Source: Sony Electronics Inc.
Sony Announces New 24P HDCAM And Switchable Frame Rate Acquisition Systems And VTR To ""Complete The Picture"" At NAB 2000
The promise of digital high definition systems, created to work seamlessly in either 24-frame progressive or in 60/50 interlace to fulfill the needs for television, feature length movie and documentary, sports and news production, will be realized at NAB 2000 in April with Sony's introductions of the new HDW-F900 camcorder, HDC-900/950 studio and portable cameras and the HDW-F500 studio VTR. These introductions ""Complete the Picture"" for high definition and standard definition program origination, and follow the plans that Sony announced at NAB 1999 for a progressive scan 24-frame-per-second (fps) digital high definition system, which galvanized the industry. And, with the adoption of the 1920x1080 progressive digital production format (at picture capture rates of 60/50/30/25 and 24-frame progressive and 50/60 interlace) by the ITU last June (identified as ITU-R BT 709-3), a global HDTV standard for both production and program exchange has now been forged. Sony's NAB 2000 announcements include the HDW-F900 camcorder, supported by specially developed lenses and accessories from Panavision and other major suppliers; the new HDC-900/950 line of HD studio with companion portable camera systems; and the HDW-F500 studio VTR already in use for primetime television programming. These systems are designed to be switchable between 24/25/30 frames progressive and 60/50 interlace. They are the first professional television products worldwide to feature this compatibility. Additionally, the HDC-900/950 camera control units will offer optional built-in digital converters to output the alternative 720/60P HD format or a choice of SDTV formats that include 480/60P/30P/60i, 576/50i/25P, and even the composite analog NTSC and PAL formats. ""In this new era of compelling choices among production media, it is important that our high definition acquisition systems be capable of emulating the 'film look' sought by many producers and DPs for prime time DTV program origination and for digital movie-making,"" said Laurence Thorpe, Vice President of Acquisition Systems for Sony Electronics' Broadcast and Professional Company. ""Today, our digital high definition systems rank with 35mm film when used for feature movies, prime time television production, television commercial production or documentary production. Our HDC-900/950 camera systems will provide stunning imagery for worldwide sports, news and in-studio programming."" The HDW-F900 24P camcorder is intended to complement 24-frame film origination, facilitating a new creative choice for program producers for both television origination and certain types of movie making. It contains three newly developed 2.2 M-sensor, 2/3-inch 1080-line CCD imagers, exclusive CCD output signal processing circuits, a new 12-bit A/D converter, and new advanced DSP processing. According to Thorpe, the HDW-F900 has already created quite a ""buzz"" with filmmakers and rental houses. ""Rental houses, especially, will encounter every need for HDTV production - from movie making, television programming of all kinds, television commercials, documentaries and even corporate applications,"" Thorpe noted. ""Being able to offer the HDW-F900 and HDC-900/950, each switchable between all of the world's primary picture capture rates, and especially including the 24P defacto global standard, will greatly enhance their flexibility in dealing with their broad and increasingly international client base. This, coupled with the flexibility of the HDW-F500 studio VTR creates the ultimate acquisition and editing package."" The HDC-900 is a full-featured studio/OB camera, utilizing Sony's 2.2 million-sensor PowerHADô Frame-Interline Transfer (FIT) CCD imagers. The HDC-950 is a companion portable camera that matches the performance and operational features of the HDC-900. Both units offer advanced 12-bit Digital Signal Processing (DSP) and utilize the comprehensive control infrastructure currently used in Sony's well-established BVP line of studio/portable cameras. ""For the many sports, live event programs and high-end prime time productions that will feed the emerging DTV world, a variety of digital HD and SD distribution formats will be required by diversified clients,"" Thorpe added. ""The beauty of these systems is they are all switchable - both in picture capture rate, progressive or interlace scan, and the final digital HD and SD formats delivered by the camera CCUs. Thus, they service all program variants while also ensuring a reliable migration path as the industry settles on future DTV production formats of preference."" According to Thorpe, these products reflect Sony's support of the new world standard forged by the ITU and represent an innovative solution to the challenges of a multi-format DTV age. ""These cameras and VTR demonstrate our commitment to a future of progressive scan DTV, while also fully protecting the huge established universe of interlace HD and SD,"" he said, adding that Sony continues with longer-term development plans to extend to a full 1080/60P system in the future.