Digital integrated electronic storage system for video and audio playback

Abstract

An apparatus for displaying in real-time a previously recorded video sequence includes a main memory wherein digitized video gray-scale information is stored for selected non-interlaced fields of video images to be displayed. The memory unit is formed of interconnected substrates. Each substrate is a ROM which includes storage elements and a layer of amorphous silicon alloy which forms an array of diode isolation elements. Column select and read-out circuitry as well as row select circuitry for each of the substrates are formed, on each corresponding substrate, utilizing the same amorphous silicon alloy. Digitized fields of presorted information are read out and stored in pairs in an interpolator circuit which is used to form interlaced fields to be displayed timewise between the digitally stored fields. The digitized fields are converted by a digital-to-analog converter and added to sync signals to form a composite analog video signal adapted to drive a raster scan display unit. Audio information is also stored in the main memory as sampled digital information with two samples per raster scan line. The audio is decoded through audio decoder circuitry and converted to an analog signal in a digital-to-analog converter. The analog and video output may be combined together in a radio frequency modulator to produce a standard transmittable television broadcast signal.