automatic Fade

Option "Q" reduces the range of the automatic fade times by a factor of 2 from the standard 1.0 to 5.0 Seconds to 0.5 to 2.5 Seconds.

Horizontal Zoom Permanently Disabled

Alternatively Option "H" permanently disables the horizontal expansion so that vertical-only expansion is possible. The only disadvantage is that the normal combined vertical and horizontal zoom is no longer possible. Now superceded for most applications by Pillarboxing.

Left/Right Mirror Imaging

Normally the INVERT OPTION button cycles around 4 combinations of video and colour inversion. For many people using computer editing this independent control of video and colour inversion, provided mainly for special effects, is no longer required and total video+colour inversion is all that is needed to capture from negatives etc.

Option "M" uses the INVERT OPTION button to cycle through 4 combinations of Video+Colour Inversion and lateral, i.e Left/Right, inversion of the video image. Control Cycling Order is: Normal / Video Invert + Mirror Imaging / Mirror Imaging Only / Video Invert Only.

For Noisy TV Signals

Secondly, since fading TV signals can result in video level changes it is also useful to be able to use the Automatic Gain Control features of the ACE which are normally disabled for optimum performance in normal video applications.

Option "N" uses the INVERT OPTION button to cycle through 4 combinations of Slow and Fast horizontal time constant plus AGC On and Off. The only disadvantage is that the normal video invert options are lost. Control Cycling Order is then: Normal (Fast + AGC Off) / Slow + AGC On / Fast + AGC On / Slow + AGC Off.

Alternative to "N"

Option "O" uses the AUDIO button to control the horizontal phase-locked loop (HPLL) time constant and the MANUAL button to control the Automatic Gain Control. The automatic fader is still available with variable speed using the FADE button and SPEED control but fading is always automatic and audio is always faded with the video. Of course audio can be left unfaded simply by connecting audio directly and not taking it via the ACE. Loss of the manual fade is thus the only disadvantage.

Freeze Frame + Fixed 3200K Colour Temperature

Option "E" offers a flexible Freeze Frame (Still Frame) facility controlled by the AUDIO button and a Fixed 3200K (incandescent lighting) White Balance / Colour Temperature setting controlled by the MANUAL button. (This option is a spin-off of the ACE24 development.) The automatic fader is still available with variable speed using the FADE button and SPEED control but fading is always automatic and audio is always faded with the video. Of course audio can be left unfaded simply by connecting audio directly and not taking it via the ACE. Loss of the manual fade is thus the only disadvantage.

When in Freeze Frame mode by default both input fields are averaged to remove any motion jitter and then repeated for both output fields. Pressing the INVERT OPTION button allows you to choose from the other three alternatives: Both fields displayed as normal (for best vertical resolution but motion will make the image jitter) or field one or field two repeated (eliminates jitter and avoids the motion blurring caused by averaging but only uses the data from one input field).

Comprehensive Widescreen Signals - Works on 625/50 Output Only

Option "P" has permanent widescreen signalling controlled by AUDIO and MANUAL buttons so widescreen TVs will switch automatically to the correct mode. The automatic fader is still available with variable speed using the FADE button and SPEED control but fading is always automatic and audio is always faded with the video. Of course audio can be left unfaded simply by connecting audio directly and not taking it via the ACE. Loss of the manual fade is thus the only disadvantage.

This option is especially useful with pillarboxing as this will normally be used with a 4:3 source and 16:9 output. Widescreen signalling can then be used to force widescreen TVs into the correct mode. (This option is not usually needed for letterboxing of 16:9 material for 4:3 TVs as they are unlikely to respond to widescreen signalling.) All of the most common modes can be signalled:

Rights Protection & Widescreen Signal - Works on 625/50 Output Only

Option "R" has a simplified widescreen signalling controlled by the AUDIO button, so widescreen TVs will switch automatically to the correct mode, and CGMS Copy Protection controlled by the MANUAL button. The automatic fader is still available with variable speed using the FADE button and SPEED control but fading is always automatic and audio is always faded with the video. Of course audio can be left unfaded simply by connecting audio directly and not taking it via the ACE. Loss of the manual fade is thus the only disadvantage.

This option lets you prevent customers from copying VHS tapes of weddings or special interest videos to DVD or DV. It will thus force your customers to make only poorer VHS copies rather than lossless digital ones. The 16:9 widescreen signalling option can be used to force widescreen TVs into the correct mode. All of the most common modes can be signalled:

Vertical/Horizontal Position on Letterbox/Pillarbox

Option "U" offers Vertical or Horizontal Positioning when using Letterboxing or Pillarboxing with less than maximum Zoom. This allows control over image position to allow the addition of captions or for combining images etc. The MANUAL button is used as an Enable. The AUDIO button works normally. This option can be combined with many other special options but cannot be combined with apparently compatible options M, N, O, E, P or R due to software limitations.

The Speed/Manual control is then used for Positioning, with the Fade being always set to maximum rate (1 second as standard or 0.5 seconds with "Q" Option):

Horizontal/Vertical Panning on Letterbox/Pillarbox

Option "X" offers Horizontal or Vertical Panning when using Letterboxing or Pillarboxing with additional Zoom. This allows control over zoom induced cropping for cases where the main focal point of the image is not in the centre. If not combined with Freeze Frame + Fixed 3200K Colour Temperature Option "E" or with Widescreen Signalling / Rights Protection Options "P" and "R" the MANUAL button is used as an Enable, otherwise the panning is permanently active.

The Speed/Manual control is then used for Panning, with the Fade being always set to maximum rate (1 second as standard or 0.5 seconds with "Q" Option):

Horizontal/Vertical Panning on Letterbox/Pillarbox plus Vertical Panning on Normal Zoom

Option "X_V" gives the same benefits as Option "X" but also offers Vertical Panning when using Normal Zoom. This allows control over zoom induced cropping of expanded images in Letterbox, Pillarbox or Normal Zoom modes for cases where the main focal point of the image is not in the centre. As with Option "X", if Option "X_V" is not combined with Options "E", "P" or "R" the MANUAL button is used as an Enable, otherwise the panning is permanently active.

The Speed/Manual control is then used for Panning, with the Fade being always set to maximum rate (1 second as standard or 0.5 seconds with "Q" Option):