MiniDV and Megapixels

[tdowning]

OK, Here is a question that has been rattling around in my head for a while, either answer me here, or refer me to a Digital Video enthusiast forum somewhere, if you know of a good one...

1st generation MiniDV Cameras have CCD's capable of recording something on the order of 600,000-700,000 pixels, or approx. 0.6 MP

newer ones have 1.3 MP ccds.

Was MiniDV tape designed to scale upward with resolution, (my 600k camera dithers the remaining pixels, or leaves them unused)

Do the 1.3 MP cameras compress the video stream with Mpeg-2 or something?

or are the additional pixels used to produce better digital image stabilization... More extra pixels around the ones being used for the recording...

(As I understand it digital image stabilization uses an oversized CCD with extra pixels. When there is no motion only the pixels in the center of the CCD are redorded, but the recording area can be moved as the camera moves minimizing hand shake, and smothing pans.)

 

[NerdOfTheNorth]

I believe (correct me if I'm wrong) that the camera still records at regular NTSC resolution (480x320, I think) . The extra pixels are for still images. At least, that's how mine works.

 

[jsp0000]

NTSC DV records 525 scanlines at 720 pixels per scanlines. This works out to something like 378K pixels per frame (field pair).


Reference

 

[NerdOfTheNorth]

Yes, that sounds right. Thanks for the correction.

 

[Peter]

That'll be 720x480 _visible_, 525 lines total, 60 half-frames per second. PAL is 720x576 with 625 lines total, at 50 Hz.