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HDV@Work

Nov 29, 1997 2:16 PM

Sony Announces the HVR-Z1 HDV Camcorder, Part 1
by Steve Mullen

A few days before the opening of IBC 2004 in Amsterdam, Sony announced its new HDV camcorder, the HDR-FX1 (MSRP of $3,700). Then in mid-November, the Sony Business Solutions & Systems group announced the HVR-Z1 with an MSRP of $5,946. The FX1 began shipping in November, while the Z1 will ship in February.

These camcorders share the same CCD optical-block. The block holds three 1/3in. Super HAD CCDs with a 16:9 aspect ratio. Each CCD has 1.12 megapixels arranged in a 960x1080 matrix. Each element has a 2:1 rectangular, rather than square, aspect ratio. By offsetting the green CCD one-half element spacing from the red and blue CCDs, a source of additional luminance information is created. By combining output from all three CCDs, horizontal resolution is increased by up to 150 percent. This is how Sony obtains a 1440x1080 pixel luminance image that is encoded as ML@MP-14 MPEG-2. Vertical smear level is rated at a very low –107dB.

These camcorders also share an F1.6 to 2.8, Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* (anti-reflecting coating) lens that accepts 72mm filters. The 12X zoom covers a range of f = 4.5 to 54.0mm (35mm equivalent: f = 32.5 to 390mm.) You can zoom by variable servo control, a lever, and a non-perpetual zoom ring. A built-in ND has two settings: 1/6 and 1/32.

There will be two versions of the FX1. One for “Region 60” (FX1) that will support 1080i60 (1080i59.94) plus 4:3 and 16:9 NTSC DV. The other for “Region 50” that will support 1080i50 (1080i50.00) plus 4:3 and 16:9 PAL DV. While we typically do not concern ourselves with Region 50 equipment, the Sony HDV camcorder will be an exception because it can easily be used to shoot video for transfer to film.

Stereo audio and 1080i video will be encoded using a long GOP (12 GOP in 1080i50 and 15 frames in 1080i60) MPEG-2 and MPEG-1 Layer 2, respectively. The 25Mbps encoder output will be recorded as PES (Packetized Elementary Stream) data. The PES data structure is different from the Transport Stream structure recorded by the JVC HDV camcorders and D-VHS decks. However, upon i.LINK output, PES is converted to TS. Likewise, TS is accepted by the i.LINK port for recording.

Two-channel audio can be obtained from the built in stereo mic or via an 1/8in. mini-jack. An audio level control adjusts the level for both channels simultaneously. The HVR-Z1 version does have dual audio level controls. The Z1 also has dual XLR connections.

One of the most important features of the camcorders are their 3.5in., widescreen color LCD that has 250,800 pixels. The color LCD viewfinder has 252,000 pixels. (The Z1’s viewfinder can be switched between B&W and color.) To aid focusing, you can push a button and the LCD resolution is zoomed by a factor of four. The focus aid, however, cannot be used while recording.

The FX1 offers a single CinemaTone mode where the gamma curve (pink in the diagram) gracefully prevents highlights from exceeding about 100IRE—thereby preventing the total loss of highlight detail when portions of the image are too bright. This function simulates increased light latitude expected from film. The portion of the gamma curve below 80IRE is relatively linear compared to the “normal” (gray) concave “video” gamma curve. This slightly crushes blacks, thereby decreasing shadow detail. Doing so can increase the richness of colors.

The HVR-Z1 offers two gamma settings: Gamma 1—the gamma curve (pink) prevents highlights from exceeding about 100IRE. Gamma 2—in addition to preventing blown highlights, black stretch (blue) is applied to prevent dark grays from being crushed into black.

The FX1 and Z1 not only look to be accomplished HDV camcorders, they offer “over-sampled” NTSC video. Moreover, the Z1 offers the unique ability to shoot NTSC and PAL DV plus 1080i60 and 1080i50. In fact, Sony notes there are more than 40 enhancements provided by the HVR-Z1. You can read more about the differences between the Z1 and the FX1 at the Sony website.

In the next newsletter, we’ll look at the CineFrame modes offered by the camcorders.



Sony Announces Vegas Software Support
for New Professional HDV Products
Culver City, November 10 -- Sony Media Software announced special promotional pricing ($149.95) on CineForm’s Connect HD application software for new and existing users of Sony’s award-winning Vegas 5 video and audio editing software. The incorporation of Connect HD into the Vegas 5 platform will enable users of the newly announced Sony HVR-Z1U professional HDV camcorder, HVR-M1OU deck and the recently announced consumer HDR-FX1 camera, to capture, edit, and export HDV in the 1080i format. In addition to offering a codec that greatly improves the HDV editing experience within Vegas, this updated version of Connect HD enables capturing and export of HDV content directly from and back to the HVR-Z1U and other HDV cameras.

Connect HD is built around CineForm’s high-definition editing codec, CFHD. During capture, the Connect HD capture tool transcodes the incoming HDV signal on the fly into CineForm’s proprietary wavelet-based compression format. The resulting AVI file offers a more efficient editing configuration than HDV’s native long-GOP MPEG, though users who wish to edit with HDV MPEG files will be able to do so. In addition to the customized version of Connect HD, an updated version of Vegas 5 software will also be released, with HDV-specific enhancements in the near future.

Registered users of Vegas 5 software will be able to purchase the Connect HD software at www.sony.com/mediasoftware.

Ulead to Support Sony’s HDV 1080i Camcorder
with Native HD Video Editing Software
Taipei, Taiwan, September 7 – Ulead Systems plans to be among the first companies to support the Sony HDR-FX1 camcorder by providing native and cost-effective HD video editing support within MediaStudio Pro, Ulead’s professional video editing software suite.

The Ulead HD Plug-in for the Sony HDR-FX1 camcorder will give videographers a way to natively capture, edit, and output high-resolution HDV 1080i content within MediaStudio Pro 7, Ulead’s professional post-production video editing suite. With the Ulead HD Plug-in, MediaStudio Pro 7 will handle HD video content seamlessly without requiring additional tools or interfaces.

For more on Ulead's HD Plug-in for the the HDR-FXI, visit the website at http://www.ulead.com/.

Canopus Announces Affordable HDV Workstations

San Jose, Calif. (November 10) – Canopus announced a line of Edius SP Workstations built on the company's new Edius SP for HDV video editing solution that captures and outputs HD video over FireWire. The new Edius SP Workstations provide an affordable transition for post-production facilities to move from SD to the world of HD video. To help editors with the transition from SD to HD, Edius SP Workstations edit SD content, such as DV, in HD resolution while providing realtime output to HDTV monitors using the onboard HD component output. Edius SP Workstations provide high quality, realtime up-conversion from SD to HD video with all project titles, graphics and effects performed in HD resolution.

Edius SP professional workstations deliver native editing and unmatched realtime processing of HDV, DV, uncompressed SD, MPEG-1, MPEG-2 formats. In addition, Canopus is offering Edius SP Workstation customers the Canopus Codec Option Pack, which includes the DVCPRO HD software codec to provide full native DVCPRO HD (SMPTE 370M) compliance, so editors can capture and output native DVCPRO HD and DVCPRO 50 content over FireWire.

"Building a system with the power and stability to handle the demands of realtime native HDV editing and output is no simple task," said Robert Sharp, general manager at Canopus. "With Edius SP Workstations Canopus is making the move to HD not only affordable, but much easier for video professionals. These workstations are optimized to deliver the best performance, as well as stability, so editors can focus on their video projects and not the computer."

In addition to support for native editing of HDV clips in their original MPEG-2 format, Edius SP Workstations let users edit by way of Canopus' variable-bitrate HQ codec for increased quality and realtime performance. Edius SP Workstations can transparently capture to the Canopus HQ codec, using intra-field coding with 4:2:2 sampling, to provide better-than-HDV quality and significantly increase realtime editing performance.

Powering Edius SP Workstations are the impressive dual Intel Xeon processors. In addition, Edius SP Workstations include the Canopus Edius SP for HDV 64-bit PCI video capture card that provides hardware acceleration for realtime editing and video output performance, as well as sophisticated hardware line-scaling to expand the edited HDV 1440 samples per line to 1080i's 1920 resolution for output. By having the Edius SP for HDV hardware accelerator handle this processor-intensive task instead of the PC's CPU, editors gain improved realtime performance and output quality.

Edius SP Workstations provides high-quality video I/O, including FireWire for HDV and DV, as well as component, composite and S-Video connectors. Designed to seamlessly integrate into existing studio environments, Edius SP Workstations feature complete support for BetaCam SP with component video and balanced audio input/output, as well as frame-accurate RS-422 VTR control and external reference sync input connections.

At the heart of the Edius SP Workstations is Edius Pro 3, Canopus' powerful nonlinear editing software. Edius Pro 3 redefines video production efficiency by providing a seamless workflow with realtime, multi-track, mixed format HD/SD editing, compositing, chroma keying, titling and timeline output capabilities. Edius Pro 3 is designed for maximum performance and supports realtime output of multiple video tracks, effects, and graphics and title layers.

Edius Pro 3 seamlessly edits any mix of HDV, DV, uncompressed, MPEG-2 and MPEG-1 video in realtime. Conversions between 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios, as well as up-conversion and down-conversion between SD and HD, are processed in realtime, further streamlining the production workflow.

Edius SP Workstations feature the much-admired Canopus ADVC functionality to provide realtime bidirectional analog/DV conversion and capture, as well as direct deck control with AV/C to RS-422 control conversion to provide analog VTR control from within any Windows-based NLE by making the analog deck appear as a DV deck to the system.

Canopus is including Inscriber TitleMotion Pro for Canopus for professional, broadcast-quality titles with realtime preview and playback during composition, as well as a plug-in for Adobe Premiere Pro. Edius SP Workstations also include a convenient breakout box that brings all input and output connections to a 1U 19-inch rackmount space, making it easy to integrate the workstation into existing production workflows.

Canopus Codec Option Pack
Canopus is offering Edius SP Workstation users the Canopus Codec Option Pack for $999. The Codec Option Pack includes the DVCPRO 50 and new DVCPRO HD software NLE codecs. Developed in collaboration with Panasonic, the Canopus DVCPRO HD codec provides high-quality HD video and unrivaled realtime HD nonlinear editing performance, with full native DVCPRO HD (SMPTE 370M) compliance The Canopus Codec Option Pack supports direct lossless HD capture and print–to-tape functions with the Panasonic DVCPRO HD VTR (AJ-HD1200A) in native 1080/60i/50i via Edius SP Workstation onboard FireWire connector. The Canopus Codec Option Pack will also allow for the direct import of DVCPRO HD QuickTime .MOV files into Edius Pro.

Another convenient option for Edius SP Workstation customers is the Canopus Video-out Plug-in Option that allows SD/HD analog component output for Alias Maya 6, Bauhaus Mirage 1.2, Discreet 3D Studio Max 7 and Combustion, and NewTek's LightWave 3D 8. The Canopus Video-out Plug-in is priced at $499.

Product Availability and Pricing
The following Edius SP Workstation configurations will be available in December 2004 from Canopus and its authorized resellers and system integrators.

The Edius SP Workstation 300 will be available from Canopus for $7999.99 and includes the Canopus Edius SP for HDV video capture card, dual 3.2GHz Intel Xeon processors (800MHz front-side bus, 1MB cache), 2GB DDR2 memory, 160GB SATA removable system drive, 2x200GB SATA video drives, SIIG PCI-to-SATA RAID card, NVidia GeForce 6600 128MB PCI-express video card, Creative Sound Blaster 5.1 sound card, Sony DW-D22A B2 16x DVD±R/RW drive, ADS PYRO 3-port FireWire card, 10/100/1000 network adapter, and a Logitech keyboard/wireless optical mouse.

The Edius SP Workstation 500 will be available from Canopus for $8999.99 and includes the system elements mentioned above, except it features the faster dual 3.4GHz Intel Xeon processors (800MHz front-side bus, 1MB cache) and additional memory for a total of 2GB of DDR2 memory. For more information, visit the company's web site at www.canopus.com.

© 2009 Penton Media, Inc.