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Millimeter2004 NAB
Mar 1, 2004 12:00 PM, By Dan Ochiva
New Twists as Information Technology Gains in Video Industry
S.D. Katz, D.W. Leitner, and Bob Turner contributed to this article
 Among the larger companies at this year's show, Sony will be demonstrating its new XDCAM camcorders, the PDW-510 and PDW-530, and its new HDW-730S HDCAM camcorder. |
For years, computer technology has brought tremendous changes to video; from cameras all the way through distribution. In general at NAB, expect to see more examples of the move to integrate information technology into the A/V world. IT started its incursion just two NABs ago, when industry leaders Sony and Panasonic began to embed IP addresses and Ethernet connectivity into their professional player/record-ers, including camcorders.
Now Avid, Pinnacle, and other NLE makers use the metadata generated during production to offer many new capabilities, including advanced search techniques, improved budgeting, and digital rights management.
New computer technology will affect how you make and show video too. For example, although it was once hard to handle, SCSI storage transmutes into cheap, easy-to-deploy iSCSI (SCSI protocol over IP) networked storage.
Intel could deliver the needed push to move HD to the masses — and make it worth your while to consider investing in HD production. Late last year, the chip giant announced its LCOS (liquid crystal on silicon) chip design, which will give rise to a new generation of low cost rear-projection HDTV sets. Expect to see them pricing at just more than $1,000 within a year.
Visit the Microsoft booth to see vendors such as Avid and Quantel moving to incorporate Windows Media Video 9 codec into their products. A subset of the codec, WMV HD, allows single-layer DVD discs to hold feature-length movies in 720p or 1080p HD formats. Expect the compression technology to spur digital projection developments too, as hundreds of cinemas and venues around the world now use it.
For developments in more specific areas, consult the following subcategories:
Cameras & lenses The solid state memory-based Pana-sonic AJ-SPX800 DVCPRO Professional Plug-in (P2) camcorder anchors the company's product concept of IT news gathering, or "ING." |
The constant format wars — SD vs. HD, interlaced vs. progressive, DV vs. MPEG — started to subside at last year's NAB with the introduction of Panasonic's standard-definition AJ-SDX900 camcorder. Users could choose amongst 24p/30p/60i, switchable 16:9/4:3, and choice of 50Mbs 3.3:1 or 25Mbs 5:1 DV compression.
Now users can move beyond just choosing from factory fixed formats. At NAB 2004, Panasonic unveils the first delivering model of its next-generation DVCPRO P2 solid-state memory recording camcorders. The AJ-SPX800 employs five consumer-type 4GB SD RAM cards to provide up to 80 minutes of recording capacity at DVCPRO resolution with 4G P2 cards.
Other specs include a 2/3in. three-CCD camera front-end with 24fps/30fps progressive and 60i DVCPRO and DVCPRO50 recording.
Stuart English, Panasonic's vice president of marketing, notes that eliminating mechanical transport provides — for the first time — a camera with totally silent operation. Reliability is also vastly improved: there's a high transfer rate to dump video to the NLE, and the camera offers advanced IT capabilities, MXF file format support, and metadata support.
 Check for updates to Anton Bauer's Stasis power support system, which combines camera support with a battery holder. |
Further IT touches abound. Users can record proxy video and audio to both the P2 cards and an SD memory card. A shooter could then, for example, use the SD card to view proxies or stills on a personal digital assistant (PDA). Swap out the SD RAM card for an 802.11 (WiFi) wireless one to connect with a GSM-type cell phone, which allows the delivery of low-res proxy video over the Internet. There are also FireWire and USB 2.0 ports, and an optional GPS receiver (captures camera position via metadata). The WiFi link also allows wireless access to and control of the camcorder's P2 cards.
Panasonic will also show its 2.4lb., three-chip MiniDV AG-DVC30 camcorder. It offers “Super Night Shooting” mode for detailed black-and-white images in total darkness via built-in infrared diodes. There's also an optional $380 on-board infrared light to cover larger areas. Although it runs at 29.97i only, the AG-DVC30 does offer a frame interpolation technique for which Panasonic claims near-progressive results.
 Turner Studios chose 14 portable Ikegami HDK-79E cameras for its first HDTV truck. The cameras work in both SD and HD, and employ a fiber/triax converter system that allows use of installed triax cabling found in most stadiums or the latest optical fiber. |
At last year's NAB, Sony showed a tech demo of its re-writable blue-laser (405 nm) optical Professional Disc camera and post system. Now its disc-based XDCAM format will be demonstrated with the first two XDCAM camcorders: the PDW-510
DVCAM and PDW-530 MPEG IMX/DVCAM (switchable). XDCAM brings so many advantages that wide adoption seems a certainty. Features include instant playback without rewind, no tape wear, no tape path or magnetic heads to maintain, 1,000 erase/write/read cycles, and 50 years of shelf/archival storage life.
Other new cameras include the HDW-730S HDCAM camcorder. Spotted for news and production, this lower-cost HD camcorder employs three 2/3in. IT CCDs (1920x1080), offers a horizontal resolution of more than 1,000 TV lines, and can turn in useable images with only a minimum illumination of 0.003 lux when used with the HKDW-705 Slow Shutter option.
 Sony's PDW-510 (above) and PDW-530 Professional Optical XDCAMs offer instant playback without rewind, no tape path or magnetic heads to maintain, 1,000 erase/write/read cycles, and 50 years of shelf/archival storage life. |
Sony will also debut its first HD camera with a 1/2in. CCD. The HDC-X300 POV camera contains three 1/2in. 1.5-mega-pixel HD CCDs, and offers a Slow Shutter (1-8 frames per second) capability, as well as a newly developed auto focus lens.
Not going either the solid-state memory or blue-laser disc recorder route, JVC is exploring hard-disk recording for its camcorders. Last year at NAB, in collaboration with “direct-to-edit” systems leader Focus Enhancements, JVC introduced a cheap, dockable 40GB FireWire hard-disk drive called the DR-DV5000, which piggybacked onto JVC's MiniDV GY-DV5000U camcorder. The camcorder controlled the hard disk's record functions and displayed both disk status and playback information in the viewfinder.
The DR-DV5000, basically a Focus Enhancement FireStore FS-3 interfaced to the GY-DV5000U, boasted a host of innovative features: 184 minutes (40GB) or 369 minutes (80GB) uninterrupted recording, time-lapse, retro-loop recording, simultaneous back-up of the camcorder's MiniDV tape, and hot-swapping while recording.
Keep an eye on this development because JVC's other debut last year, also tied to DV, was a certified smash hit, if notoriety is any measure. It was the world's first handheld HD camcorder, the JY-HD10U. Never mind that it's merely 720/30p and uses heavy ATSC-level MPEG-2 compression on standard MiniDV tape. A FireStore FS-3 could easily handle its 19Mbs bit rate. How does 369 minutes (80GB) of uninterrupted HD recording sound?
Last July after NAB, JVC, Canon, Sharp, and Sony announced a new “HDV” standard, identical to that of the JVC JY-HD10U camcorder: 8 bits, 4:2:0, 19Mbs for 720p, 25Mbs for 1080i, and on MiniDV tapes.
At NAB, JVC will launch what it calls “the world's first portable high-definition player/recorder,” the CU-VH1. Features of the compact HDV deck include a 3.5in. LCD monitor and for multi-format recording and playback, FireWire, USB, dual in/out connectors for composite, S-Video, audio, output-only for component (BNC with RCA adapters), plus an SD card slot for capturing stills from tape.
The CU-VH1 adds extensive digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital to the realtime digital-to-digital conversions featured in the JY-HD10U. At 2.5lbs., the CU-VH1 seems ideal for studio or field. It uses the same battery/AC power as the JY-HD10U and has guard-bar protection for inputs, outputs, and jacks.
Editing JVC pairs its HDV camcorder with the CU-VH1, a compact AC/DC HDV format recorder/player. |
Is the democratization of post really here? This phrase, thrown around for years, has more significance these days. Aided by speedy computer technology, the line between professional post and all the rest is now more about attitude than the capabilities of your NLE.
At NAB, expect crowds to develop around booths whose companies offer ever more capable lower-cost editing software. Just a few of these “pro,” software-only apps include Apple Final Cut Pro (FCP), Avid Xpress Pro, Adobe Premiere Pro, and Sony Vegas. Any of these products, which employ inexpensive cards to de-liver SDI and HD I/O, could turn up in a garage facility or a top newsroom or post facility.
 Videotek debuts the VTM-440, an HD/SD multi-format onscreen monitor. |
HD will be everywhere. Applied Magic will show its new HD Cinema worksta-tion. Canopus will unveil its realtime HD solution that includes an HD-SDI card and the new Edius Professional editing software. Cineform's Aspect HD and Connect HD plug-ins let an editing application work with HDV media. Other NLE manufacturers, including Sony and Adobe, will feature Cineform's technology at their booths.
Other products will include HD options for Avid's Media Composer and NewsCutter; Leitch's HD version of its Velocity NLE; and Media 100 with the Media 100 HD system. Matrox will demo its new HD card, and Pinnacle Systems will be offering HD with its Liquid as well as Cinéwave.
 ATTO's Celerity FC-22XH dual-channel Fibre Channel adapter features the company's unique, integrated onboard hub design, which can eliminate the need for additional FC fabric hubs or switches. |
As for hardware, Apple's Final Cut Pro will be seen with several workgroup SANs, including those from Omneon, CharisMac, Ciprico, and Studio Network Solutions. SGI and Quantel also now have gear that works with FCP.
While it's not an NLE, AJA's Io quickly became part of many Final Cut Pro NLE setups; FCP's single FireWire cable enabled plug-and-play setup for this router and converter.
Now AJA will show the Io LD and Io LA, smaller, lower-cost versions of AJA's award-winner for those who don't quite need that many I/O ports. Io LD works with SDI digital signals, while Io LA is for analog component or composite systems.
 Boxx Technologies became one of the first manufacturers to announce support for AMD's 64-bit Opteron multiprocessor CPU. Boxx's 3DBOXX M4.1 encases dual Opterons in an all-aluminum chassis, along with a full-length 8X AGP slot, Promise MultiRAID, two UltraATA drive ports, as well as two SATA drive ports. |
Both models support 10-bit video on both the digital and analog I/Os. Io LD and Io LA can be used in a desktop configuration, or they fit in an optional 1 RU mounting bracket.
Aurora Video Systems comes out with a number of new cards and converters for Mac users. ReaktorHD allows FCP users to monitor uncompressed HD video on low-cost monitors, including consumer HD televisions.
The company says PipeSDI is now the lowest-cost ($499) 10-bit uncompressed SD card available for FCP users. Another Pipe product, PipePro uses the RT Extreme capabilities within FCP for uncompressed SDI support and multiple audio channels.
Aurora's new Diversity family of compact digital video converters and distribution amplifiers will go up against AJA's Io products. The three standalone, DC-powered cubes are small, and offer 12-bit precision video conversion.
Here's an interesting all-in-one approach: JVC's new BR-DV6000-NET, a video-over-IP VTR. The unit plays and records DV and also encodes and streams MPEG-4 to LANs and the Internet.
At the show you may notice that Pinnacle Systems sees its future in both networks and HD. The company rolls out an extensive line of network editing systems — from news to post — based around its Palladium storage and server arrays.
Check out the demos of small workgroup postproduction using the Palladium Store 100 server with Liquid Edition and Chrome NLE software. Xreceive modules allow direct integration with Panasonic's P2 and Sony's XDCAM tape-less acquisition gear.
Pinnacle Systems also debuts HD for its popular Liquid NLE product line. For workgroups, the new MediaStream HD server offers what the company says is entry-level pricing. Meanwhile, check out Pinnacle's first HDV editing solution that runs over a standard SD infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Panasonic is going beyond the standard DDR. Its AJ-PCD10 is a five-slot P2 card reader that drops into a 5.25in. PC drive bay. That way, a shooter can dump video directly to the work-station's disks, ready to begin editing.
Also new is a five-slot P2 studio deck with a built-in DVD-burner for archiving. A Panasonic laptop editing system accepts P2 cards for editing by simply popping them into the standard PCMCIA card slot. P2 Professional Plug-in support now comes from Grass Valley, Avid, Pinnacle, and Quantel, each of which announced P2-compatible products for NAB.
Sony's XDCAM optical discs offer instant access to original scenes files on Sony XPRI Mobile and XPRI MetaStation systems (both are set to debut at NAB). Running under Windows on a wide variety of laptops, the XPRI Mobile NLE software integrates with the flagship XPRI MetaStation and other newsroom systems.
In the case of XPRI MetaStation, Sony says a field-based PDW-510 or PDW-530 camcorder in 25Mbs DVCAM mode can fire low-res, frame-accurate MPEG-4 proxy images over a high-speed IP network to it at speeds of up to 50 times realtime.
The MetaStation auto-conforms from the XPRI Mobile's EDL, pulling in the full-res material as needed. In addition to MXF file import and export, there's an array of effects, with realtime 3D available as an option. Both NLE systems edit DVCAM and MPEG IMX content (30Mbs for XPRI Mobile and 30/40/50Mbs for XPRI MetaStation) from the XDCAM system.
Sony and Avid will also announce metadata compatibility via MXF with Media Composer.
Graphics & effects Earlier this year, Discreet debuted Combustion 3 for the Mac, its latest version of the visual effects and 3D compositing software. One new feature—an integrated NLE—helps speed production. Version 3 includes RE:Flex, a free-form warper and morphing solution from RE:Vision Effects. |
For those who don't have time to learn high-end compositing and effects systems, greatly improved all-in-one packages deliver top results while flattening that learning curve.
Bauhaus Software's Mirage (a reworked version of Newtek's former Aura video paint system) presents itself as an artist-friendly environment for painters and animators, rather than a visual effects comping tool.
 Samsung's 17in. SyncMaster 172X LCD computer monitor features a fast 12-millisecond response time; an ultra-narrow bezel design; foldable, dual-hinge stand; and dual (digital and analog) inputs. |
Check out the realtime video painting effects, bit-mapped brush technology, and “digitally organic” workflow. Bauhaus says Mirage pulls together different tools and capabilities to let artists create traditional CG and natural media styles in a digital environment. Artists can combine tools such as video paint, stop motion, natural-media drawing , volumetric lights, particles, keying, color correction, and point tracking in the same project.
Delivering since last fall, Boris FX Red 3GL makes things easier by integrating into various NLEs' timelines. It provides 2D and 3D compositing, DVE (digital video effects), 3D modeling and animation, native vector titling, motion tracking, vector paint, rotoscoping, Adobe Illustrator file animation and extrusion, and more.
 Medéa introduces its first professional FireWire array, the G-RAID, with features including FireWire 400 and 800 ports, Mac OS X and Windows XP compatibility, and support for uncompressed SD editing. |
Also check out Boris Continuum Basics, a collection of more than 30 filters from the Boris Continuum Complete plug-in suite.
UK-based Curious Software's gFx 1.5, a Mac OS X-only product, is aimed at visual effects artists. Curious gFx has the usual complement of expected tools: tracker, paint, wire and rig removal tools, pressure-sensitive brushes, keying tools, and sophisticated rotosplines. The product also supports After Effects filters.
gFx's more than 20 pressure-sensitive brushes include color, offset merge, clone, drag, and blur. Users can create customized brushes to paint with cutouts and any combination of filters and plug-ins. Curious gFx 1.5 is available in standard (8-bit) and pro (16-bit) versions.
2d3, makers of the Boujou match move software, will show SteadyMove, a $99 image stabilization plug-in for Adobe Premiere that's worth checking out. Used intelligently, the plug-in allows creation of Steadicam shots from hand-held footage.
Red Giant Software's Magic Bullet Suite now adds film treatments to NLE timelines, including those of Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro, and Vegas. Like the original suite designed for use in After Effects, the filters bring a sophisticated film look to video, and include film stock emulation, diffusion filter, and 50 Movie Looks presets.
Products
Broadcast Pix
 Broadcast Pix Studio |
Version 2 software for Broadcast Pix Studio updates the company's first version of its integrated live video production system. New options include camera control ($1,500 for up to four cameras, can grow to 16); a second Digital Disk Recorder (DDR) channel, which adds a second channel of clip store to the DDR ($1,500); and a Pinnacle 3D Digital Video Effects (DVE) option board for the system's Targa board ($4,900). New features in version 2 are animated graphics for the Inscriber Character Generator; StudioMemory, for recalls that combine all of the system's tools; and ShowBuilder for offline preproduction. ShowBuilder unlimited seat licenses are free.
Broadcast Pix also announced a plug-in application programming interface (API) that lets plug-ins be added to the Broadcast Pix system, then controlled by the system's control panel. Camera control is the first plug-in using this new API.
All version 2 products are now shipping, except the Pinnacle 3D DVE, which will be demonstrated at NAB and will ship later in the year. (For a review, see next month's Video Systems.)
Burlington, Mass.; 781-221-2144;
www.broadcastpix.com
 Canon J22ex7.6B |
New this year from Canon is the J22ex7.6B telephoto lens for SDTV. Billed as the widest-angle portable telephoto ever produced, this lens offers 22x zoom range and a 7.6mm wide angle. It is equipped with an LCD display and a control paddle. e-Ifxs series users can customize digital functions. Canon's “crossover” technology restores the 4:3 image of a switchable camera to that of a conventional 4:3 format camera, in addition to a 2x extender. Also new is the Digi Super 100xs, or XJ100x9.3B IE-D, triple-digit zoom lens, which incorporates Canon's image stabilizer technology.
Lake Success, N.Y.; 800-OK-CANON;
www.canondv.com
 Fujinon HA18x7.6 |
New to NAB this year is the Fujinon HA18x7.6BERM/BERD HD ENG/EFP zoom lens. Its focal length is 137mm, 274mm with a 2X extender, and angle of view is 64.5 degrees at 7.6mm. This lens was designed for high-definition news and remote video production, and should complement 2/3in. high-definition video cameras. The same size and weight as its predecessor, this lens gives a wider angle and higher magnification. It can be customized to the operator's preference using its programmable digital features. The lens can also be controlled remotely using a PC's RS232 control port.
Wayne, N.J.; 973-633-5600;
www.fujinonbroadcast.com
 Azden FMX-20 |
Azden replaces the FMX-2 portable, two-channel field mixer with the FMX-20 field mixer, which adds XLR I/O as well as a mini-plug output. Beyond the improved signal-to-noise ratio, new features include a three-step LED array for monitoring, a 12V DC input for external power, the mixer, a switchable input limiter (guards against the possibility of overload distortion), and a channel-addressable 1/4in. monitor headphone jack with its own level control.
Franklin Square, N.Y.; 516-328-7500;
www.azdencorp.com
 Chrosziel 411-53PK Mattebox |
The problem of using front-mounted lens accessories, such as shades and filters, on Panasonic AG-DVX100 cameras gets a solution from Alfred Chrosziel. The German camera accessory manufacturer's new 411-53PK Mattebox system offers a housing that covers 16:9 and 4:3, a filter stage for two 4×4 filter holders (one fixed and one rotating), a French flag, and a 16:9 mask. Various adapters (85mm-105mm) allow use of Century Optics' .7X Wide Converter or 1.6X Tele Converter, or Panasonic's .8X Wide Angle Converter.
Heimstetten, Germany; +49 (0)89 901 09 10;
www.chrosziel.com
Lowel Light will introduce a lower-priced line of fluorescents at the show. Either daylight or tungsten color temperatures can be used in these non-dimmable studio fixtures, which house two, four, or six T-55W lamps. Lighting control accessories and a grid mounting system are also available. An upgrade to the company's Fluo-Tec studio line of fluorescents now allows full dimming control from 0 to 100 percent.
Brooklyn, N.Y.; 800-334-3426;
www.lowel.com
 Vinten Pro-6 pan and tilt head |
Good camera support from trusted names can get a bit pricey, but Vinten expects to answer that with its new lightweight Protouch range. The Pro-6 and Pro-10 pan and tilt heads offer continuously variable fluid drag with a capacity of 13.2 and 22lbs., respectively. Claimed to be the only heads in their class to include an illuminated leveling bubble (helps when setting up in low light), they fit onto the new aluminum Pozi-Loc tripod legs. System packages Pro-6DC and Pro-10DC include the Pro-6 or Pro-10 pan and tilt head, a two-stage black aluminum Pozi-Loc tripod, floor spreader, and a soft case.
Bury St. Edmunds, UK; +44 (0)1284 752121;
www.vinten.com
Zaxcom's Deva V portable, 10-channel recorder weighs only 5lbs., but its 80GB drive holds more than 40 hours worth of uncompressed 24-bit studio audio, which records at rates up to 196KHz per channel. Like the Deva IV and V, the basic six-track Deva III can hold an optional DVD/CD burner. Features include an internal mixer, metadata support, and FireWire support.
Pompton Plains, N.J.; 973-835-5000;
www.zaxcom.com
From VFGadgets, The Red Eye camera lens, is a “non-zoom through” .7x wide-angle adapter designed to work with a broad range of DV and professional Betacam lenses. Threading onto a camera lens — it's about the size of a filter — the angle of view on most camera lenses will be increased by 30 percent, the Canadian company says.
Toronto; 416-686-1452;
www.vfgadgets.com
Graphics & effects
 Leightronix TCD/IP |
Three new features have been added to Leightronix's TCD/IP networked-managed video system controller, Leightronix says. The integrated digital messaging feature adds storage and display of digital video slides. Slide import and deployment is managed using the provided WinTCD software. Slides are sent to the TCD/IP, linked to day/date/time events, and synchronized with program playback from DVD players, VCRs, and hard disk recorders/video servers.
Another new feature is the drag-and-drop scheduling interface. This feature eases program scheduling without compromising power or flexibility. Resources are selected from a device library and dragged and dropped into an event sequence. Simple playback sequences can be developed using the dual-view event editor, and the script editor allows modification of scripts.
The last new feature is the web control interface, which offers system control from any computer on the network. A common web browser is needed to remotely control and monitor playback operations. The TCD/IP web control interface provides remote and immediate access to digital messaging, device control, video/audio switching, and the activation/deactivation of schedules.
Holt, Mich.; 517-694-8000;
www.leightronix.com
 Pioneer PRV-LX1 |
Look for important firmware upgrades to the Linux-powered PRV-LX1 DVD-Video recorder from Pioneer Electronics. The company will also show the DRM-3000 and DRM-7000 FlexLibrary for mass storage on DVD, the DVD-V7400 DVD-Video player, the DVR-A07 dual format DVD drive, and the DVR-SK12D ultra-slim DVD drive.
Long Beach, Calif.; 800-872-4159;
www.pioneerelectronics.com
 Chyron HyperX |
Chyron is releasing four new products at NAB. The HyperX HD/SD graphics high-definition realtime CG platform uses high-speed bus architecture with 3D rendering engine technology. When used with Chyron's format-independent Lyric soft-ware, HyperX provides HD or SD content creation, playout, and realtime animations.
Clyps HD is a realtime HD clip server with uncompressed HD video and key in and out. It's designed for a graphics environment and has up to 1.3TB of storage, allowing up to 180 minutes of lower-third animations or 60 minutes of full-frame video.
C-Mix HD is a layering mixer with simultaneous SD and HD outputs. Features include four SD video and key inputs, a background layer, an SD mixer, and an HD upconverter.
Advanced Lyric is the latest version of Chyron's broadcast software. It features improved 3D rendering and effects and multichannel back-to-back clips. The movie objects feature allows playback of multiple AVI and MOV files as animated objects within a Lyric scene. Lyric now includes asset management and browser functionality.
Melville, N.Y.; 631-845-2000;
www.chyron.com
Network Electronics will introduce new HD and analog versions of its VikinX 128×128 modular routing range. The HD128M HD-SDI version and the A128M analog audio version feature compact frames, hot-swappable architecture, built-in dual redundant power supplies, and fully redundant controller functions. Control features include TCP/IP control interface and TCP/IP inter-connectivity with VikinX.128 control panels, SNMP agent, and surveillance of the router's vital parameters. The company also announced products to complement its ConQuer signal processing units and Flashlink fiber optic transport platform. One of the products is the N-Box, a new housing for ConQuer and Flashlink. Four N-Boxes can be mounted on a 1 RU shelf to accommodate applications requiring multiple N-Boxes.
Salt Lake City, Utah; 800-420-5909;
www.network-electronics.com
 Snell & Wilcox IQ Modular |
Snell & Wilcox's IQ Modular line is expanding. Seventeen new HD and SD modules are being added to this component infrastructure system, including converters, synchronizers, distribution amplifiers, routers, and audio modules. All are capable of operating in standard-definition or high-definition resolutions.
These IQ Modules are being introduced at this year's NAB: the IQMUX40 HD-SDI remultiplexer; the IQSDA0 HD/SD-SDI distribution amplifier; the IQSYN20 HD/SD-SDI frame synchronizer; the IQSRT00 HD/SD-SDI 5×2 router; the IQSRT10 HD/SDI 8×2 router; the IQMDA00 HD-SDI monitoring distribution amplifier; the IQSYN00 SD-SDI frame synchronizer; the IQMUX00 four-channel digital audio embedder; and the IQDMX00 four-channel AES/EBU de-embedder/demultiplexer with synchronizer.
Santa Clara, Calif.; 408-260-1000;
www.snellwilcox.com
Masterail from Forecast Consoles is a modular system designed to allow an infinite number of layouts and design configurations for custom and modular technical furniture. Two new versions are being announced — Masterail 2.0 and Masterail NLE. Steel-frame superstructures are featured, with proprietary aluminum extrusions that serve as the “spine” of the console.
Deer Park, N.Y.; 800-735-2070;
www.forecast-consoles.com
Nvidia debuts its latest graphics powerhouse card built around its speediest GPU ever. The Quadro FX 4000 includes throughput speed-ups of more than 5X the performance over previous generation graphics systems, according to the Santa Clara, Calif.-based company. The FX 4000 also offers the industry's “only true 128-bit floating-point graphics pipeline” for millions more colors in a broader dynamic range.
Santa Clara, Calif.; 408-486-2000;
www.nvidia.com
1 Beyond will unveil its new line of HD solutions designed for the high-end film and broadcast markets and independent producers. The new SD/HD line of products includes Redline Render Farm, 1 Touch Render, and Harmony.
The Redline Render Farm system is designed for high-performance rendering of complex graphics and 3D animation in mixed Mac and PC artist studios. 1 Touch Render is an automated render submission software, and Harmony is a full-resolution HD shared SAN environment.
Somerville, Mass.; 877-ONEBEYOND;
www.1beyond.com
At the show, Maxell will unveil its high-speed DVD-R Plus series. This DVD-R Plus has a 4.7GB capacity and supports 8X write speeds. Maxell uses organic dye recording layer materials, designed for best recording and noise-free playback. The disc's pre-recorded shelf and archival life is more than 50 years, according to the company. These discs are write-compatible with most manufacturers' general-purpose DVD-R drives and recorders. After recording, the discs are read-compatible with DVD-ROM, DVD-Video, and DVD-Audio players.
Fair Lawn, N.J.; 800-533-2836;
www.maxell.com
This upgrade to SANmp is designed to make the system faster, easier to use, and improve Apple Xserve RAID support. The multiplatform volume management software lets multiple workstations with different operating systems concurrently access and share information on a storage area network (SAN). New to the product is AutoSync, which will refresh a disk automatically, manually, or at an interval defined by the administrator. SANmp now allows a user to select multiple volumes and mount or unmount them simultaneously.
St. Louis; 877-537-2094;
www.studionetworksolutions.com
Rorke Data adds to its cost-effective Galaxyi Serial ATA RAID line with Java-based RAIDWatch management firmware. The company garnered praise for RAIDWatch's Media Scan component, which examines the drives on the RAID to detect the presence of damaged sectors and bad blocks. That's important, since less expensive ATA and SATA drive arrays might simultaneously develop bad blocks on two of the drives in a single array, says Thomas Bayens, director of marketing for Infortrend, a component supplier partner for Rorke Data.
Eden Prairie, Minn.; 800-328-8147;
www.rorke.com
 Sigma Electronics DV5000 |
Sigma Electronics introduces its DV5000 series digital video product line at NAB 2004. Company President Nigel Spratling says the series helps to solve the signal latencies that have increased with the advent of digital video and digital audio postproduction. The company incorporates the new DATC, OctaStream, and OctaBus products within its S5000 signal management frame. The S5000 frame also integrates into NVISION's NV500 enclosures.
East Petersburg, Pa.; 866-569-2681;
www.sigmaelectronics.com
By acquiring Sacramento, Calif.-based Folsom Research earlier this year, Belgium-based Barco (now Barco Folsom) both expands its presence in the U.S. market and gains chops in the healthy staging and rental events market. Barco began in 1934 by building radios, but has become a worldwide pro visualization company with leading products in projection and specialized displays, including virtual and augmented reality.
Rancho Cordova, Calif.; 916-859-2500;
www.barco.com
Sidebar
In Japan with Sony
Last month, in a pre-NAB tour of development labs and rarely seen production areas, Sony outlined an upbeat, wide-ranging vision for its future, albeit one beset by a difficult economic reality.
(In January, the company reported a 26 percent drop in third-quarter profits, compared to a year earlier. While revenue at the company's electronics operations increased, Sony's film and music operations lagged.)
While the catch phrase “Ride the HD Wave” covers the company's current marketing focus, Kozo Kaminaga, president of Sony Broadcast & Professional, presented a portrait further down the road to 2010. He envisions a “super broadband world” where common access to high-speed networks proliferate for consumer and professional alike. Running from 30Mbs to 100Mbs, these links allow HD-resolution content to move everywhere over a “ubiquitous value network.”
The Sony coinage Anycast, said Kaminaga, sums up that vision of a networked future. That term isn't new; Sony introduced Anycast at IBC 2002 as key to its business strategy. Anycast's first stage? Integrate fragmented content islands so that — in the desired future production and delivery world — content is available on any technology platform at any time.
To follow the thinking behind the strategy, go back to 2001, when Sony de-monstrated a crucial piece of its game plan with the release of its first IP (Internet protocol) enabled cameras and servers.
Placed into the product's “firmware,” IP protocol provides each piece of gear with an Internet address. Mated with an Ethernet link, this lets the hardware communicate over networks. But the problem then was the content; the video and audio was “dumb” — you still had to digitize videotape, for example, before moving on to the post process. And metadata? Don't even bother asking.
This year that changed as MXF became the final, crucial part of Sony's metadata puzzle to debut. With its XDCAM camcorders and post gear incorporating MXF, the entire chain of production and post can now be integrated. (Some 130 manufacturers now implement MXF in their gear and software, which allows disparate gear to share content.)
Expect to hear more from Sony on the benefits of integrated production and post.
“We're trying to move very rapidly to an IT-based infrastructure,” says Hugo Gaggioni, vice president of technology and product management for Sony Business Solutions & Systems Company. “Our plans for databasing and metadata are crucial for all of our future editing products.”
The need to apply those technologies became more apparent when Gaggioni quoted a study that determined some 45 percent of time spent editing video actually is consumed while searching and browsing for the material to be edited. Using an advanced metadata-based search function — tightly integrated into the NLE — promises to cut that lost time down.
By integrating production and postproduction on a network, Sony expects to lower the cost of ownership, but it will take more than the MXF file transfer protocol.
“MXF is just one of the “five Ms,” which include MPEG, metadata, MIB [management information base], and migration [to a completely networked environment],” says Ichiro Segawa, executive vice president of Sony Broadcast and Professional Solutions. “This framework allows Sony to offer an open production environment, where even competitors are welcome.”
Segawa noted that Sony's XDCAM system will now be compatible with Avid's native MPEG IMX and DVCAM NLEs.
At the Atsugi R&D lab, announcements included a renewed push into the NLE market with the “reborn” Xpri (it now runs on a laptop as well as on high-speed networks); SXRD, a reflective crystal silicon chip that will directly compete with TI's DLP and power Sony's push into the consumer and pro projection markets; an enhanced, RGB CineAlta HDCAM and higher bandwidth HDCAM SR; and GLV, another projection chip technology that uses a unique “ribbon” chip along with laser illumination.
Other technology might take longer to move from the lab, but includes an even higher speed 900Mbps bandwidth cam-corder, as well as near-terabyte storage on a tape not much larger than a deck of cards.
— D.O.
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