Nab2012
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Red claims Dragon is 'single most significant sensor in the history of image capture'
Red Camera's bombastic CEO, Jim Jannard, says that internal testing of the new 6K Dragon sensor proves that it's the new "resolution and dynamic range king." He also claims it will be "the cleanest sensor you have ever seen, ISO 2000 looks better than MX [the current sensor] at ISO 800." The imaging chip was first outed at NAB in April, promising 15+ stops of DR and 120fps at a full 5K of resolution, with $6,000 upgrades for Epic customers by the end of the year. Owners of the $9,700 (brain only) Scarlet-X will also get the Dragon, though no price or date has been given yet for that camera. Needless to say, some independent testing will be needed to substantiate his claims, but Jannard sure does sound confident.
NAB 2012 wrap-up
"That's a wrap!" Finally, an appropriate use for that industry cliché, since, ya know, we really are at a motion picture / television conference. As our first trip to the National Association of Broadcasters' annual event in Las Vegas fires its last frame, we're going to roll to the credits, honoring all those products that enabled us to justify spending a week in Sin City on the company dime. From Canon's 4K-capable 1D C (that'll sadly run you far more than $4k) to RED's Dragon sensor upgrade set to render "obsolescence obsolete," there's plenty to look forward to in the world of cinematography. We also happened upon a few consumer-facing gadgets, including Ceton's new DVR companion apps for Android and iOS, that Lenscaster SLR lens mount for iPad and a new Dolby 3D standard that could help propel glasses-free 3D into mass production. That's but a small sampling of the gadgets at NAB 2012, however, so jump past the break for all our hands-ons from the show.
Hauppauge announces StreamEez to broadcast live HD video
Hauppauge, not satisfied with only bringing DVR-like functions to the Broadway this week -- has unleashed a new box called the StreamEez that links your HD video camera to your computer for live broadcasts. HDMI or component video hook it up on the cam side, USB on the computer side. It uses H.264 video compression and is compatible with sites like USTREAM that require the RTMP protocol. The box plus Windows software starts at $299. Everything but the price probably sounds pretty familiar since the incredibly similar Livestream Broadcaster is also just about on the scene, though, it'll run you about $195 more. Take a gander at the PR after the break.
GoPro HD Hero 2's free ProTune upgrade will add 24fps and higher bitrates
On the show floor at NAB 2012 GoPro had more to show off than just a finalized version of its $99 WiFi BacPac and Remote Control kit we saw at CES, announcing a ProTune firmware update that should bring an all new level of quality to its existing HD Hero 2 cameras -- for free. Once it's released in the in the summer, the new ProTune mode will enable owners to record their video at a new 35Mbps data rate, and shoot at 24fps to more easily intercut it with other sources later. Also integral to the new software is the "CineStyle" color profile developed by Technicolor that will let pros and prosumers streamline their workflow and produce better looking videos. We got a look at some of the video shot with beta versions of the new firmware aboard and the tweaks did plenty to enhance the color balance and image quality we were already impressed by earlier this month in the desert. Unsurprisingly given the pro atmosphere here at NAB, GoPro is also continuing to push the Cineform codec it acquired last year. There are press releases after the break as well as a few more pictures in the gallery, including a few more of its new underwater dive housing (above) with a flat front to reduce blurring and vignetting.
Padcaster / Lenscaster lets you mount SLR lenses on iPad, we go hands-on at NAB (video)
Think people look ridiculous shooting stills or video with an iPad? Try throwing an SLR lens into the equation as well. Manhattan Edit Workshop founder Josh Apter developed the Padcaster as an inexpensive solution for mounting an Apple iPad on a tripod. And why would you want to do such a thing? With 1080p video capture, built-in LTE and a on-board editing suite, such a device makes for an excellent on-the-go all-in-one, letting you shoot, cut and transmit video with a single package. One major aspect of visual storytelling that the tablet doesn't excel at, however, is emphasizing details with blurred backgrounds, along with magnifying your subject with optical zoom. Enter the Lenscaster. This universal lens mount lets you use a standard 35mm adapter to attach any SLR optic to the iPad camera, enabling a small variety of hardware-driven optical effects, including shallow depth of field, manual focus and a zoom option that doesn't result in detail loss. Apter took the Padcaster and Lenscaster along on a demo shoot in New York City's Union Square, interviewing passersby with a Cinevate 35mm lens adapter, 85mm f/1.4 Carl Zeiss lens and a Sennheiser MKH-60 shotgun mic, all mounted to a Padcaster-equipped new iPad. The mounting duo may note be visually appealing from a physical perspective, but the resulting footage does look convincing -- you can see it in full after the break. The Padcaster's aluminum frame even doubles as a DSLR cage, letting you assemble a pro rig complete with camera, lens, mic and lights after removing the urethane iPad insert. The designer is also working on an iPad insert, though the tablet-sized contraption may prove to be overkill when paired with a pocketable smartphone. The Padcaster will be available soon for "about $200," while the Lenscaster attachment should ship for an additional 60 bucks. You'll also need to factor in a magnification optic to compensate for the distance between the iPad and the lens, along with a 35mm adapter, both of which are not included. The device is also unable to take full advantage of the iPad's resolution, creating black borders around the image, which you'll notice in the sample video, positioned just below our hands-on video right after the break.
Bella KillerKeys brings desktops shortcuts and control to iOS for $20, we go hands-on (video)
Creative types working their magic on Windows may already be familiar with KillerKeys, a desktop app that brings push-button control to most Adobe apps, Microsoft Office, Sony Vegas and a few others, letting you tap a preset action rather than digging through a multi-layer menu or remembering hundreds of keyboard shortcuts -- if you use any of these apps as part of your workflow, the $10 (and up) investment certainly seems to be worthwhile. Now, Bella, the company behind KillerKeys, is bringing the tool to iOS (the iPad, more specifically), letting you tap your intentions on your tab, rather than using the mouse to click around the desktop. You can group buttons by function, and the panel adjusts automatically to match the current app -- there's also an application launcher available at the bottom corners of the display, which helps to minimize your mouse time. To that end, you'll also find an on-screen trackpad (which unfortunately wasn't functional during the company's demo at NAB), and once it's enabled you'll be able to reposition your pointer from the tablet, letting you hide that cumbersome mouse. Initially, the app will only be available for iOS when it ships next month, though an Android version is in the works, as is a Mac OS version of KillerKeys, which should launch with the iPad app. The mobile application will set you back $10, and you'll also need to pick up a copy of KillerKeys, which ranges in price from $10 for a home and student addition to $90 for the whole shebang. Check out the hands-on demo after the break.
Dolby 3D on prototype 4K display and HTC Evo 3D hands-on (video)
Truth be told, we haven't been wildly impressed with the glasses-free 3D solutions we've seen to date, be it because of the limited viewing angles, unconvincing picture or lack of availability here in the US. That could soon change, however, if Dolby's version of the three-dimensional experience makes its way to a production-ready television set. Best known for its audio technologies, the company just launched its own 3D standard in cooperation with Philips, called Dolby 3D. The platform-agnostic solution is far from ready to make its way into your living room, but it's conceptually sound, and the prototype 4K 3D TV and mobile versions being demonstrated at Dolby's NAB booth make us hopeful for the future. As with all displays -- especially those that support 3D -- you'll really need to see to believe, but we had an opportunity to do just that, and walked away very impressed. The 56-inch 4K prototype display is viewable from nearly any angle, with 24 different viewpoints, though you'll really need to be front and center for the greatest 3D effect. Side viewing is certainly possible; you'll just sacrifice some depth in the process. Even from the front, 3D appears slightly muted compared to what we've seen with passive- and active-glasses equivalents, though we can't say that we mind much, considering that the image is still dramatic enough when you need it to be, such as when displaying scenes with significant depth. The company was also demonstrating Dolby 3D on an HTC Evo 3D along with a nondescript tablet, where an on-screen slider lets you dim the three-dimensional intensity just as you would adjust the volume, enabling you to customize the experience to suit your needs. Since Dolby 3D is merely a display standard, we won't be seeing any branded televisions or smartphones, though perhaps we'll see some third-party adaptations come CES 2013. Jump past the break to see it in action.
Ceton previews DVR companion apps on Android and iOS, teases Echo beta 'soon'
A quick stop by the Intel pavilion here at NAB 2012 revealed our friends from Ceton hiding within, and even though we just saw the Q DVR and Echo companion extender on our last trip to Vegas a few months ago, there's a few new items to show already. As shown above, the mobile companion app that we had only seen so far on Windows Phone 7 is also up and running on Android and iOS. While the apps are still very early in their development they're already running smoothly with metadata provided by Rovi and the usual set of features for DVR scheduling and management. Each one is designed specifically for the platform it's running on, rather than pulling the same UI from one device to all. This seems like a good approach to us, but Ceton's looking for feedback from potential users about what they might prefer. Speaking of potential users -- all those interested in this hardware should keep an eye out as we're told that the plan is to have a beta for the DTS-compatible Echo extender "soon", likely within a few weeks.
Curved panel gives more depth to 3D projections, we take a look at NAB (video)
What we're about to show you is decidedly low-tech -- it's essentially a projection screen with a sharp curve at the bottom -- but the resulting effect conveys a more realistic 3D image, for certain applications, at least. The Communications Research Centre of Canada was on hand at NAB to demonstrate a small variety of lab projects, with agency representatives hoping to make an impression on attendees, who will theoretically apply these concepts to actual products, with no licensing fee making its way back to the True North. This particular project employs an off-the-shelf Optoma 3D projector, active glasses and a white screen positioned with a dramatic curve, that essentially works to provide a platform for 3D subjects to stand on. Believe it or not, the config really does make a difference, enabling a more immersive experience that makes 3D objects appear more realistic, assuming they're positioned in such a way that they're standing on the near-horizontal portion of the screen. Research Technologist Ron Renaud says that such a configuration would be ideal for video conferencing -- it's still no match for an in-person meeting, but it's certainly an improvement over the traditional approach. The demonstration projector wasn't configured to compensate for the curve, which theoretically makes it subject to warping, though we didn't notice any issues at the show. Like all 3D displays, you'll really need to see it for yourself to get an accurate impression of the experience, but jump past the break for an overview with Renaud, and a closer look at the screen.
JVC demos GY-HM600, launches HM650 Mobile News Camera with WiFi and FTP at NAB
Sure, you can always roll up with a full-blown sat truck or a camera tethered to a ViaSat SurfBeam 2 Pro Portable, or you can pick up the JVC GY-HM650, which lets you beam those video bytes back to base with any ole hotspot. The company's Mobile News Camera packs a trio of 1/3-inch 1080p 12-bit sensors, a 29-667mm lens, 3.5-inch LCD, SDXC compatibility and HD-SDI outputs, but it also includes WiFi connectivity with FTP server support, letting you record then automatically transmit footage back to a newsroom for editing and broadcast. The camera itself is very compact, considering that it's primarily suited for professional news applications, and also includes all the standard audio hook-ups, like dual XLR jacks, a shotgun mic holder, headphone jack and a separate connector for a wireless mic receiver, along with GPS and Android/iOS app control. JVC also launched another model, the GY-HM600, which offers similar features, save for those wireless connectivity bits. Both cameras look nearly identical, though the company only had the less-abled 600 on display at NAB. That camera will retail for $4,695 when it hits in the fall, while the 650 will cost you $1,000 more, with a winter 2012 shipping estimate. We weren't able to peek at the WiFi model at the show, but you'll be able to get a fairly good idea of how that camera will look in the glass-enclosed HM600 shots below.
Canon shows off prototype 30-inch 4K reference display, won't put a price tag on love
With 4K cameras suddenly popping up everywhere we look at NAB 2012, it's little surprise that Canon is showing off this matching 30-inch prototype intended for the very professionals tasked with mastering video shot by its latest hardware. Like the retina display, it produces an effect where no matter how close you're standing it's still impossible to pick out the individual pixels, and easily matched what we'd seen from a prototype 20-inch 4K LCD from Panasonic at CES. The people we spoke to who handled some of the work on Canon's demo footage preferred it to their 2K projectors for the clarity and ability to get pixel accurate representations of the source material, plus it probably fits more easily into a production suite. The big question from all who see this in person is when will it be available and for how much, and while Canon says it's due to ship this year, we're on our own to speculate about the (surely astronomical) price.
Livestream Broadcaster hands-on
According to CEO Max Haot the logical next step for Livestream -- now well established as a reliable service for bringing live video feeds to the internet -- is just to get more people distributing live video by any means necessary. To that end, the company is jumping into the hardware business with this palm-sized Livestream Broadcaster unit that just went up for preorders a few days ago. With a subsidized price of $495, it connects to video cameras directly over HDMI then reencodes and uploads the video on the fly to the company's servers (unlimited streaming costs $45 per month, each encoder comes with three months free) via Ethernet, WiFi or a 3G / 4G USB dongle. Even on the wireless-internet challenged LVCC floor it was sending several streams and enabling user control via buttons on the unit itself, or remotely from a PC or iPhone / iPad. These boxes are still on target to ship at the end of May and and showed off everything those without the backing of a tech / media conglomerate (cough), like small businesses or independent bloggers, would need to make their productions available for viewing as they happen.
THX manages AV settings for pros and consumers with Cinespace HD and Media Director
The Star Wars Blu-ray boxed set was the first movie to ship with THX's Media Director technology built-in, which works with compatible hardware to automatically configure AV settings for optimal quality on that title, so it's no surprise the Lucasfilm produced Red Tails is next up for the treatment. Of course, the key element there is compatible hardware, and unfortunately there's not much new to report there since it announced deals with HDI and a few others at CES, although we're assured the team is working on expanding support for its metadata from embedded chip manufacturers. On the content creation side THX also has something to offer with its cineCube HD, a slimmed down edition of its cineSpace offering designed to control color management at every step of the production process for the way it will eventually appear on Blu-ray. There's more details on exactly what it does and how in the press releases, although the real proof will likely be seen in the movies and TV shows it's used on.
DJI multi-rotor aircraft with Ruling live video feed controller hands-on (video)
Well that's a mouthful. Shenzhen-based DJI Innovations was on hand at NAB today to demonstrate its new hex-rotor aircraft, designed to provide photographers (and videographers) with a low-cost tool for capturing aerial images. The vehicle we saw today, coined Spreading Wings S800 (its rotors retract for storage) is a fairly straightforward multi-rotor aircraft, save for a couple pretty slick enhancements. Even more impressive, however, was DJI's Ruling, a "ground control terminal" that enables you to adjust not only aircraft direction and elevation, but also the camera position, complete with a live video feed as captured by a Sony NEX-5N mounted on a multi-axis camera gimbal. The camera mount is designed to maintain a stable image regardless of the craft's position -- once it's fixed on a subject, it will adjust to retain the pre-selected angle. The Ruling controller is very much still a prototype, with a yet-unpolished military green plastic housing and a built-in LCD. There's also dual joysticks -- one on the left to adjust the camera platform, and a second on the right to control the aircraft itself, letting you climb, descend and turn in every which way with a flick. The duo was very responsive during a brief demonstration, making calculated movements with what looked to be precise accuracy. The video feed was interrupted slightly by the multitude of wireless connections littering the Las Vegas Convention Center airwaves, but reps were still able to verify framing and adjust position -- the aircraft itself never faltered, with a maximum range of 10 kilometers (5km for the video feed, in ideal conditions). The Spreading Wings S800 is available for pre-order now and is expected to ship next month for roughly $8,500. That clever live video controller will cost you another pretty penny, however, with an estimated $5,000 price tag and a TBD ship date. You'll want to take a closer look in the video after the break.
Ceton's Echo Extender for Media Center will be the first to support DTS surround sound
What's the Echo Extender for Media Center got that no other Extender for Media Center has? Support for DTS surround sound, that's what. The catch of course is that the Echo is still just on track for "later in 2012," but the press release after the break is a welcome reminder that the first new Extender for Media Center since 2008 is actually going to happen. Unfortunately, there's still no new updates on price, availability or really anything other than the fact that you'll be able to enjoy your favorite content in surround sound that is encoded with DTS -- hopefully that's enough for now.
RED 9-inch touchscreen, OLED EVF and Meizler Module eyes-on (video)
Deep-pocketed RED owners take heed. The company just demoed some pretty nifty module updates, including an OLED EVF, a new 9-inch touchscreen and the crown jewel Meizler Module, which brings to the table such features as wireless 1080p transmission, a wireless timecode transceiver and full wireless lens control -- we're particularly taken with that last feature, which effectively enables remote-controlled follow focus, aperture and zoom control. The new 9-inch will also come in handy with wireless control, making it easier to verify sharpness and exposure. It features the same touch functionality of its smaller sibling, giving you full control of the camera. The display will likely draw some attention when mounted on an EPIC, which is noticeably smaller than the LCD itself, but once you toss on a lens and power pack, the rig looks slightly better proportioned. That's the good news. The bad news is the price -- you're looking at a cool $13,000 for that wireless module, which is named after its designer, assistant camera Steven Meizler, while the Bomb OLED EVF can be had as an upgrade for $1,200 (if you're willing to trade in your LCD version), or $3,900 if you plan to buy it outright. You can head over to the Red Store to pick that device up today, though you'll need to hang tight for the Meizler and 9-inch LCD, both of which are expected to launch later this year. You'll get an up-close look at all the new gear in the gallery below, and you'll also find a video overview with RED's Ted Schilowitz when you venture past the break.
Blackmagic Cinema Camera packs 'feature film' 2.5K quality, touchscreen for $2,995
While Canon, Sony and Red have already stolen the show with new camera announcements here at NAB 2012, Blackmagic Design is trying to carve out a niche for its new Cinema Camera. Priced at $2,995, where the company sees this as differing from the competition is its ability to capture film quality video on its 2.5K sensor and output it to CinemaDNG RAW, ProRes and DNxHD file formats. That camera housing can take Canon or Zeiss lenses on the front, contains a built-in SSD within and has a capacitive touchscreen display for control and metadata entry. Once you've captured the video, the included copy of DaVinci Resolve can take care of all color correction needs, while the video can be pulled from the SSD over a variety of high speed ports including BNC SDI and Thunderbolt. Check out a few in-person pics in our gallery below and more specs in the press release after the break.
RED Dragon 6K sensor upgrade eyes-on (video)
"Obsolescence Obsolete" -- that's RED's tagline for the just-announced Dragon sensor upgrade, which is set to bring 6K resolution to EPIC and Scarlet cameras beginning later this year. The sensor module was on display at the company's NAB booth today, under a backlit case that could only have been designed to make photographing the new chip a near-impossible task. We did manage to snag a few frames of the device, which appears as a mere silhouette to the naked eye. Sensors aren't designed for us to look at, however -- they're supposed to do the looking -- so we won't get any more hung up on the presentation. Existing RED camera owners can look forward to an incredibly impressive 15+ stops of native dynamic range and up to 120 frames-per-second at resolutions up to 5K. And as we discovered earlier today, the upgrade will roll out to EPIC owners sometime in 2012 for $6,000 while Scarlet users will need to hang tight for a release date, and a price tag. That's all we've got as far as details go, so click on through the gallery below for a flashlight-enhanced peek at the Dragon.
REDray 4K cinema laser projector and player eyes-on (video)
There's no better way to control the visual experience from shoot to show than to create the camera and the projector. That's likely the thinking behind the REDray, the 4K laser cinema projector making an appearance at the company's NAB booth today. The device supports 2D and passive 3D (up to 120fps in 3D mode), with 4K projection for each eye and has a rated laser life of over 25,000 hours. While the device itself is likely to be hidden behind glass in an elevated projector room, the REDray has the same industrial look and feel of its Scarlet and Epic capturing counterparts, with a solid matte metal construction, heavy duty bolts and dedicated access panels for the lens filter, the laser phase adjustment oscillator and the angular refraction aberration indexer. There's also a T1.8 50mm lens mounted up front, sufficiently completing the beautifully monstrous package. Also on display was the tablet-controlled REDray Player, which includes four HDMI 1.4 video outputs with 7.1-channel audio output, the ability to move 4K video to the internal hard drive and an SD reader for ingesting content. You'll also find dual gigabit Ethernet ports, along with USB and eSATA connectors. The projector experience is much less about the hardware than it is the projections themselves, which certainly did a justice here -- especially considering the imaging device's mid-development status. During a screening of the 3D short Loom, which was shot with the RED Epic, images looked fantastic with accurate color and excellent dynamic range, allowing us to see every detail in a contrasty dark scene, where we were able to make out a very dimly lit female actress. The projection was incredibly sharp on the 24-inch foot screen, despite the film being displayed with 2K for each eye, rather than the maximum 4K. There will be two versions of the REDray projector, including a home theater flavor that supports screens up to 15 feet in size that'll ring in at under $10,000, and a professional model with support for larger venues. RED CEO Jim Jannard confirmed that the home-bound version will ship sometime this year, though he was unable to provide a more precise ship date. We weren't permitted to record video during the screening -- which is for the best, considering that there's really no way to do this thing justice -- but you can still flip through the gallery below for an early look at REDray.
We're live from NAB 2012 in Las Vegas!
Three months ago to the day, we were packing up our CES trailer and making a run for the airport, expecting another year to pass before our return to Sin City. But now, as the National Association of Broadcasters' annual trade show has begun overlapping with the consumer electronics market -- from a gear perspective, at least -- we've decided to make our way back to the desert, calling this oasis home for another week in 2012. If you're a high-end camera buff, this is the show for you, with Canon, Sony and RED introducing products that are sadly priced out of reach of photo enthusiasts, but carry mass appeal among professionals with million-dollar equipment budgets, and a need to shoot with the latest and greatest digital devices. It's yet unclear what else we may see at this year's NAB, but rest assured that we'll be scouring the halls of the LVCC, bringing you updates from the floor throughout the week. Protip: Use the 'NAB 2012' for the latest show news and hands-ons.
