3-862-391-15 (2)

Digital Video Cassette Recorder

Operating Instructions

Before operating the unit, please read this manual thoroughly, and retain it for future reference.

Manual de instrucciones

Antes de utilizar la unidad, lea este manual por completo y consrvelo para consultar.

Owners Record

The model and serial numbers are located on the bottom. Record the serial number in the space provided below. Refer to these numbers whenever you call upon your Sony dealer regarding this product. Model No. GV-D300 Model No. AC-V700 Serial No. Serial No.

GV-D300

1998 by Sony Corporation

English

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
- Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna. - Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver. - Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected. - Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

WARNING

To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not expose the unit to rain or moisture.
This symbol is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated dangerous voltage within the products enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons. This symbol is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance.
For the customers in CANADA

CAUTION

TO PREVENT ELECTRIC SHOCK, MATCH WIDE BLADE OF PLUG TO WIDE SLOT, FULLY INSERT.

Espaol

ADVERTENCIA
Para evitar riesgos de incendio o descargas, no exponga la unidad a la lluvia ni a la humedad. Para evitar descargas elctricas, no abra la unidad y solicite asistencia tcnica slo a personal cualificado.
For the customers in the United States and Canada DISPOSAL OF LITHIUM ION BATTERY.
LITHIUM ION BATTERY. DISPOSE OF PROPERLY.
You can return your unwanted lithium ion batteries to your nearest Sony Service Center or Factory Service Center. Note: In some areas the disposal of lithium ion batteries in household or business trash may be prohibited. For the Sony Service Center nearest you call 1-800222-SONY (United States only) For the SONY Factory Service Center nearest you call 416-499-SONY (Canada only) Caution: Do not handle damaged or leaking lithium ion batteries.
Para clientes en EE. UU. y Canad FORMA DE DESHACERSE DE LAS PILAS DE IONES DE LITIO
PILA DE IONES DE LITIO FORMA APROPIADA DE DESHACERSE DE LAS PILAS
Usted podr devolver las pilas de iones de litio a un centro de reparaciones Sony o a una fbrica Sony. Nota: En ciertas zonas puede estar prohibido tirar las pilas de iones de litio a la basura. Para informacin sobre el centro de reparaciones Sony ms cercano, llame a 1-800-222-SONY (EE.UU. solamente) Para informacin sobre la fbrica Sony ms cercana, llame a 416-499-SONY (Canad solamente) Precaucin: No utilice pilas de iones de litio daadas o con fugas de electrlito.
For the customers in the U.S.A.
You are cautioned that any changes or modifications not expressly approved in this manual could void your authority to operate this equipment.

Table of contents

Before you begin
Using this manual 4 Checking supplied accessories 6

Pasos previos

TITLEERASE Erase the title you have superimposed. TITLE DSPL <ON/OFF> Select ON to display the title you have superimposed. Select OFF not to display the title. TAPE TITLE Select this item to label the cassette tape. BEEP* <ON/OFF> Select ON so that beeps sound when you turn the power on, etc. Select OFF when you do not want to hear the beep sound. AUDIO MIX* Select this item and adjust the balance between the stereo 1 and stereo 2 by turning the control dial. CM SEARCH <ON/OFF> Select ON to search using cassette memory. Select OFF to search without using cassette memory. DATA CODE <DATE/CAM or DATE> Select DATE/CAM to display date and recording data during playback. Select DATE to display date during playback. AUTO TV ON* <OFF/ON> You can use this feature only with Sony TVs. Select ON to turn on the TV automatically when using the LASER LINK function. Select OFF not to turn on the TV.
TITLEERASE Borra el ttulo superpuesto. TITLE DSPL <ON/OFF> Seleccione ON para mostrar el ttulo que haya superpuesto. Seleccione OFF si no desea mostrar el ttulo. TAPE TITLE Seleccione este elemento para etiquetar cintas de cassette. BEEP* <ON/OFF> Seleccione ON para que la unidad emita pitidos al activar la alimentacin, etc. Seleccione OFF si no desea or los pitidos. AUDIO MIX* Seleccione este elemento y ajuste el balance entre el estreo 1 y el estreo 2 girando el dial de control. CM SEARCH <ON/OFF> Seleccione ON para realizar bsquedas utilizando la memoria en cassette. Seleccione OFF para realizar bsquedas sin utilizar la memoria en cassette. DATA CODE <DATE/CAM o DATE> Seleccione DATE/CAM para mostrar la fecha y los datos de grabacin durante la reproduccin. Seleccione DATE para mostrar la fecha durante la reproduccin. AUTO TV ON* <OFF/ON> Slo es posible utilizar esta funcin con televisores Sony. Seleccione ON para encender el TV automticamente al utilizar la funcin LASER LINK. Seleccione OFF si no desea que el TV se encienda.
TV INPUT* <VIDEO1/VIDEO2/VIDEO3/OFF> Select 1 or 2 or 3 of the video input on the TV which the IR receiver (not supplied) is connected to when using the LASER LINK function. CLOCK SET Select this item to reset the date or time. * These settings are retained even when the battery is removed, as long as the vanadiumlithium battery is charged. As far as the items without an asterisk are concerned, their settings return to the default 5 minutes or more after the battery is removed. Notes When playing back a tape recorded in the 16-bit mode, you cannot adjust the balance in AUDIO MIX. If you select 16BIT in AUDIO MODE menu, you cannot add an audio sound.

TITLE MODE HELLO HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAPPY HOLIDAYS TITLE MODE
TITLE MODE HELLO HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAPPY HOLIDAYS CONGRATURATIONS! OUR SWEET BABY WEDDING VACATION [TITLE]:END TITLE MODE
HELLO HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAPPY HOLIDAYS TITLE MODE HELLO HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAPPY HOLIDAYS
HELLO HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAPPY HOLIDAYS
SIZE SM HAPPY BIRTHDAY TITLE SIZE LG

SAVE HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Preset titles can be scrolled in the following order: HELLO HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAPPY HOLIDAYS CONGRATULATIONS! OUR SWEET BABY WEDDING VACATION THE END CUSTOM TITLE. When you have stored an original title The title appears above CUSTOM TITLE. Title colors (COL) WHT(White) YEL(Yellow) CYAN(Cyan) GRN(Green) VIO(Violet)RED(Red) BLUE(Blue). Title size (SIZE) LG(Large)SM(Small). Title position (POS) If you select the title size LG, you can choose 8 positions. When you select the title size SM, you can choose 9 positions at all. To display no title Select OFF in the TITLE DSPL menu. Notes on titles You cannot superimpose a title to a blank portion of the tape. The titles you superimposed are displayed by only using the DV format video equipment with index titler function. When you are searching the tape using the other video equipment, the portion of the tape you superimpose the title may be detected as an index signal. Notes on the cassettes If you use a cassette tape set to prevent accidental erasure, you cannot superimpose the title. Slide the protect tab so that the red portion is not visible. You can superimpose about 11 to 20 titles in one cassette, if one title consists of about 5 characters. If the tape has too many index signals and photo data, you may not be able to superimpose a title because the memory is full.
Es posible mostrar los ttulos predefinidos en el siguiente orden: HELLO HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAPPY HOLIDAYS CONGRATULATIONS! OUR SWEET BABY WEDDING VACATION THE END CUSTOM TITLE. Si ha almacenado un ttulo original El ttulo aparece sobre CUSTOM TITLE. Colores de los ttulos (COL) WHT(Blanco) YEL(Amarillo) CYAN(Cian) GRN(Verde) VIO(Violeta) RED(Rojo) BLUE(Azul). Tamao de los ttulos (SIZE) LG(Grande) SM(Pequeo). Posicin de los ttulos (POS) Si selecciona el tamao LG, podr elegir 8 posiciones. Si selecciona el tamao SM, podr elegir 9 posiciones. Para no mostrar ningn ttulo Seleccione OFF en el men TITLE DSPL. Notas sobre los ttulos No es posible superponer ttulos en un espacio en blanco de la cinta. Los ttulos superpuestos aparecern slo si utiliza equipos de video de formato DV con funcin de titulador de ndices. Al realizar bsquedas en la cinta mediante el otro equipo de video, es posible que la parte de la cinta donde superponga el ttulo se identifique como una seal de ndice. Notas sobre los videocassettes Si emplea una cinta de cassette ajustada para evitar borrados accidentales, no ser posible superponer ttulos. Deslice la lengeta de proteccin de forma que la parte roja no sea visible. Es posible superponer aproximadamente de 11 a 20 ttulos en un videocassette (si cada ttulo se compone de unos 5 caracteres). Si la cinta contiene demasiadas seales de ndice y datos de fotografas, es posible que no pueda superponer ttulos debido a que la memoria est llena.

Note on gold-plated connector If the gold-plated connector of mini DV cassettes is dirty or dusty, you may not operate the function using cassette memory. Clean up the gold-plated connector with cotton-wool swab, about every 10 times ejection of a cassettes. [c]
Nota sobre el conector chapado en oro Si el conector chapado en oro de los minicassettes DV est sucio o tiene polvo, es posible que no pueda utilizar las funciones de memoria en cassette. Limpie el conector con un bastoncillo de algodn cada 10 veces que expulse videocassettes [c].
Charging the vanadiumlithium battery in the VCR
Your VCR is supplied with a vanadium-lithium battery installed so as to retain the menu settings, regardless of the setting of the POWER switch. The vanadium-lithium battery is always charged as long as you are using the VCR. The battery, however, will get discharged gradually if you do not use the VCR. It will be completely discharged in about 6 monthes if you do not use the VCR at all. Even if the vanadium-lithium battery is not charged, it will not affect the VCR operation. To retain the menu settings, charge the battery if the battery is discharged. The following are charging methods: Connect the VCR to a wall outlet using the supplied AC adaptor/charger, and leave the VCR with the POWER switch turned off for more than 24 hours. Install the fully charged battery pack on the VCR, and leave the VCR with the POWER switch turned off for more than 24 hours.
Carga de la pila de vanadio-litio de la videograbadora
La videograbadora se suministra con una pila de vanadio-litio instalada con el fin de conservar los ajustes de men, independientemente del ajuste del interruptor POWER. Dicha pila siempre est cargada en tanto utilice la videograbadora. No obstante, se descargar gradualmente si no utiliza la videograbadora. Se descargar por completo en 6 meses aproximadamente si no emplea la videograbadora en absoluto. Aunque la pila de vanadio-litio no est cargada, no afectar al funcionamiento de la videograbadora. Para conservar los ajustes de men, cargue la pila si est descargada. A continuacin, se describen mtodos de carga: Conecte la videograbadora a la toma de corriente con el cargador/adaptador de CA suministrado, y deje dicha videograbadora con el interruptor POWER apagado durante ms de 24 horas. Instale el paquete de batera completamente cargado en la videograbadora, y deje sta con el interruptor POWER apagado durante ms de 24 horas.

Resetting the date and time
The date and time are set at the factory. Set the time according to the local time in your country. If you do not use the VCR for about a 6 monthes, the date and time settings may be released (bars may appear) because the vanadium-lithium battery installed in the VCR will have been discharged. In this case, first charge the vanadium-lithium battery, then reset the date and time. (1)Set the POWER switch to ON. (2)Press MENU to display the menu. (3)Turn the control dial to select CLOCK SET, then press the control dial. (4)Turn the control dial to adjust the year, and then press the control dial. (5)Set the month, day, hour and minutes by turning and pressing the control dial. (6)Press MENU to erase the menu.
Reajuste de la fecha y hora
La fecha y hora estn ajustados de fbrica. Ajuste la hora a la local de su pas. Si no utiliza la videograbadora durante 6 meses aproximadamente, los ajustes de fecha y hora pueden cancelarse (pueden aparecer barras), ya que la pila de vanadio-litio instalada en la videograbadora se habr descargado. En este caso, cargue primero dicha pila y, a continuacin, vuelva a ajustar la fecha y la hora. (1)Ajuste el interruptor POWER en ON. (2)Presione MENU para que aparezca el men. (3)Gire el dial de control para seleccionar CLOCK SET y, a continuacin, presione dicho dial. (4)Gire el dial de control para ajustar el ao y, a continuacin, presione dicho dial. (5)Ajuste el mes, el da, la hora y los minutos girando y presionando el dial de control. (6)Presione MENU para que desaparezca el men.
MENU BEEP AUDIO MIX CM SEARCH DATA CODE AUTO TV ON TV INPUT CLOCK SET [MENU]:END MENU 1998 JAN 1

JAN 12:AM

CLOCK SET [MENU]:END

1998 JAN JAN 1

1998 JUL JUL JUL JUL 4
To correct the date and time setting
Repeat steps 2 to 6. The year indicators changes as follows:
Para corregir el ajuste de fecha y hora
Repita los pasos 2 a 6. El indicador de ao cambia de la siguiente forma:

1998 1999.. 2000.. 2029

.. 2000..
Note on the time indicator The internal clock of this VCR operates on a 12hour cycle. 12:00 AM stands for midnight. 12:00 PM stands for noon.
Nota sobre el indicador de hora El reloj interno de esta videograbadora utiliza el ciclo de 12 horas. 12:00 AM corresponde a la medianoche. 12:00 PM corresponde al medioda.
Notes on InfoLITHIUM battery pack

InfoLITHIUM battery pack

The InfoLITHIUM battery pack is a lithium battery pack which can exchange data with compatible video equipment about its battery consumption. Sony recommends that you use the InfoLITHIUM battery pack with video equipment having the mark. When you use this battery pack with video equipment having the mark, the video equipment will indicate the remaining battery time in minutes.* However, if you use it with video equipment not having this mark, the remaining battery capacity will not be indicated in minutes. * The indication may not be accurate depending on the condition and environment which the equipment is used under.

Trouble check

If you run into any problem using the VCR, use the following table to troubleshoot the problem. Should the difficulty persist, disconnect the power source and contact your Sony dealer or local authorized Sony service facility.

Symptom

The power is not on.
Cause and/or corrective actions
The AC adaptor/charger is not connected to a wall outlet. m Connect the AC adaptor/charger to a wall outlet. (p. 8) The battery pack is not installed. m Install the battery pack. (p. 17) The battery is dead. m Use a charged battery pack. (p. 17) The ambient temperature is too low. (p. 64) The battery pack has not been charged fully. m Charge the battery pack again. (p. 17) The battery pack is completely dead, and cannot be recharged. m Use another battery pack. (p. 16)
The battery pack is quickly discharged.

Operation

The tape does not move when a tape transport button is pressed.
The POWER switch is set to OFF. m Set it to ON. (p. 10) The tape has run out. m Rewind the tape or use a new one. (p. 10) The tape is stuck to the drum. m Eject the cassette. (p. 9) The tape has run out. m Rewind the tape or use a new one. (p. 10) The tab on the cassette is out (red). m Use a new tape or slide the tab. (p. 9) The AC adaptor/charger is not connected to a wall outlet. m Connect the AC adaptor/charger to a wall outlet. (p. 8) The battery is dead. m Use a charged battery pack or the AC adaptor/charger. (p. 8, 17)

The tape does not start.

The cassette cannot be removed from the holder.
{ and 6 indicators flash and no function Moisture condensation has occurred. m Remove the cassette and leave the VCR for at least 1 hour. except for cassette ejection works. (p. 65) CLOCK SET appears when the VCR is turned on. Reset the date and time. (p. 61)
No sound or only a low sound is heard when playing back a tape.
The stereo tape is played back with HiFi SOUND set to 2 in the menu system. m Set it to STEREO. (p. 13) The volume is turned to the minimum. m Press VOLUME +. (p. 10) AUDIO MIX is set to ST2 side in the menu system. m Adjust AUDIO MIX in the menu system (p. 20). AUDIO MIX is set to ST1 side in the menu system. m Adjust AUDIO MIX in the menu system (p. 20). TITLE DSPL is set to OFF in the menu system. m Set it to ON in the menu system. (p. 20) The tape has no cassette memory. m Use a tape with cassette memory. (p. 38) The cassette memory is full. m Erase another title. (p. 41) The tape is set to prevent accidental erasure. m Slide the protect tab so that red portion is not visible. (p. 9) Nothing is recorded in that position on the tape. m Superimpose the title to the recorded position. (p. 40) The tape has no cassette memory. m Use a tape with cassette memory. (p. 44) The cassette memory is full. m Erase some titles. (p. 41) The tape is set to prevent accidental erasure. m Slide the protect tab so that red portion is not visible. (p. 9) The tape has no cassette memory. m Use a tape with cassette memory. (p. 24) CM SEARCH is set to OFF in the menu system. m Set it to ON. (p. 24) The tape has no cassette memory. m Use a tape with cassette memory. (p. 26) CM SEARCH is set to OFF in the menu system. m Set it to ON. (p. 26) There is no title in the tape. m Superimpose the titles. (p. 38) The gold-plated connector of the tape is dirty or dusty. m Clean the gold-plated connector. (p. 59)

The new sound added to the recorded tape is not heard. The title is not displayed. The title is not recorded.
The cassette label is not recorded.
Displaying the recorded date, date search function does not work.
The title search function does not work.
indicator does not appear when using a tape with cassette memory.
Continued to the next page

Picture

The picture is noisy or does not appear.
The video heads may be dirty. m Clean the heads using the Sony DVM12CL (not supplied) cleaning cassette. (p. 66) The video heads may be dirty. m Clean the heads using the Sony DVM12CL (not supplied) cleaning cassette. (p. 66)
v indicator flashes on the TV screen.

Others

While editing using the DV connecting cable, recording picture cannot be monitored. The VCR becomes warm. No function works though the power is on.
Remove the DV connecting cable, and connect it again. If the power of the VCR is on for a long time, it becomes warm, which is not malfunction. Disconnect the connecting plug on the AC adaptor/ charger or the battery pack, then reconnect it in about one minute. Turn the power on. If the functions still do not work, press the RESET button at the bottom of the VCR using a sharp-pointed object. (If you press the RESET button, all the settings including the date and time return to the factory setting.) (p. 82) Self-diagnosis function was activated. m See the table in page 74 and treat the VCR apropriately.
The numbers or letters of 5 characters is displayed as a counter.

AC adaptor/charger

The VCR/CAMERA or CHARGE lamp does not light. The CHARGE lamp flashes.

Corrective actions

Disconnect the power cord. After about one minute, reconnect the power cord. (p. 8) See the chart on the next page.
When the CHARGE lamp flashes
Check through the following chart.
Remove the battery pack from the AC adaptor/charger. Then install the same battery pack again.
When the CHARGE lamp flashes again Install another battery pack.
When the CHARGE lamp does not flash again If the CHARGE lamp lights up and goes out after a while, there is no problem. *
When the CHARGE lamp flashes again The problem is with the AC adaptor/ charger.
When the CHARGE lamp does not flash again If the CHARGE lamp lights up and goes out after a while, the problem is with the battery pack installed first.
Please contact your nearest Sony dealer in connection with the product with the problem.

* If you use a battery pack which you have just bought or which has been left unused for a long time, the CHARGE lamp may flash at the first charging. This does not indicate a problem. Repeat again to charge with same battery pack.

Self-diagnosis display

The VCR has a self-diagnosis display. This function displays the VCRs condition with five digits (a combination of a letter and figures) on the TV screen. If this occurs, check the following code chart. The five-digit display informs you of the VCRs current condition. The last two digits (indicated by ) will differ depending on the state of the VCR.

TV screen

C:21:00 40min

53min

Self-diagnosis display C:: You can service the VCR yourself. E:: Contact your Sony dealer or local authorized Sony facility.

Five-digit display

C:21: C:22:
Moisture condensation has occurred. m Remove the cassette and leave the VCR for at least 1 hour. (p. 65) The video heads are dirty. m Clean the heads using the Sony DVM12CL cleaning cassette (not supplied). (p. 66) You are using a battery pack that is not an InfoLITHIUM battery pack. m Use an InfoLITHIUM battery pack. (p. 63) A servicable situation not malfunctioned above has occurred. m Remove the cassette and insert it again, then operate the VCR. (p. 9) m Disconnect the power cord of the AC adaptor/charger or remove the battery pack. After reconnecting the power source, operate the VCR. A VCR malfunction which you cannot service has occurred. m Contact your Sony dealer or local authorized Sony service facility and inform them of the five digits. (example: E:61:10)

C:31: C:32:

E:61: E:62:
If you are unable to resolve the problem, contact your Sony dealer or local authorized Sony service facility.

Solucin de problemas

Si le surge algn problema mientras utiliza la videograbadora, emplee la siguiente tabla para solucionarlo. Si el problema no se soluciona, desconecte la fuente de alimentacin y pngase en contacto con un proveedor Sony o un centro de servicio tcnico local autorizado Sony.

Videograbadora

Alimentacin

Problema

La alimentacin no se activa.
Causa y/o acciones correctivas
El cargador/adaptador de CA no est conectado a la toma de corriente. m Conctelo a la toma de corriente. (p. 8) El paquete de batera no est instalado. m Instlelo. (p. 17) El paquete est agotado. m Emplee un paquete cargado. (p. 17) La temperatura ambiente es demasiado baja. (p. 64) No ha cargado el paquete de batera por completo. m Vuelva a cargarlo. (p. 17) El paquete de batera est completamente agotado, y no es posible recargarlo. m Emplee otro paquete. (p. 16)
El paquete de batera se descarga rpidamente.

Funcionamiento

La cinta no se mueve al presionar un botn de transporte de cinta.

Specifications

System
Video recording system Two rotary heads, Helical scanning system Audio recording system Rotary heads, PCM system Quantization: 12 bits (Fs 32 kHz, stereo 1, stereo 2), 16 bits (Fs 48 kHz, stereo) Video signal NTSC color, EIA standards Usable cassette Mini DV cassette with logo printed Tape speed SP: Approx. 18.83 mm/s LP: Approx. 12.57 mm/s Recording/playback time SP mode: 1 hour (DVM60) LP mode: 1.5 hours (DVM60) Fastforward/rewind time Approx. 2 min. 30 s (DVM60)

General

Power requirements 7.2 V (battery pack) 8.4 V (AC adaptor/charger) Average power consumption Playback: 5.5 W Recording: 6.2 W Operating temperature 32F to 104F (0C to 40C) Storage temperature 4F to +140F (20C to +60C ) Dimensions Approx. 5 7/7/3/8 in. (w/h/d) (135 mm) Mass Approx. 1 lb 5 oz (610 g) excluding the battery pack, lithium battery, cassette, and shoulder strap Supplied accessories See page 6.
Power requirements 100 to 240 V AC, 50/60 Hz Power consumption 25 W Output voltage DC OUT: 8.4 V, 2.0 A in operating mode Battery charge terminal: 8.4 V, 1.4 A in charge mode Application Sony battery pack NP-F730, NP-730H, NP-F750, NP-F930, NP-F950 lithium ion type Operating temperature 32F to 104F (0C to 40C) Storage temperature 4F to +140F (20C to +60C) Dimensions Approx. 3/3/4 in. (95 mm) (w/h/d) Mass Approx. 9 oz (255 g) Design and specifications are subject to change without notice.
Input and output connectors
S video input/output 4-pin mini DIN Luminance signal: 1 Vp-p, 75 ohms, unbalanced, sync negative Chrominance signal: 0.286 Vp-p, 75 ohms, unbalanced Video input/output Phono jack, 1 Vp-p, 75 ohm, unbalanced, sync negative Audio input/output 327 mV, (at output impedance less than 1 kohm) DV input/output 4-pin special connector Headphones jack Stereo mini jack ( 3.5 mm) lLANC jack Stereo miniminijack ( 2.5 mm)

LASER LINK

Video/audio IR space transmisssion system according to EIAJ (Electric Industries Association of Japan) standards Audio carrier wave Lch : 4.3 MHz Rch : 4.8 MHz

Especificaciones

Sistema
Grabacin de video Dos cabezales giratorios, sistema de exploracin helicoidal Grabacin de audio Cabezales giratorios, sistema PCM Cuantizacin: 12 bits (Fs 32kHz, estreo 1, estreo 2), 16 bits (Fs 48kHz, estreo) Seal de video Color NTSC, normas EIA Videocassettes utilizables Minicassettes DV con el logotipo impreso Velocidad de cinta SP: Aprox. 18,83 mm/s LP: Aprox. 12,57 mm/s Tiempo de grabacin/ reproduccin Modo SP: 1 hora (DVM60) Modo LP: 1,5 horas (DVM60) Tiempo de avance rpido/ rebobinado Aprox. 2 min. 30 s (DVM60)

GROUND-BASED REMOTE SENSING WITH LONG LENS VIDEO CAMERA FOR UPPER-STEM DIAMETER AND OTHER TREE CROWN MEASUREMENTS
Neil Clark Research Forester, SRS 4702 Forest Products Conservation 1650 Ramble Road, Blacksburg, Virginia 24060 (540)231-4674 (ph) (540)231-1383 (fax) nclark@fs.fed.us Sang-Mook Lee Researcher, Bradley Department of Electrical Engineering Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061 lsmook@vt.edu

ABSTRACT

This paper demonstrates how a digital video camera with a long lens can be used with pulse laser ranging in order to collect very large-scale tree crown measurements. The long focal length of the camera lens provides the magnification required for precise viewing of distant points with the trade-off of spatial coverage. Multiple video frames are mosaicked into a single super-resolution image to increase the spatial coverage. Upper-stem diameters are the examples given here, but the technique may be generalized to other dimensions of interest.

INTRODUCTION

One of the long-term limitations for tree stem measurement has been the inability to non-destructively collect dimensional measurements of anything above diameter at breast height (DBH). Most sampling applications utilize DBH and maybe an optically determined height measurement as input variables to a model to determine the dependent variable of interest. These models were typically created using destructive sampling. The ability to obtain a model created from a sufficient number of observations of an appropriately selected population may be difficult. Sometimes the need arises for non-destructive sampling of a more specific population. Optical dendrometers have been created for this purpose for data needs where existing models based on DBH are not available (Grosenbaugh 1963). The problem presented in this paper is generally stated as the need to measure a large number of inaccessible objects (e.g., upper stem diameters or individual tree crown measurements). A digital solution composed of a long lens video camera and pulse laser ranging used manually from the ground is proposed.

TMS INSTRUMENT

A prototype instrument for the Tree Measurement System (TMS) was created by Laser Atlanta, Inc.*, which is their Advantage CIL laser rangefinder modified with a digital video camera and custom lens system (Clark 2000, Clark et al. 2001). The laser rangefinder outputs 10 records per second (subsampled from 238 readings per second) for range and triple-axis orientation (RO). The video camera is a Panasonic GP-CX161 charge coupled device (CCD) chip that outputs an NTSC standard video signal. Currently, this signal is recorded to a Sony GV-D300 portable video cassette recorder for storage. At the time of most of these studies the signal was digitized using a frame-grabber. Recently this has been improved to use the DV format. In both cases the final captured frames were 480(v) x 720(h) pixels. The field of view (FOV) of the lens system is 5.5 degrees high by 8.24 degrees wide. In
The use of trade, firm, or corporation names in this publication is for the information and convenience of the reader. Such use does not constitute an official endorsement or approval by the U.S. Department of Agriculture of any product or service to the exclusion of others that may be suitable. Remote Sensing for Field Users Proceedings of the Tenth Forest Service Remote Sensing Applications Conference Salt Lake City, Utah April 5-9 2004
terms of 35mm film camera equivalency this would be a 250mm lens. This results in an image resolution of 0.2 mm per meter of object space distance.
Figure 1. TMS instrument on monopod with portable VCR.

PROCESSING

Unfortunately the attainment of a measurement using this technique is more complex than many destructive methods or heuristically-based optical devices. Since digital devices are inherently quantitative, a certain amount of processing is required to obtain the information in a format meaningful to the user. Some of this need for processing is due to the design of hardware elements that are currently available. Also, additional processing is required for better results. Synchronization, mosaicking, super-resolution, segmentation, and model corrections are some of the processing steps that must occur to extract the variables that are meaningful to the user. As in other types of remote sensing applications the FOV is too small to capture the entity being measured in one frame. In aerial applications, typically the FOV is limited by flying height and spatial resolution specifications to enable the examination of individual tree crowns, but the spatial extent may be a stand or entire region. Using the TMS instrument the distance from the stem is limited by visibility considerations, sufficient spatial resolution is at the Nyquist frequency of the measurement precision required, and the spatial extent is typically an entire tree stem. In both the aerial and TMS cases, many image frames must be mosaicked. Aerial photo analysis uses analytical methods or sophisticated equipment (i.e. stereoplotter) to temporarily orient the image data so that the measurement information can be extracted. More modern seamless methods allow the image data to be processed on the fly, so that terrain products (e.g., digital elevation models) and corrected image products (e.g., digital orthogonal photography) are created very rapidly. The TMS also uses a similar streamlined process to output information. The TMS has a PC-based computer program that automates much of these processing tasks. Due to the use of two commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware pieces, the image and the RO data are output to two separate streams. These two data streams need to be synchronized in order to be useful. This task is not too difficult as both data streams share a common starting point and are recorded in regular time intervals. The RO data files are named sequentially and the video data should have been recorded to tape in the same sequential order. When the user runs the TMS program back at the office the RO data is used to guide the frame-grabbing function and the data is synchronized. Remote Sensing for Field Users Proceedings of the Tenth Forest Service Remote Sensing Applications Conference Salt Lake City, Utah April 5-9 2004

This synchronization step aids the next processing phase -- the mosaicking procedure. The mosaicking algorithm uses this range and orientation information as parameters to limit the search space, improve efficiency, and provide a discriminating factor in cases of ambiguous matches. The current mosaicking method uses Gaussian image pyramids in a coarse-to-fine scheme to refine the mosaic. Kee et al. (2002) found the normalized sum of absolute deviations to be sufficiently accurate and the most efficient for determining match strength. Mosaicking allows measurements to be obtained for scale spaces larger than a single image frame (e.g., tree height or crown measurements). Figure 2 shows a typical mosaic of the main bole of a stem. The stair-step edge indicates the small segments which were obtained from individual video frames. The compromise of digital video compared to digital still image is the substitution of temporal resolution for spatial resolution (Table 1). Though some larger video chips are becoming available, they have understandably been limited by display standards. Now that digital display is becoming more mainstream, the spatial resolution of video chips is following. Super-resolution has been proposed as a way to increase spatial resolution by registration of multiple video frames containing small amounts of motion between frames (Huang and Tsai 1984, Baker and Kanade 2002). At this point only two captured frames are being used for super-resolution (Kee 2003); however future work will examine potential benefits of using more video data. Table 1. Comparison of video versus still imaging Video Storage cost Spatial resolution Temporal resolution Iris Lens $3US / 112Gb 480 x 720 per frame Interleaved 30 frames / second Auto gain control cheaper per unit area Limited commercial availability of fixed lenses $200US / 1 Gb 3000 x 4000 instantaneous 3 frame burst mechanical / many options Greater range Commercially available Still
Finally, image segmentation and edge-detection is essential for the automated extraction of stem diameters. Image segmentation is challenging in the cluttered, sub-canopy environment where multiple layers of overlapping objects frequently occur. These objects may at times be represented by very similar spectral properties. As this is the case, the instrument motion field, range discrimination, and stem form constraints are all used in order to aid in locating the edges of interest. The red crosshairs in figure 3 indicate the motion vector of the RO points of the TMS instrument as the stem is scanned. The edge finding algorithm detects strong edges emanating from these points as depicted by the yellow outlines. Overlapping structures cause edges to be found at incorrect locations. Stem form constraints are then used to refine the final edge detection. More work is still being done to improve this procedure, but this general description is presented here for demonstration purposes.

Remote Sensing for Field Users Proceedings of the Tenth Forest Service Remote Sensing Applications Conference Salt Lake City, Utah April 5-9 2004
Figure 2. On the left is the rough mosaic generated from the raw RO data from the TMS instrument. The right portion of the image shows the results after the mosaicking procedure.
Figure 3. Depiction of the image segmentation procedure on a stem component with overlapping structures. The red crosshairs represent the motion vector of the RO point of the instrument. The yellow outline represents the first strong edges found emanating from the RO points. The green area shows edges constrained by stem form parameters.

CORRECTIONS

Beyond the processing steps mentioned above a number of corrections are applied to increase the accuracy of the overall model. The object shape and perspective model is applied in cases where stem diameters are being measured. This applies to crown diameters as well. The range information that is being used to scale the image space measurement is located in front of the points on the stem that represent the diameter. As trees tend to have a circular cross section, this is used as the model. If multiple viewpoints are available for the tree an elliptical cross section can be applied. Corrections are also made based on perspective. If available, a portion of the range information is used to determine the stem axis orientation relative to the camera axis. This adjusts the scale and also the location of the points representing the stem edge. As the angle between then stem axis and camera axis becomes too acute, the data is of limited usefulness as the correction gets exponential and there is a great chance of foreground occlusion by other parts of the stem. For instance, it is very difficult to measure a branch that is pointing directly at the camera. Range measurements can not be obtained with confidence and the location along the length of the branch that the edges are perceived is questionable. Unlike an aerial application where the image plane is being scanned at a near parallel path to the imaged object (the ground). Here the TMS instrument is rotated from a fixed location. The motion parameters must be properly accounted for in order to create an appropriate model. To this point an assumption has been made that the rotation of the camera is about the focal point. This has not been tested however. As the camera is typically used with a Remote Sensing for Field Users Proceedings of the Tenth Forest Service Remote Sensing Applications Conference Salt Lake City, Utah April 5-9 2004

monopod, the points of rotation are fixed. However, corrections must be made for any movement of the monopod during camera rotation. Correction for each scanning session is not practical; however testing should be done to determine the severity of this movement and its effect on overall error. Improvements can be made by determining the most frequent rotation point and trying to limit movement while scanning the stem. A scanning mirror could be used to remedy moving the entire unit; however this would add considerable bulk and fragility to the system.

APPLICATIONS

The TMS may be used to measure upper stem diameters, bole form, taper, defects, and crown architecture components such as branch metrics and profile models for precise surface area or crown volume estimation (Clark 2001). Work is also being done for foliage assessment such as crown density and crown transparency measurements (Lee et al. in press), which are currently part of the forest inventory and analysis (FIA) Phase 3 collection effort (USDA-FS 2002). Clark et al. (2001) compared TMS instrument measurements with pentaprism caliper estimates and mechanical caliper measurements. These results were not very promising as very large errors were present for both the TMS instrument and the pentaprism estimates. Subsequently, a few errors were discovered in the camera method calculations. Lack of directional and height controls were suspected to have caused the large errors, as they were evident even among the traditional methods. This lead to further study comparing the TMS instrument with a Barr & Stroud FP-12 optical dendrometer on diameters at randomly selected, marked heights. The Barr & Stroud dendrometer possesses excellent optics and has been shown to be extremely accurate (Bell and Groman 1971). These results are not yet published but look more promising. Another study is underway using marked diameters and felled tree measurements.

ERRORS

Errors may occur at many places within this process. The first errors that must be realized and specified are the ranging and imaging measurement errors. The reported error of the laser-ranging instrument is 15 centimeters. This would be more significant at shorter object space distances, as it would be a higher proportion of the overall object distance. This reported error also discounts additional error that may occur due to target confusion as the laser may strike other crown components or understory elements. There are filters in place to prevent severe errors of caused by this occlusion, however a more subtle discrepancy may go unnoticed. Image distance measurement precision is 0.2 mm per meter of object space distance, so image distance error is more significant at larger object space distances. This is compounded by perspective effects at acute viewing angles and the more frequent observation of smaller dimensions at larger distances. Though both object space and image space errors can be quite significant, object space distance measurement is more difficult to account for after the fact.

FACTORS AND EFFECTS

There are a multitude of other factors and effects that contribute to measurement variability or the ability to even collect any information. The primary reason to use remote sensing methods is due to lack of access. This is still a problem given the dense, gordian nature of a tree crown or dense forest condition. There are many occluding structures that create problems. Multiple viewpoints can be used to mitigate some of these problems, but depending on density and orientation access to some portions of the crown, or particularly foliage, will always be difficult. Light reflectance is essential for passive remote sensing in the visible portion of the spectrum. For many measurement applications light is controlled. Absolute light control is not possible for practical forest sampling as sunlight is the default light source. Sampling at night using artificial light is a possibility, but rarely practical. Limitations may be placed on the time of day, day of year, generalized atmospheric conditions, or orientation of light to imaged object. Contrast, specular reflectance, and other edge errors are significant impediments to accuracy and repeatability. These factors are very difficult to control in practical monitoring situations. Contrast extremities can be present among the pixels representing the stem edge. If the stem edge pixel is adjacent to a bright sky pixel the light, the Remote Sensing for Field Users Proceedings of the Tenth Forest Service Remote Sensing Applications Conference Salt Lake City, Utah April 5-9 2004
blooming effect may shift the edge towards the tree center. Another branch or tree directly behind the edge may limit the contrast shifting the edge away from the tree center. Model errors also contribute to measurement variation. The interior camera orientation model can have an effect. This can be corrected for providing that the hardware elements remain stable. Digital processing manipulations including sampling, white balancing, auto gain control, etc. are all modeled factors that may affect image space measurement. External model factors include the camera motion model and the stem shape and orientation.

SUMMARY

The instrument described in this paper combines imaging and ranging to collect ground-based data on individual tree stems. The small FOV allows for the needed measurement precision, while the instrument orientation information and image processing components provide for information extraction over a much larger spatial region. Using a highly magnified digital imagery in combination with laser ranging can provide a suitable solution for a number of individual tree stem sampling applications such as upper stem diameters, bole form, taper, defects, and foliage and crown architecture components. This paper presents one such prototype instrument. Improvements can be made by using better cameras or lens systems. The difficulty that still remains for many upper-stem assessments is access. Sensor location near the ground and the gordian nature of tree crowns limit the visibility of structures that require measurement.

FUTURE WORK

Recent hardware developments are occurring that will enable the creation of a field-ready solution without the need for large amounts of custom engineering. IEEE 1394 and USB2.0 high performance serial bus cameras are now commonly available allowing them to easily be connected to field-ready computers. This improvement will eliminate the need for a VCR and enable real-time measurement. Getting all of the data streams synchronized, transferred, and processed to a desired state in the field is quite desirable for practical use. This would also be coupled with data reduction strategies in order to store only needed information. Alternate cameras or lens systems may be explored based on the desired information requirements. A lens system with greater magnification, or a line-scan laser or camera could be used for single upper-stem diameters. Use of the range map from current instrument to augment other imaging device could be an alternative low-cost solution. Further work will be done to incorporate better camera, motion, and object models. Multiple view angles for 3D reconstruction are also being considered. Remeasurement studies will also be done determine reliability for varying applications.

REFERENCES

Baker, S., and T. Kanade. 2002. Limits on super-resolution and how to break them. IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence. 24(9):1167-1183. Bell, J.F., and W.A. Groman. 1971. A field test of the accuracy of the Barr and Stroud Type FP-12 optical dendrometer. The Forestry Chronicle. 47(2):6974. Clark, N. 2000. Initial results from a video-laser rangefinder device. Proceedings, SOFOR GIS 2000, 3rd Southern Forestry GIS Conference. D1: 6 pp. Clark. 2001. New instrument expanding individual tree stem analysis. Proceedings of the Southern Forest Science Conference. Atlanta, Georgia. Nov. 26-28, 2001. 6 pp. Clark, N., S. Zarnoch, A. Clark III, and G. Reams. 2001. Comparison of standing volume estimates using optical dendrometers. In Proceedings of the second annual Forest Inventory and Analysis symposium; Reams, Gregory A.; McRoberts, Ronald E.; Van Deusen, Paul C., eds.; 2000 October 17-18; Salt Lake City, UT. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS47. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 123-128. Grosenbaugh, L. 1963. Optical dendrometers for out-of-reach diameters: A conspectus and some new theory. Forest Science Monograph. #4. 47 p. Remote Sensing for Field Users Proceedings of the Tenth Forest Service Remote Sensing Applications Conference Salt Lake City, Utah April 5-9 2004
Huang, T., and R. Tsai. 1984. Multi-frame image restoration and registration. Advances in Computer Vision and Image Processing. 1:317-339. Kee, E., Clark, N., and A.Abbott. 2002. Automated mosaicking of sub-caonopy video incorporating ancillary data. Proceedings of Symposium on Statistics and Information Technology in Forestry. Sept 8-12, 2002. Blacksburg, Virginia, USA. p. 36-44. Kee, E. 2003. Video mosaicking using ancillary data to facilitate size estimation. Masters Thesis. Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia. 134 p. http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-05132003-221519/ (7 May 2004). Lee, S., Clark, N., and P. Araman. In Press. Automated methods of tree boundary extraction and foliage transparency estimation from digital imagery. Proceedings of the 19th Biennial Workshop on Color Photography & Videography in Resource Assessment. October 6-8, 2003. Logan, Utah, USA USDA-FS. 2002. Phase 3 Field Guide Crowns: Measurements and Sampling. March 2002. http://fia.fs.fed.us/manuals/p3sec12_02-03_final.doc (7 May 2004).