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APPENDIX A – Detailed descriptions of Microscope and Video
Resolution
Microscope Resolution
Resolution is the ability to tell two points apart as separate points. If
the resolving power of your lens is 2um that means two points that are 2um
apart can be seen as separate points. If they are closer together than that,
they will blend together into one point.
Magnification is something different-the ability to make an object larger. If the resolving
power of a microscope is poor, it will just magnify a blurry object. They are separate
properties.
Video resolution, though it does refer to being how well fine details may be seen, is
actually quite different in the way it is described.
TV and Video Resolution
The TV and Video description below should in large part be attributed to Allan W.
Jayne, J., P.O. Box 762, Nashua, NH 03061 as seen on the web site
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/vidres.htm, from which some images and text were
adapted.
First a quick note for clarity. The primary difference between NTSC (TV’s in North
America and Japan) and PAL (Rest of world except France and French colonies) formats
is the amount of resolution. Most experts feel PAL has higher resolution. Basic
technical differences between two formats involves way lines are swept on and off the
TV, and not the technical way resolution is defined.
We must first describe the horizontal and vertical resolution for television and video.
There are at least three major subtopics for resolution,
1. For the TV set itself, its ability to reproduce fine detail in terms of how small a spot or
how thin a line it can make on the screen, for example 500 lines (or alternating light and
dark dots) of resolution.
2. For the transmission (e.g. broadcast) or storage (e.g. DVD) format, the amount of
detail that can be retained or conveyed, for example 720 by 480 pixels in a rectangular
frame,
3. How effectively the method of recording (video camera) captures live subject detail
(Kell Factors).
(11 pages)
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