High definition video frame recorder

A high definition video signal recording system, including:

• a memory unit including memory circuitry capable of storing data representing one or more fields of a parallel format high definition video signal, wherein said parallel format high definition video signal meets SMPTE 240M requirements for field rate, aspect ratio, blanking interval duration, and a number of horizontal lines per field;
• an interface unit connected of the memory unit and including a parallel interface means for communicating with an external processing system;
• and
• a control unit connected to the memory unit and connected to the interface unit by a serial communications link, for controlling the transfer of parallel data representing fields of a first high definition video signal between the memory unit and the interface unit, wherein said first high definition video signal meets SMPTE 240M requirements for field rate, aspect ratio, blanking interval duration, and number of horizontal liens per field, and wherein the control unit includes a central processing unit programmed to respond to conventional video tape recorder control signals.

A high definition video signal recording system, including:

• a memory unit for storing data representing one or more fields of a parallel format high definition video signal;
• an interface unit connected to the memory unit and including a parallel interface means for communicating with an external processing system;
• a control unit connected to the memory unit and connected to the interface unit by a serial communications link, for controlling the transfer of parallel data representing fields of a first high definition video signal between the memory unit and the interface unit;
• and
• an input processor connected to the control unit and the memory unit, for supplying parallel data representing a second high definition video signal to the memory unit, wherein the input processor includes means or receiving a color high definition video signal having red, green, and blue component signals, and means for filtering each of the component signals of that the each of the filtered component signals has a substantially flat bandwidth from 0 to 30 MHz, means for digitizing each of the filtered component signals with a first data rate, and means for converting each of the digitized component signals into a parallel format component signal having a second data rate lower than the first data rate, and wherein the parallel format component signals together comprise the second high definition video signal.