PXL-2000
Encyclopedia
The PXL-2000 is a toy
black-and-white
camcorder
produced in 1987 that uses a compact audio cassette as its recording medium. The original designer at Fisher-Price was Andrew I. Bergman (1950-2007).
When the PXL-2000 was available in retail outlets, it came in two versions—one with just the camera and necessary accessories (power supply, blank tape, etc.), and another which came packaged with a portable black and white television with a 4.5 in (114.3 mm) diagonal screen, for use as a monitor. There were also extra accessories sold separately, such as a carrying case.
filter, a CCD
image sensor, a custom ASIC
(the Sanyo
LA 7306M), and an audio cassette
mechanism. This is mounted in a plastic housing with a bay for consumable batteries and a simple RF video modulator. A plastic viewfinder and some control buttons complete the device.
The fixed-focus, aspherical lens is of reasonable quality, and does not significantly differ from that found on many modern low-end digital cameras. With some minor modification the focus can be adjusted.
An ordinary cassette transport is used for storage of both audio and video. The PXL-2000 holds 11 minutes of shooting by moving the tape at a high speed, roughly 16 7/8 in/s (429 mm/s) as opposed to cassette's standard speed of 1 7/8 in/s (48 mm/s) on a C90
CrO2 (chromium dioxide) cassette. The high speed is necessary because video requires a wider bandwidth than standard audio recording (In magnetic tape recording, the faster the tape speed, the more bandwidth can be recorded on the tape). The PXL-2000 records the video information on the left audio channel of the cassette, and the audio on the right.
In order to reduce the amount of information recorded to fit within the narrow bandwidth of the sped-up audio cassette, it uses an ASIC
to generate slower video timings than conventional TVs use. It scans the 120 by 90 pixel CCD
fifteen times a second, feeding the results through a filtering network, and then to both a frequency modulation
circuit driving the left channel of the cassette head and to an ADC
, which fed the framestore.
The ASIC connects the digital output of the ADC to a block containing a digital framestore capable of storing two frames of video at the resolution of the image sensor. While one frame is read out of the CCD into the first framestore section, the previous frame is scanned out of the second framestore section at full TV frequency. The ASIC is also responsible for generating control signals for the CCD
image sensor, and for generating automatic gain control
(AGC) signals.
The PXL scans its 120 by 90 CCD fifteen times a second, meaning that it processes 162000 pixels per second (ignoring recovery time). The CCD clocks run at approximately 180 kHz. The tape runs nine times faster than an audio cassette, giving approximately 160 kHz of useful bandwidth. This meant that, assuming the tape behaves at specification, it can record only half of the information scanned out of the CCD. With this in mind, the PXL ASIC applies fairly heavy analogue filtering to the video signal to smooth it on exit from the CCD, then pre-emphasizes it, offsetting the disproportionate loss of higher frequencies.
For playback and view-through purposes, circuitry is included that takes image data from either the cassette or the CCD and uses it to fill the framestore at the PXL reduced rate, while scanning other half of the framestore at NTSC
rates. Since each frame in the ping-pong framestore includes only 10800 pixels in its 120 by 90 array, the same as the CCD, the results were deemed to be marginal, and black borders were added around the picture, squashing the framestore image content into the middle of the frame, preserving pixels which would otherwise be lost in overscan
. An anti-aliasing low-pass filter is included in the final video output circuit.
The PXL-2000 has several weak points. The most common fault is a decayed drive belts, common to most tape mechanisms of the 1980s, and fogged blue filters. The blue filter is a glass optical component that is fitted behind the lens to prevent infrared
light from reaching the CCD and producing miscoloured images. They tend to become fogged in stored PXLs, possibly as a result of outgassing
from the plastic components of the camera. Many PXL-2000 cameras have also suffered damage from leaking electrolyte from old batteries, but this is usually not serious and can be easily repaired. Cameras left with tapes inserted for long periods of time may also need the tape path to be cleaned and a pinch wheel
replacement.
or super 8
movie film (upconverted to the standard 30 frame/s in the camera). The image is also "windowbox
ed", meaning it has a black border around all sides of the picture.
PXL-2000 cameras are still popular in the filmmaking scene—in fact, some individuals offer modifications for the PXL-2000 to output composite video
(the PXL-2000 only has an RF
output selectable to either North American television channel 3 or 4
in its unmodified stock condition), to interface to an external camcorder with a composite video in, or a VCR. The cameras themselves are still in demand, fetching prices as high as $200–500 on auction sites like eBay
.
The original retail price of this package was about $100.
The original retail price of this package was about $150.
in his 1991 debut film Slacker
. The roughly two-minute performance art scene is shot entirely in PixelVision.
Filmmaker Sadie Benning
has also used the PXL-2000 in some of her video works.
It was also used by Michael Almereyda
for three of his films: the 1992 film Another Girl Another Planet, which was entirely shot with a PXL-2000, his 1993 short Aliens, and his 1994 film Nadja
, in which the camera was used for point of view shot
s of the title character. Almereyda also has the title character of his film Hamlet (2000 film)
use the PXL-2000 as a means of creating video diaries.
The camera has also been used for several music videos, most notably, Mote by Sonic Youth
and Black Grease by the Black Angels.
, although the black and white "footage" from the camera is shown at full film resolution.
Toy
A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...
black-and-white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
camcorder
Camcorder
A camcorder is an electronic device that combines a video camera and a video recorder into one unit. Equipment manufacturers do not seem to have strict guidelines for the term usage...
produced in 1987 that uses a compact audio cassette as its recording medium. The original designer at Fisher-Price was Andrew I. Bergman (1950-2007).
When the PXL-2000 was available in retail outlets, it came in two versions—one with just the camera and necessary accessories (power supply, blank tape, etc.), and another which came packaged with a portable black and white television with a 4.5 in (114.3 mm) diagonal screen, for use as a monitor. There were also extra accessories sold separately, such as a carrying case.
Technical information
The PXL-2000 consists of a simple aspherical lens, an infraredInfrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
filter, a CCD
Charge-coupled device
A charge-coupled device is a device for the movement of electrical charge, usually from within the device to an area where the charge can be manipulated, for example conversion into a digital value. This is achieved by "shifting" the signals between stages within the device one at a time...
image sensor, a custom ASIC
ASIC
ASIC may refer to:* Application-specific integrated circuit, an integrated circuit developed for a particular use, as opposed to a customised general-purpose device.* ASIC programming language, a dialect of BASIC...
(the Sanyo
Sanyo
is a major electronics company and member of the Fortune 500 whose headquarters is located in Moriguchi, Osaka prefecture, Japan. Sanyo targets the middle of the market and has over 230 Subsidiaries and Affiliates....
LA 7306M), and an audio cassette
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
mechanism. This is mounted in a plastic housing with a bay for consumable batteries and a simple RF video modulator. A plastic viewfinder and some control buttons complete the device.
The fixed-focus, aspherical lens is of reasonable quality, and does not significantly differ from that found on many modern low-end digital cameras. With some minor modification the focus can be adjusted.
An ordinary cassette transport is used for storage of both audio and video. The PXL-2000 holds 11 minutes of shooting by moving the tape at a high speed, roughly 16 7/8 in/s (429 mm/s) as opposed to cassette's standard speed of 1 7/8 in/s (48 mm/s) on a C90
Audio tape length and thickness
Since the widespread adoption of reel-to-reel audio tape recording in the 1950s, audio tapes and tape cassettes have been available in many formats. This article describes the length, tape thickness and playing times of some of the most common ones....
CrO2 (chromium dioxide) cassette. The high speed is necessary because video requires a wider bandwidth than standard audio recording (In magnetic tape recording, the faster the tape speed, the more bandwidth can be recorded on the tape). The PXL-2000 records the video information on the left audio channel of the cassette, and the audio on the right.
In order to reduce the amount of information recorded to fit within the narrow bandwidth of the sped-up audio cassette, it uses an ASIC
ASIC
ASIC may refer to:* Application-specific integrated circuit, an integrated circuit developed for a particular use, as opposed to a customised general-purpose device.* ASIC programming language, a dialect of BASIC...
to generate slower video timings than conventional TVs use. It scans the 120 by 90 pixel CCD
Charge-coupled device
A charge-coupled device is a device for the movement of electrical charge, usually from within the device to an area where the charge can be manipulated, for example conversion into a digital value. This is achieved by "shifting" the signals between stages within the device one at a time...
fifteen times a second, feeding the results through a filtering network, and then to both a frequency modulation
Frequency modulation
In telecommunications and signal processing, frequency modulation conveys information over a carrier wave by varying its instantaneous frequency. This contrasts with amplitude modulation, in which the amplitude of the carrier is varied while its frequency remains constant...
circuit driving the left channel of the cassette head and to an ADC
Analog-to-digital converter
An analog-to-digital converter is a device that converts a continuous quantity to a discrete time digital representation. An ADC may also provide an isolated measurement...
, which fed the framestore.
The ASIC connects the digital output of the ADC to a block containing a digital framestore capable of storing two frames of video at the resolution of the image sensor. While one frame is read out of the CCD into the first framestore section, the previous frame is scanned out of the second framestore section at full TV frequency. The ASIC is also responsible for generating control signals for the CCD
Charge-coupled device
A charge-coupled device is a device for the movement of electrical charge, usually from within the device to an area where the charge can be manipulated, for example conversion into a digital value. This is achieved by "shifting" the signals between stages within the device one at a time...
image sensor, and for generating automatic gain control
Automatic gain control
Automatic gain control is an adaptive system found in many electronic devices. The average output signal level is fed back to adjust the gain to an appropriate level for a range of input signal levels...
(AGC) signals.
The PXL scans its 120 by 90 CCD fifteen times a second, meaning that it processes 162000 pixels per second (ignoring recovery time). The CCD clocks run at approximately 180 kHz. The tape runs nine times faster than an audio cassette, giving approximately 160 kHz of useful bandwidth. This meant that, assuming the tape behaves at specification, it can record only half of the information scanned out of the CCD. With this in mind, the PXL ASIC applies fairly heavy analogue filtering to the video signal to smooth it on exit from the CCD, then pre-emphasizes it, offsetting the disproportionate loss of higher frequencies.
For playback and view-through purposes, circuitry is included that takes image data from either the cassette or the CCD and uses it to fill the framestore at the PXL reduced rate, while scanning other half of the framestore at NTSC
NTSC
NTSC, named for the National Television System Committee, is the analog television system that is used in most of North America, most of South America , Burma, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and some Pacific island nations and territories .Most countries using the NTSC standard, as...
rates. Since each frame in the ping-pong framestore includes only 10800 pixels in its 120 by 90 array, the same as the CCD, the results were deemed to be marginal, and black borders were added around the picture, squashing the framestore image content into the middle of the frame, preserving pixels which would otherwise be lost in overscan
Overscan
Overscan is extra image area around the four edges of a video image that may not be seen reliably by the viewer. It exists because television sets in the 1930s through 1970s were highly variable in how the video image was framed within the cathode ray tube .-Origins of overscan:Early televisions...
. An anti-aliasing low-pass filter is included in the final video output circuit.
The PXL-2000 has several weak points. The most common fault is a decayed drive belts, common to most tape mechanisms of the 1980s, and fogged blue filters. The blue filter is a glass optical component that is fitted behind the lens to prevent infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
light from reaching the CCD and producing miscoloured images. They tend to become fogged in stored PXLs, possibly as a result of outgassing
Outgassing
Outgassing is the release of a gas that was dissolved, trapped, frozen or absorbed in some material. As an example, research has shown how the concentration of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere has sometimes been linked to ocean outgassing...
from the plastic components of the camera. Many PXL-2000 cameras have also suffered damage from leaking electrolyte from old batteries, but this is usually not serious and can be easily repaired. Cameras left with tapes inserted for long periods of time may also need the tape path to be cleaned and a pinch wheel
Pinch wheel
Pinch wheel or pinch roller was the name used for the plastic or rubber wheels in an 8-track cartridge, used to guide and align the magnetic tape. Rubber rollers were known to degrade over time, creating a maintenance issue....
replacement.
Revival in popularity
The PXL-2000 has seen a revival in popularity since the early-to-mid 1990s among independent graphic designers, experimental/avant-garde, and underground filmmakers, due to its unique low-resolution pixelated black & white image, with a lower frame rate of around 15 frame/s, akin to 8 mm8 mm film
8 mm film is a motion picture film format in which the filmstrip is eight millimeters wide. It exists in two main versions: the original standard 8mm film, also known as regular 8 mm or Double 8 mm, and Super 8...
or super 8
Super 8 mm film
Super 8 mm film is a motion picture film format released in 1965 by Eastman Kodak as an improvement of the older "Double" or "Regular" 8 mm home movie format....
movie film (upconverted to the standard 30 frame/s in the camera). The image is also "windowbox
Windowbox (film)
Windowboxing in the display of film or video occurs when the aspect ratio of the media is such that the letterbox effect and pillarbox effect occur simultaneously...
ed", meaning it has a black border around all sides of the picture.
PXL-2000 cameras are still popular in the filmmaking scene—in fact, some individuals offer modifications for the PXL-2000 to output composite video
Composite video
Composite video is the format of an analog television signal before it is combined with a sound signal and modulated onto an RF carrier. In contrast to component video it contains all required video information, including colors in a single line-level signal...
(the PXL-2000 only has an RF
Radio frequency
Radio frequency is a rate of oscillation in the range of about 3 kHz to 300 GHz, which corresponds to the frequency of radio waves, and the alternating currents which carry radio signals...
output selectable to either North American television channel 3 or 4
Channel 3/4 output
A channel 3/4 output was a common output selection for most audiovisual devices sold in North America, that are intended to be connected to a TV using a Radio frequency signal. This channel option was provided because it was rare to have broadcast channels 3 and 4 used in the same market...
in its unmodified stock condition), to interface to an external camcorder with a composite video in, or a VCR. The cameras themselves are still in demand, fetching prices as high as $200–500 on auction sites like eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
.
Model #3300 PXL-2000 Camcorder
- PXL-2000 Camcorder
- Mini bipod stand
- Video switch box
- Video Cable
- One PXL-2000 audio cassette tape
- Instruction Booklet
- 6 "AA" Duracell
The original retail price of this package was about $100.
Model #3305 PXL-2000 Camcorder Deluxe System
- PXL-2000 Camcorder
- Mini bipod stand
- Video switch box
- Video Cable
- One PXL-2000 audio cassette tape
- Instruction Booklet
- 4.5" diagonal black and white TV (with AC adapter)
- 6 "AA" Duracell
The original retail price of this package was about $150.
Famous uses
The PXL-2000 was used by Richard LinklaterRichard Linklater
-Early life:Linklater was born in Houston, Texas. He studied at Sam Houston State University and left midway through his stint in college to work on an off-shore oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. While working on the rig he read a lot of literature, but on land he developed a love of film through...
in his 1991 debut film Slacker
Slacker (film)
Slacker is an American independent film written and directed by Richard Linklater, who also appears in the film. Slacker was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize - Dramatic at the Sundance Film Festival in 1991.-Plot summary:...
. The roughly two-minute performance art scene is shot entirely in PixelVision.
Filmmaker Sadie Benning
Sadie Benning
Sadie Benning is a video maker, visual artist, and musician.She first made her name in the early 1990s as a teenage video maker from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Raised by her mother in inner-city Milwaukee, Benning left school at age 16, primarily due to the homophobia she experienced...
has also used the PXL-2000 in some of her video works.
It was also used by Michael Almereyda
Michael Almereyda
Michael Almereyda is an American film director, screenwriter, and film producer. His most well known work is Hamlet , starring Ethan Hawke.-Early life:...
for three of his films: the 1992 film Another Girl Another Planet, which was entirely shot with a PXL-2000, his 1993 short Aliens, and his 1994 film Nadja
Nadja (film)
Nadja is a 1994 film by Michael Almereyda starring Elina Löwensohn as the creature Nadja and Peter Fonda as Van Helsing. As the character's names suggest, Nadja is a vampire film, but treating elements of the genre in an understated arthouse style....
, in which the camera was used for point of view shot
Point of view shot
A point of view shot is a short film scene that shows what a character is looking at . It is usually established by being positioned between a shot of a character looking at something, and a shot showing the character's reaction...
s of the title character. Almereyda also has the title character of his film Hamlet (2000 film)
Hamlet (2000 film)
Hamlet is a 2000 American film written and directed by Michael Almereyda, set in contemporary New York City, and based on the Shakespeare play of the same name...
use the PXL-2000 as a means of creating video diaries.
The camera has also been used for several music videos, most notably, Mote by Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
and Black Grease by the Black Angels.
Cultural References
The PXL-2000 was used by the characters Maggie and Jamie in the 2010 film Love and Other DrugsLove and Other Drugs
Love and Other Drugs is a 2010 romantic comedy film co-written and directed by Edward Zwick and based on the non-fiction book Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman by Jamie Reidy...
, although the black and white "footage" from the camera is shown at full film resolution.