Apparatus and method for producing downwards compatible video signals with increased vertical resolution, and apparatus for reproducing and displaying same

#The present invention relates to an image converting apparatus, an image duplicating apparatus, an image reproducing apparatus and an image display for converting images recorded on a motion picture film into image signals of a television broadcasting system, recording the image signals of a television broadcasting system on a recording medium, such as a tape or a disk, reproducing the images recorded on the recording medium and displaying the reproduced images.

#FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a telecine system for transferring a motion picture film to a consumer recording medium, such as a video cassette or a video disk. The high-definition (HD) telecine apparatus 61 is provided internally with a high-definition image sensor, not shown, on which an image of each frame of the motion picture film is formed, and which is generates an interlaced high-definition video signal in which each frame has 1125 horizontal scanning lines, and has an aspect ratio of 16:9. For brevity, horizontal scanning lines will from now on be called "lines."

#The interlaced high-definition video signal has an interlace ratio of 2:1, i.e., each frame of the video signal consists of two overlapping fields, offset from one another by one line. In the following description, a reference to an interlaced video signal will be understood to refer to an interlaced video signal with an interlace ratio of 2:1.

#FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a known system for transferring a motion picture film to consumer video tapes and video disks.

#FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the down-converter 62 in the transfer system shown in FIG. 1.

#FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a known reproducing and displaying system.

#FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a telecine system employing an image processing apparatus embodying the present invention. In FIG. 4, components like or corresponding to those described above with reference to FIG. 1 are indicated by the same reference characters. The high-definition (HD) telecine apparatus 2 is provided internally with a high-definition image sensor, not shown, on which an image of each frame of the motion picture film is formed, and which generates a high-definition video signal representing each frame of the motion picture film. The HD telecine apparatus 2 scans the image of each frame of the motion picture film 1 to generate from each frame of the motion picture film a frame of an interlaced high-definition video signal with 1125 lines and an aspect ratio of 16:9.

#The interlaced high-definition video signal has an interlace ratio of 2:1, i.e., each frame of the video signal is represented by two overlapping fields offset from one another by one line. As mentioned above, where ever reference is made to an interlaced video signal, it will be understood that the interlaced video signal has an interlace ratio of 2:1.

#The HD telecine apparatus 2 derives each frame of an interlaced high-definition video signal from one frame of the motion picture film 1 using 2--2 pulldown, in which two fields (one frame) of the interlaced high-definition video signal are derived from each frame of the motion picture film 1.