NEW YORK - Devlin Video International (www.devlinvideo.com) has purchased a Snell & Wilcox (www.snellwilcox.com) Alchemist Platinum Ph.C motion compensated standards converter with integrated HD upconversion capabilities. The studio will use Alchemist Platinum Ph.C for HD upconversion and standards conversion of television programming, documentaries and full-length features. Devlin also plans to use the system in its DVD authoring service, particularly for work converting international movies from PAL masters to NTSC for US distribution.
Two steps are typically needed to convert 625-line SD PAL sources to a 1080/60 or 720/60 HD NTSC output. First, the video is converted from 625 lines to 525 lines, then it is upconverted to HD. One hundred lines of vertical resolution get lost in the process. With the HD-capable Alchemist Platinum Ph.C, both the standard and format conversions are done in a single step, preserving an extra 100 lines of vertical resolution. The results are clearer, sharper HD pictures for broadcast and for next-generation HD-DVDs and Blu-ray discs.