The Sony VTR DB-15F is a 15-pin D-sub female connector found on Sony consumer video tape recorders of the late 1970s and 1980s, providing an editing-control and signal interface between the deck and external editing or synchronisation equipment. The connector carries analogue video, chroma, phase-adjustment, and setup signals alongside ±12 V DC power lines. The interface is proprietary and Sony did not publish a public specification for it.
| Pin | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | Coarse Phase |
| 2 | Hue |
| 3 | Fine Phase |
| 4 | Video |
| 5 | Setup |
| 6 | Chroma |
| 7 | -12VDC |
| 8 | GND |
| 9 | ? |
| 10 | ? |
| 11 | ? |
| 12 | ? |
| 13 | ? |
| 14 | ? |
| 15 | +12VDC |
Signals
- Coarse Phase — coarse adjustment of the colour subcarrier phase for frame-accurate editing synchronisation.
- Hue — hue (colour phase) trim signal used during editing to match colour alignment between source and record decks.
- Fine Phase — fine-resolution phase correction complementing the Coarse Phase line.
- Video — composite analogue video signal carried between the editing controller and the VTR.
- Setup — video setup (black level / pedestal) reference signal.
- Chroma — chrominance signal for colour reproduction and editing alignment.
- -12VDC — negative 12 V DC power supply rail.
- GND — signal and power ground reference.
- ? (pins 9–14) — purpose not publicly documented; possibly additional control, sync, or audio lines depending on the specific deck model.
- +12VDC — positive 12 V DC power supply rail.
Notes
- The connector shell is a standard DB-15 (DE-15 in IEC nomenclature) D-sub housing; the female (F) variant is mounted on the VTR chassis.
- Pin assignments for pins 9–14 are not publicly documented.
- Sony professional VTRs (BVU and VO series) used a separate DE-9 RS-422A serial interface documented in Sony document 9-967-242-01 (1989) and are not related to this DB-15 connector.
- The ±12 V DC rails are carried on pins 7 and 15.