D-2 (video)
Sony D-2 VCR | |
| Media type | Magnetic Tape, ¾-inch |
|---|---|
| Encoding | digital composite video |
| Read mechanism | Helical scan |
| Write mechanism | Helical scan |
| Standard | interlaced (NTSC, PAL) |
| Developed by | Ampex/Sony |
| Usage | Video production |
| Released | 1988 |
D-2 is a professional digital videocassette format created by Ampex and introduced in 1988 at the NAB Show as a composite video alternative to the component video D-1 format. It garnered Ampex a technical Emmy in 1989. Like D-1, D-2 stores uncompressed digital video on a tape cassette; however, it stores a composite video signal, rather than component video as with D-1. While component video is superior for advanced editing, especially when chroma key effects are used, composite video was more compatible with most analog facilities existing at the time.