NSA LIAISON

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78B04770A002700040021-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 16, 2005
• Sequence Number: 21
• Publication Date: January 25, 1966
• Content Type: MFR

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MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT: NSA Liaison
REFERENCE: Project No. 997536
NPIC/P&DS/D/6-742
25 January 1966
Declass Review by NGA.
I and the undersigned visited this installation on
11 January 1966. The purpose of this visit was to obtain knowledge of
the state-of-the-art of viewing and/or converting various video tape
formats in response to NPIC's Video Tape/Hard Copy requirement. Reference
letter dated 6 December 1965, NPIC/CSD-625-65.
N.S.A. is neither adopted to nor particularly interested in Video
Tape, per se. Consequently, equipment was modified for other purposes
and was not suited for the best presentation of T.V. imagery. Mr.
of N.S.A. demonstrated an RCA-TR-22 unit (Cost
which is capable of playing any Video Tape, foreign or
domestic, that is recorded with a transverse system. This equipment is
initially aligned with a standard tape. Variations of the tape to be
read to the standard tape are noted, then adjustments are made for the
best read of that particular recording. However, this equipment wa:, not
capable of a stop motion or single frame presentation which would be
required for studying or producing hard copy for a series of events or
for a particular single frame. A standard T.V. program was recorded
on the RCA-TR-22. The Video Taped imagery was compared for quality with
the original broadcast as it was occuring at that time. A slight but
definite image degradation was readily apparent. indicated
that most of the jitter, fuzziness, etc., responsible for most of the
image degradating could be overcome by re-inserting the sync signal in
the play back equipment.
A Video Disc T.V. Disc Recorder was recommended as the best
solution to a continuous frame display requirement. This unit will allow
the selection of a particular series of frames or of a particular single
frame for an unlimited replay with practically no image degredation due
to wear. This unit would be applicable to both transverse and helical
scan Video Tape.
An II VR-660 (a helical scan recorder), which had been modified
for 625 scan line/50 cycle frame rate TV, was shown but was not in
operational condition and could not be demonstrated. Indications were
that the modification was not very successful.
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The following points concerning helical video tape recorders should
be considered and kept in mind.
(a) Thereeare no set standards for helical scan video tape recording,
ergo, recordings made on one manufacturer's equipment are not compatible
with another manufacturer's. Due to wear and individual manufacturing
variations, from a quality point of view, it would be preferable to view
helical scan video tapes on the same piece of equipment that made the
recording.
(b) Separate tape decks, i.e., recorders, are required for various
frame rate TV systems. A 50 cps frame rate recording would have to be
recorded and played on a mechanism that is not compatable with 60 cps
frame rate recording.
(c) Although helical scan video tape equipment have stop-motion
capabilities, the quality of the image in the monitor is drastically
reduced during a stop motion mode. This is primarily caused by the fact
that the magnetic tape is no longer in motion. The change from a dynamic
to a static state causes the read-head to be slightly misaligned, not
so much as to preclude sensing, but enough to degrade the image on the
monitor considerably. Additionally, the magnetic tape is physically
damaged by the continuous reading and re-reading of a single frame. It
is very difficult to stop the play back excatly on the frame. Part of
the preceeding or following frame are usually obtained and considerable
jockeying is required to stop excatly on the frame. In actuality, the
stop-frame feature of helical recorders is a very limited capability.
A special purpose unit built by 0 for processing a digitized
TV signal was seen and discussed. This is a fairly high resolution TV
system but is extremely slow due to the digitized nature of the input.
The equipment produces a conventional silver transparency hard copy
(2 solution process) using a unique cylindrical TV screen for imprinting
the imagery. Since the imagery presented is a series of still photos
rather than images in motion, a continuous scan technique is used rather
than the standard commercial interlaced scan system.
In reference to NPIC's requirements, i.e., to be capable of viewing
any video tape that the center might receive and to be able to extract
high quality stills from these inputs, it appears at the present time
that various involved and complicated equipment will be required.
The canvassing of the commercial market and of other governmental
agencies will be continued until more definite recommendations can be
made.
Distribution: Orig.-#997536
l-Chrono/DB
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UNCLASSIFIED
CONFIDENTIAL SECRET
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UNCLASSIFIED I
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FORM 10 237 Use previous editions
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