xdcam
Latest
Sony broadcasts three-chip PMW-200 XDCAM with Android or iOS remote control app
If you're the reporter and camera operator for K-STIX, Sony's got good news: they just unveiled the PMW-200 XDCAM, and you can control it with your smartphone. The camcorder features a broadcast-friendly 50Mbps data rate drawing from three half-inch CMOS sensors -- bigger than any other broadcast handheld cam, according to Sony -- though that size is still a far cry from its own super-35 filmmaking cams and others on the market. The Japanese company claims the chips provide "exceptional" low-light powers, and other features include 30fps at 1080P or 60fps at 720P, a 14x zoom lens, 3.5-inch 852 x 480 LCD display and a 15 second pre-record cache. The camera will be available by September, but the aforementioned WiFi adapter for Android or iOS remote control won't fly in until the end of the year. Pricing has yet to be announced, but if you need an easier way to multitask or the approving nod from that rigid broadcaster, check the PR for all the specs.
Sony PMW-100 camcorder brings 50Mbps bitrate in an itty-bitty package
When is full 1920 x 1080 footage not really HD? When a broadcaster rejects it for not meeting its 50Mbps bitrate criteria. There's only a few handheld cameras that can capture video with such gentle compression, and a lot of those require a third-party add-on recorder to achieve it -- but not Sony's new XDCAM shooter, the PMW-100. It has a 1/2.9-inch Exmor sensor sitting behind a 40-400mm (35mm equivalent) zoom lens and outputs 1080p, 1080i, and 720p at up to 50Mbps using MPEG HD422 compression. SxS cards are the primary media, but there's HD/SD-SDI output too should you still need it. Sound recording is equally data-heavy, letting you hear interviewees dodge questions in four channels of glorious 24-bit uncompressed 48kHz audio -- unless of course your diminutive kit fools them into thinking you're harmless. The PMW-100 should start shipping in May for an as yet undisclosed price, but in the meantime you'll find more specs in the PR after the break.
Sony shoots out CineAlta F65 4K camera and PMW-TD300 3D camcorder at NAB
The current trend in the world of home theater may seem like 3D cinematography is all the hype these days, but Sony's latest imager in its CineAlta family begs to differ. Unveiled at the 2011 NAB Show, this F65 mammoth camera (pictured right) packs one beastly 20.4 megapixel, Super 35mm CMOS sensor -- a huge leap from the F35's 12.4 megapixel 1080p CCD. Aside from the obvious quantitative difference, what's special about this new chip is that unlike the Bayer BG-GR subpixel matrix on conventional 4K sensors, here we have green pixels forming the 4K grid while an RB-BR matrix fills in the space, thus doubling the number of horizontal pixels to 8K for a finer 4K picture (see illustration after the break), as well as allowing better visual effects editing using the extra data. What's more, this sensor is fast -- not only can it capture up to 72fps on 4K, but it can also crank up to a smooth 120fps on 2K. As for those seeking to squeeze out every bit of detail from their clips, don't worry: the F65's got you covered with a 16-bit RAW output (19Gbps) at 4K resolution, or it can be compressed to 5Gbps for the convenience of recording onto the new SR-R4 portable 4K recorder. Looks like Sony's finally found a candidate that'll put a lid on film stock, but then again, at the end of the day it'll depend on the price tag when it comes out in Q3 this year. Of course, Sony isn't going to just ignore the 3D scene here. Also announced at NAB is the PMW-TD300, which will be the first professional 3D camcorder sporting a shoulder mount. Featuring a pair of Exmor 3CMOS sensors, hardcore cameramen will finally be able to go mobile with this new toy while filming 3D in 1080p. Not sure how the videos will turn out, though -- we're not keen on the idea of watching shaky and potentially nauseating 3D captured by someone running along the sideline. Anyhow, this camera will be up for grabs in Autumn this year. [Thanks, Blackjack]
ABC's World News Tonight and Nightline enter high definition tonight
ABC's push for HD evening news comes to a head tonight, when World News with Charles Gibson and Nightline both hit your screen in 720p from the Democratic National Convention. Besides covering both conventions in HD -- and there'll be plenty of that in the '08 campaign -- when they return to the studio in September the HD love continues. 20/20, Primetime and World News on the weekend will all be HDTV-ready shortly after. B & C reveals ABC News is deploying the same Sony XDCAMs -- full HD newsgathering is on hold 'til 2009 -- used to bring home high definition Survivor this fall, add in a tropical location and it would likely be hard to tell which one we're watching.
Survivor starts first HD season September 18
Mark your calendars, the 17th season of Survivor makes its HD debut September 18. The entire fall debut schedule for the 2008-09 CBS lineup is available at TV Squad or in the embedded video after the break, but considering there's just one top rated show that we've waited years to watch (or not watch, considering the glut of reality TV) we'll focus on this one for a moment. Apparently this season's caught the bug of production problems already, although none seem to have anything to do with Sony's slick XDCAM production system that promises real time human drama, backstabbing and tribal council votes in 1080i.[Via TV Squad]
Sony's PMW-EX3 camcorder gets reviewed
If Sony's recently announced Full HD PMW-EX3 camcorder has skyrocketed to the top of your must-have list, you're probably interested to find out exactly how it performs before setting aside 13 large. Thankfully, Philip Bloom has done just that, grabbing the aforesaid camcorder and spending three full days critiquing it. On the whole, Mr. Bloom couldn't find much to kvetch about, noting that the design and ergonomics were excellent and the subtle tweaks in controls were well thought-out. Still, he did note that it was really an improved EX1 at its core, but that's far from being a negative comment. Give the read link a visit for the full-blown review, and check out a short shot with the EX3 while you're over.[Thanks, Nathaniel]
Sony's Full HD PMW-EX3 camcorder outed at NAB
As the HD camcorder onslaught continues, Sony is making sure it doesn't get left out by showcasing the PMW-EX3 in Las Vegas. Aside from handling interchangeable lenses, this cam also features a trifecta of 0.5-inch CCDs with Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) resolution, native 24p support, XDCAM HD EX recording on dual SxS cards, HD-SDI output, USB / 4-pin FireWire sockets and an optional 60GB disk recorder that plugs in via a SxS slot. Of course, we seriously hope you're planning to put this on the studio's plastic -- after all, it's not like you want that $13,000 charge hitting your card, right?[Via Broadcast Newsroom]
Sesame Street, Cops, ESPN and more rolling out HD with Sony
Sony's NAB 2008 announcements continue to roll out, hope you didn't think Survivor and OLED were the only items getting a touch of its HD DNA, because Fox Widescreen standby Cops is going real HD for its 21st season courtesy of Sony's XDCAM technology. Just like Survivor, the rugged disc-based system makes it easy for producers to make the HD upgrade. While PBS' sets may not be as rough as the mean streets, we can still appreciate the news that Sesame Street has switched to HD with a whole new studio based on Sony's equipment that will also see use in several other projects on the way. Finally, ESPN has stayed ahead of the curve on high definition, and is putting the company's tech to work in its L.A. Live studio. Big Bird, extreme sports and repeat criminal offenders? Our HDTVs say bring it on.Read - Sesame StreetRead - XDCAM technology, Survivor & CopsRead - ESPN L.A. Live studio
Survivor meets HDTV for the first time this summer
That's right, one of the biggest shows still stuck in 480i is making the switch when it begins shooting this summer, as announced by Sony and CBS at NAB2008. Coming into its 17th season (to air in early 2009), it's the first CBS reality show to make the HD jump, via Sony's XDCAM production system. Executive producer Mark Burnett is calling it a "new era" for the show, we're calling it "about time". It's just a bit embarrassing that the Miss USA pageant made the jump first, but we won't complain about more HD footage from the beautiful locales Survivor tends to visit. No word on how much that extra resolution will cost CBS, but with more people buying HDTVs everyday we don't see how they could afford not to.
Sony announces XDCAM EX prosumer camcorder
NAB brings the prosumer a new choice in camcorders this morning with this, Sony's XDCAM EX. This tapeless MPEG-2 recorder will snag images captured by a trio of half-inch imagers to a pair of Sony's (and Sandisk's) new SxS 16GB ExpressCard flash modules for up to 120 minutes of high-definition video. It's switchable between 1080/60i and 720/60P, and capable of recording at 1080/50i/30P/25P/24P and 720/50P. No official word on dates or pricing yet but they'll probably slip in around the time the SxS cards hit which is sometime "later in 2007." Picture of the SxS flash card after the break.
Sony's PDW-70MD XDCAM HD recorder gets official
We'll admit, we too noticed the stark irony in Sony -- the firm at least somewhat responsible for recalling millions of potentially harmful batteries -- releasing a gizmo to benefit the medical field, but regardless, we can't deny the impressiveness of the PDW-70MD XDCAM HD recorder. While we caught wind of this thing awhile back, it's now getting official with a full list of specs and a hefty pricetag to boot. Taking high definition recording to a field that can genuinely benefit from more detailed captures, the device can "record and store up to two hours of MPEG2 video on a 23GB PFD-23 XDCAM disc" (wasn't this another failed attempt by Sony's proprietary format department?), which is sealed to help prevent scratches and "preserve data with minimal degradation for more than 50 years." Doctors can store HD video of medical procedures in crisp 1,440 x 1,080 resolution, view colored thumbnails of the footage on the 3.5-inch LCD monitor, and control the action with the bevy of front-mounted controls. Of course, the two biggest factors that prove the PDW-70MD is tailored for medical use is the inability to use a recordable format that the general public can acquire (and afford), and moreover, the $14,995 pricetag that only cash-generating hospitals are likely to glance over.[Via MedGadget]
Apple and Sony launch 12 city XDCAM tour
Sony is releasing some free software that will allow Final Cut Pro to support native XDCAM HD editing (which sounds impressive, though I am not video guru). Apple and Sony are hosting a series of seminars to spread the word about this, so RSVP (if you're city is on the list that is).
