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Keith Kyker and Christopher Curchy
Character Generators: Features and
Connections
Most schools that produce news programs, orientation tapes, or student video
projects like to add titles and graphics to their productions. Graphics can
certainly add to the information and entertainment value of video productions.
Fortunately, character generators, like personal computers, are getting more
powerful and less expensive. Twelve years ago, when we opened Dr. Phillips High
School in Orlando, our new character generator cost about $8,000. It had eight
fonts (typestyles) and about a dozen letter and background color choices. If
graphics weren’t stored on a floppy diskette, they were erased when the
character generator lost power. Now, a character generator with dozens of fonts,
millions of colors, and internal memory for hundreds of graphic pages sells for
one-tenth the price. It’s a great time to be shopping for a character generator!
Don’t be confused by the name. Character generators are also known as
titlemakers, video typewriters, video titlers – almost any name you can imagine.
But they all do just about the same thing – they allow the user to type words on
the video screen.
As you can imagine, each manufacturer selects features they want to include in
their character generators. Here’s a run-down of the features you may expect to
find, along with our recommendations.
Fonts Fonts are typestyles that you can use to create your graphic
screens. Early character generators had just one or two fonts, but now it is
common to find 50 or more fonts that can be re-sized. Also consider the "look"
of the fonts. Look at each font before you buy the character generator. Make
sure that your fonts don’t look "dot matrix" in an "inkjet" world. Your font
selection shouldn’t limit your creativity.
Colors Some character generators offer only 8 or 9 colors for
letters and backgrounds. Other models facilitate the creation of millions of
colors by allowing the user to control hue, saturation, and brightness. Our
discussion of colors should include the ability to select patterns as well.
Rainbow colors, textures, and sparkles can be added to background and letter
colors with some models.
Are you planning to superimpose titles over another video input, like a
camcorder or rolling videotape? Probably. Then you need a character generator
that offers the background color "transparent." (This choice is also called
"video" or "clear".) When you use a transparent background, the video source
connected to the input of the character generator becomes the background color.
We imagine that most of you want this feature, but it is surprisingly absent
from many models. Ask before you buy.
Memory Storage Some character generators automatically store the
pages you create. Other models erase all pages when the machine loses power.
Which do you prefer? Probably the former, especially if you’re creating a daily
news show. Before you buy a character generator, find out how many pages it will
store. The worst time to find out is when someone accidentally unplugs the
character generator during your news show.
Keyboard You’re buying a character generator to type graphics onto
the video screen. Make sure the typing function is easy to use. Expect a
full-sized typewriter-style keyboard. So many of the less-expensive models skimp
on the keyboard. We know one media specialist who was very disappointed when her
mail-order character generator arrived. The keyboard was so small that she had
to type using the enclosed metal toothpick. The keys were too small for fingers!
Text Motion You will probably want the text to scroll (move from
bottom to top) and crawl (right to left) across the screen. Look for smooth
movement and adjustable speed. Some models allow more sophisticated text
movement. Check this feature on your prospective purchase.
Preview Channel Some of the better models have a separate "preview"
output. By connecting a monitor or TV to this output, you can view graphics
before they are sent to the recording VCR. If you’re creating a school news
show, look for the separate preview channel.
Connecting the Character Generator
Recording the graphics that you create with your character generator requires a
simple connection to your VCR. Find the video output of your character
generator. Use a standard shielded video cable to connect the video output to
the video input of the VCR. Select the A/V input on your VCR. (This is usually
below Channel 2 on the VCR. You may have to use the remote control to select A/V
input.) You should see the character generator’s display on a TV or monitor
connected to the VCR. The VCR may even be connected to your school’s
closed-circuit distribution system. In fact, many schools use a character
generator to display a scrolling announcement message throughout the day.
As we mentioned before, you can connect another video source to the input of the
character generator. Simply find the video output of that source (camcorder,
video mixer, or VCR) and connect it to the video input of the character
generator using shielded video cable. When you select your character generator’s
"transparent" background, the signal from the video source will be displayed as
the background. Try it for yourself!
Graphics can add that professional touch to your students’ video productions,
and increase their content as well. If you don’t have a character generator, why
not consider buying one as your first purchase this fall?
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