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[Monday at NAB]
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Sony Intros 25 New HD Products
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by Craig Johnston,
~ April 14, 2008
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TV TECHNOLOGY
Sony is bringing an array of new high-definition products to the 2008 NAB Show, addressing broadcast news and the field production market, digital cinematography, live production and event production. Sony is introducing 25 new models in all.
The Sony theme for the show, announced at a pre-NAB Show press conference, mirrors the company’s HDNA consumer electronics campaign begun last November. Alec Shapiro, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Sony Electronics’ Broadcast and Production Systems Division, noted that he first worked on a Sony high-definition camera announcement over 25 years ago.
“We have a legacy in HD that is unparalleled as a company in the industry,” he said. “HDNA this year is spreading HD beyond the broadcast market. HD is now prevalent in virtually every type of production imaginable. The company will have solutions in HD acquisition; we have solutions that cost anywhere from $3,000 to $300,000.”
31,000 XCAMS
Sony’s XDCAM optical disc camcorders and recorders are a reflection of that high-definition legacy today.
“We have delivered over 31,000 units of XDCAM optical disc system products worldwide,” said Shapiro.
Two new additions to the XDCAM line are being introduced at the NAB Show: the PDW-700 camcorder and HD1500 recording deck. Both support Sony’s dual-layer 50 GB optical discs and add the benefits of 50 Mbps 4:2:2 optical disc recording. They provide multiformat (1080i/ 720p) recording flexibility, and HD/SD conversion and cross-conversion during playback between 1080i and 720p.
The PDW-700 camcorder is the first in the XDCAM line to utilize 2/3-inch CCD imagers, providing a resolution of 1920x1080 effective pixels.
The HD1500 is a half-rack recording deck that supports a range of interfaces, including HD-SDI, SD-SDI, i.LINK (IEEE-1394) and Ethernet. It sports a VTR-like jog/shuttle control. Both camcorder and recording deck are expected to be shipping as of the NAB Show.
Another Sony product that has gone racing ahead since its introduction a year ago is the PMW-EX1 XDCAM EX solid-state memory camera, which records to the company’s SxS PRO Memory Card. Shapiro reported Sony has sold thousands of the XDCAM EX camcorder, and that a new 32 GB memory card will soon be available, doubling the previous recording capacity of the camera from 140 minutes to 280 minutes at 25 Mbps video. (The PMW-EX1 has bays to hold two cards.)
LOTS OF HDV
For the HDV market, Sony is showcasing a cluster of new products. The company is featuring the HVR-Z7U (handheld) and HVR-S270U (shoulder-mount) camcorders, along with HVR-M35U playback and recording deck.
The shoulder-mount HVR-S270U camcorder provides for interchangeable lenses and the ability to handle full-sized DV tapes.
For the motion picture industry, Sony is introducing the F35 digital cinematography camera, which utilizes a single 35mm-size CCD imager to allow users to mount lenses originally designed for 35mm film cameras. Like the 2/3-inch imager F23 camera premiered last year, the F35 has the look and feel of a film camera rather than an ENG camcorder. The F35 is expected to ship late in 2008.
Shapiro reported that Sony high-definition cameras and switchers continue to be used for a wide array of live production, including the latest Super Bowl. He said the HDC-1500 multiformat camera has found many new customers due to its ability to image in either 1080 60-frame progressive or 1080 60-field interlace frame rates to yield 1080i, 720p or 1080/24p outputs, depending on the needs of the broadcaster.
HIGH-END MONITORING
Sony has new introductions in both its professional and mastering LCD monitors.
For critical evaluation monitoring, Sony presents a 42-inch BVM-L420, designed for use in high-end post production, telecine, color grading and digital intermediate work. As a result of customer feedback, the company has engineered better contrast and more accurate black details into the new monitor. New LED backlight technology removes motion blur while maintaining consistent black levels.
Expanding its Luma line of professional LCD models are new 17- and 42-inch models. Both feature Sony’s ChromaTru color processing and accept multiple sources, including video and PC formats.
The 42-inch LMD-4150W provides single, quad or multiviewing capability, and features a full HD resolution of 1920x1080 in a 16:9 aspect ratio. The 17-inch LMD-1750W is designed for rackmount, desktop or portable applications, and features 16:9 1280x768 resolution.
Shapiro said that Sony has stopped making CRT monitors, though there is back-stock still for sale.
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