System information

MX Control
Vicon MX Hardware System Reference 4-7
System Reference book, the term EBU is used interchangeably
with the following terms:
• PAL (Phase Alternating Line), which is the color standard used
in Europe, except France.
• SECAM (Sequential Couleur avec Mémoire), which is the color
standard used in France, the Middle East, and most of Eastern
Europe.
• CCIR (Consultative Committee for International Radio), which
is the black and white standard
• SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers):
Based on cameras operating at a multiple of 29.97 Hz. In this
Vicon MX Hardware System Reference book, the term SMPTE is
used interchangeably with the following terms:
• NTSC (National Television System Committee), which is the
color standard used in the United States.
• EIA (Electronic Industry Association), which is the black and
white standard.
For each of the EBU and SMPTE formats, MX Control supports the use
of both LTC and VITC forms of timecode:
• LTC signal characteristics are compatible with standard audio
channels so that they can be recorded onto audio tape tracks or
to an audio track on video tape.
• VITC is encoded directly into the video tracks, picked up by the
helical scan heads on a Video Cassette Recorder (VCR), and then
output on the video signal. This means that even if the VCR is in
a pause or slow mode, the VITC can still be read.
The MX Control can synchronize timecode with LTC devices plugged
in to the LTC In socket or for VITC devices plugged in to a Ref Loop
socket. The MX Control also can act as a master timecode generator
for LTC devices connected to the LTC Out plug or to VITC devices
plugged in to the Ref Out socket.
For each video frame, timecode is encoded into the video signal as a
unique 8-digit code number based on a 24-hour clock in hours,
minutes, and seconds along with a frame number.
Standard timecode format is:
hh:mm:ss:ff
MXhardware_Reference.book Page 7 Thursday, September 7, 2006 11:36 AM