{"id":705,"date":"2013-07-03T07:10:38","date_gmt":"2013-07-03T07:10:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bigheadamusements.com\/wordpress\/?p=705"},"modified":"2016-09-15T02:24:17","modified_gmt":"2016-09-15T02:24:17","slug":"blue-marble-ultrasound-extract","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bigheadamusements.com\/wordpress\/?p=705","title":{"rendered":"Blue Marble Ultrasound [extract]"},"content":{"rendered":"

During the 1970s, JVC introduced their own line of consumer colour video cameras (see how snazzy things look in this 1978\u00a0German ad<\/a>?) which contained not one but two tubes \u2013 one for the three main colours (red \/ green \/ blue), and a second for luminance (the brightness) \u2013 and for collectors the problem isn\u2019t finding these cameras, but whether the tubes are still able to capture bright, balanced colour images with proper focus.<\/p>\n

When they\u2019re in good shape, you get results as demonstrated at Toy\u2019s Vintage Video<\/a>, whose PAL variant of JVC\u2019s GC-3300AU captured far more stable (normal) images; when the tubes and \/ or internal circuits are kind of worn, you get something that resembles the first telecast of Venus from a Soviet Venera probe<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"JVC-3300AU_grass\"<\/a>
This is green grass with yellow dandelions in the centre-right, and not a Venusian Krappthubu creature with ‘fire eyes’ and an appetite for human meat.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Well, not really, but my camera’s has been through the wringer and maybe without new tubes, it\u2019ll never deliver more than faintly coloured Venusian images, or something akin to faded 16mm prints made from old 2-strip Technicolor prints of pre-Code movies where once in while you can go \u2018Oh yeah, that\u2019s a dinner plate with beets, rice, and meatloaf in washed-out colour.\u2019<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"IMG_1246_b\"<\/a>
JVC GC-3300AU dual vidicon colour video camera with electronic viewfinder (top), external viewfinder with meter (side), and Minolta TV Zoom lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"IMG_1240_b\"<\/a>
Electronic B&W viewfinder (minus original rubber eye cup) with “December 1977” mint mark.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

The 3300AU was a consumer-grade camera with a uniquely cumbersome set-up: the camera had a B&W viewfinder and a cable with 16 pins designed to accept power and send out video signals, but rather that stick the colour balance controls for Red and Blue on the camera \u2013 as was standard on most cameras \u2013 JVC stuck them on a breakout box.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"IMG_1255_b\"<\/a>
Breakout box \/ power supply.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Basically, the setup goes like this: everything captured by the camera \u2013 audio and video \u2013 is sent by cable into a large power supply unit which also contains dials for Red and Blue colour adjustments, a dial for the luminance, plus a knob for colour balance with presets for indoor & outdoor lighting, and a manual setting which relied on tweaking those aforementioned red \/ blue \/ luminance knobs.<\/p>\n

You could argue JVC\u2019s 2-tube system and a fatter cable with 16 pins predates S-VHS, which also sent chrominance & luminance via separate pins for a cleaner picture, but the setup for the 3300AU is not really portable because of the extra cables and connections \u2013 the camera goes into the breakout box and then gets sent into a video recorder instead of a direct connection into a video recorder that would power the camera and receive the video signal.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"IMG_1264_b\"<\/a>
16-pin connector from video camera.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"IMG_1263_b\"<\/a>
16-pin connector on breakout box \/ power supply.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"IMG_1257_b\"<\/a>
Breakout box \/ power supply with AC cable and separate composite video and mono audio outputs to video recorder.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

(It is possible JVC maybe have manufactured an industrial VCR that accepted the multi-pin connection for industrial use. Most cameras took the older Sony 10-pin plug, but even JVC made a variant for their JVC CV-0001, which required a 12-pin connection at the rear of the camera, and a 10-pin connection to a VCR or breakout box; lose this cable, and you\u2019ll need to know the pin-out scheme to create an adapter so the damn thing is usable.)<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll keep things brief at this stage because this blog isn\u2019t about technical details, but rather what the wonky, worn out 3300AU offered that other (healthy) cameras didn\u2019t. In a nutshell, if you switch the camera to manual colour balance, adjust the knobs, aim the camera at textures with the intent of acquiring aberrant images, you get Venusian or Martian images.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"IMG_1253_b\"<\/a>
Preset and manual override colour temperature settings & knob.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"IMG_1256_b\"<\/a>
Manual colour temperature knobs for Blue, Red, and Y Set Up (luminance).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

The colour knobs may saturate reds & blues with some slight green edges, but the luminance makes images deeply saturated \/ make bright spots flare-out, and because the camera\u2019s tubes are vidicons \u2013 prone to ghosting, after-images, and weird contrasts when the aperture\u2019s opened a little wider – you can create something surreal.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"IMG_1247_b\"<\/a>
Camera (outside) goes into breakout box \/ power supply, audio + video goes into Panasonic AG-2400 VHS recorder, and video out goes into colour LCD monitor. This setup is great because you can setup the camera to record its subject, and monitor the recorded video as you’re messing about with the colour & luminance knobs in a shaded environment with beer, sandwiches, and a naked model named Bambi van Loeussen-Wiggens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

That footage formed the basis of a small test project, and when parts were recorded to VHS (for extra smear) and MiniDV (for deeper colours) and imported into Adobe Premiere and specific colours were punched out, with certain filters applied, I created what resembles an ultrasound of a pulsing slab of blue marble (hence the pretentious title).<\/p>\n

Add a 2.0 sound mix with directional weirdness, and you get the following:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Vimeo<\/p>\n