The transition from SD to HD is gathering momentum in a two-horse race between 1080i and 720p. Two arguments can be made in favour of 720p:
1. It looks good if you live in a predominantly 525 region.
2. LCD and plasma screens capable of resolving 720p are readily available in sizes impossibly large for CRT and at prices that are now within reach of every gadget-minded family.
Even in ‘525 countries', however, broadcasters have shown a substantial preference for 1080i. In 625-line markets, 720p is largely viewed as little more than 'medium-definition', offering too little to justify the new infrastructure its introduction would require.
1080i is the clear worldwide frontrunner. 1080i-capable displays are currently only in limited production but will be very soon be as commonplace, hastened to market by the imminent introduction of HD-DVD.
The HD message has certainly not been lost on the major manufacturers, many of whom of have been gearing to produce 'affordable HD' kit over the past three years or more. This article looks as some of the newest camcorders, cameras and accessories.
JVC GY-HD7000U HDV camcorder
Priced at US$27,950 excluding lens, JVC's new GY-HD7000U is an HD/SD switchable ENG/EFP camcorder with three 2/3-inch CMOS imagers. It uses the HDV format, established by JVC, Sharp, Sony and Canon, for recording MPEG-2 compressed high definition pictures on DV. It captures 720p (24, 30, 60 frame/s) continuously up to 276 minutes on full size DV media, or up to 60 minutes on mini-DV media. In addition, it records 720p or 1080i directly to an optional Direct-To-Edit HDD module. Final camera design will be based on user feedback with market evaluation deliveries expected later this year and full manufacture scheduled for April 2006.
Sony HDV HVR-Z1 HDV camcorder
Sony offers a broad range of HD acquisition equipment, starting in affordability with its HDV derivative of DV. Introduced in October 2004, the HDV format uses MPEG-2 compression to allow 1080i video storage at the same head and tape speeds as standard definition DV. Although an entry-level format, this has galvanised many SD program-makers as it opens the door to HD production on exceptionally low equipment budgets.
Sony's HDV product family includes the HVR-Z1 camcorder, HVR-M10U VTR and HDV-optimised DigitalMaster video cassettes. Using 1/3 inch CCDs, the HVR-Z1 is claimed to be unique in its ability to record HDV and DVCAM images at 60i, 50i, in either SD or HD. An integral colour correction function allows users to adjust the colour of a target object without affecting the colour of other objects. Up to two colours can be selected as target colours and each can be controlled in terms of phase and gain as well as skin colour. A timecode/user-bit preset function allows any time to be selected as a starting timecode.
Sony XDCAM-HD camcorder
Previewed in technology demonstrations at NAB 2005 during April, Sony has developed a high-definition version of its XDCAM Professional Disc system. The objective was to gather industry input before finalising product plans. The demonstrations centred on recording HD content in the MXF file format using a newly developed HD MPEG-2 Long-GOP codec. With the HD version of XDCAM, users can record up to two hours of content on a single cassette. 720p and 1080i will both be supported. Sony also plans to maintain interoperability of the HD version of the XDCAM system with a choice of third-party non-linear editing systems.
Panasonic AG-HVX200 camcorder
Panasonic introduced at NAB the AG-HVX200, claiming it as the world's first 1080i/720p/SD multi-format camcorder. Priced at US$5,995, it has three 16:9 1/3 inch CCDs, recording to a P2 RAM card or video cassette in 1080/60i, 30p and 24p; in 720/60p, 30p and 24p; and in DVCPRO50, DVCPRO or DV. IEEE 1394 and USB 2.0 interfaces are provided to connect with a non-linear editor. The AG-HVX200 can capture four-channel non-compressed 48 kHz/16-bit audio. Recording to RAM has several minor advantages over tape, notably freedom from mechanical wear and mechanical shock plus the ability to download to an editor in much faster than real-time. But RAM prices are still high relative to tape and disc; Panasonic was charging US$2,000 per eight gigabyte P2 card in April 2005.
Grass Valley Venom flash-RAM
Grass Valley announced at NAB a dockable solid-state recorder for its Viper FilmStream digital cinematography camera and LDK 6000 Mk 2 multi-format HD camera. This is designed to form part of a chain enabling Grass Valley to offer an integrated, resolution-independent production path. The Viper FilmStream camera incorporates three 9.2 million-pixel Frame Transfer CCDs operating at 1920 X 1080 HD television resolution. Up to 10 minutes of uncompressed 10-bit 4:4:4 RGB can be captured on the Venom FlashPak. Shooting in 4:2:2 HD extends the capacity to 18 minutes.
The operating arrangement assumed by Grass Valley involves two or three Venom FlashPak systems being used on a typical shoot: one in the camera, one ready to replace it, and one writing to the transport medium to be delivered to the post house. An integral wireless interface enables a production assistant to create and edit metadata, which can be permanently associated with the content of a Venom FlashPak via a Bluetooth link. Venom FlashPak system prices start at 45,000 euro.
New cameras
Although camcorders have become commonplace studio tools for many applications that would formerly have used a camera linked to a remote recorder, the market for traditional cameras remains strong for high-end studio purposes. Grass Valley's new LDK 4000 is aimed at small-to-medium size digital production facilities. Available in 1080i and 720p versions, it has HD-DPM+ image sensors, HD triax or fibre-optic cable adapter and a two-inch or five-inch viewfinder. Price of the LDK 4000, complete with a triax adapter and a two- or five-inch viewfinder, starts at 78,000 euro.
Grass Valley's LDK 400 ITW
Grass Valley's LDK 400 ITW is a 14-bit SD dockable camera designed for studio camera applications with multi-core cables or high-end productions with triax cables. It features high sensitivity (f14 at 2000 lux) and high signal-to-noise ratio (claimed to be typically 65 dB). The LDF 400 offers users the choice between DPM and ultra-low smear IT sensors, including switchable (16:9/4:3) aspect ratio. Pricing for the LDK 400 ITW, complete with a triax adapter and a 1.5-inch viewfinder, is from 35,200 euro.
Ikegami's HDK-75EX camera
Ikegami's HDK-75EX portable digital HDTV camera is available with an optional processor frame-converter and multi-format converter designed to handle 24p, 30p, 50p, 720p, 1080i and 480i. Supplied with an integrated optical fibre adaptor, it uses newly developed 0.18 micron-pitch ICs with 12-bit A/D conversion and up to 38-bit internal digital processing. Non-linear processing such as gamma correction is performed digitally to achieve high stability. The camera weighs 4.5 kg (excluding lens), consumes 28W, and operates in conjunction with the CCU-790A camera control unit.
Iconix Remote Head camera
The combination of a miniature HD camera and a lightweight boom such as the Polecam has obvious potential as an acquisition tool. US manufacturer Iconix claims to produce the world's smallest HD camera handling 1080i/p and 720p at 24 to 60 frame/s. The Iconix Remote Head uses three 1/3-inch CCD imagers and, at around US$10,000, is a quarter the price of its competitors.
Sony HDC-X310 camera
Sony's new HDC-X310 multi-purpose HD camera adds an optical fibre interface allowing cable of almost 1 km. It uses three 1.5-megapixel 0.5 inch CCDs and has a range of scanning modes including 59.94i, 50i, 29.97psf, 25psf and 23.976psf, with 2:3 pulldown. Minimum illumination is 0.003 lux. The HDC-X300/X310 uses interchangeable lenses and costs around US$17,000.
IMC Telemmersion surround-camera
Leaving the most innovative until last, Immersive Media Company's ingenious Telemmersion system uses 11 640 x 480-pixel 30 frame/s cameras pointing outwards from a sphere midway in size between a cricket ball and a football. IMC's ImmersiViewer blends all the camera image streams together in 30 Hz real-time. Multiple ImmersiViewer units can be driven by one set of transmitted camera streams so individual viewers can experience a completely independent viewpoint via a computer monitor, video screen, or in a head-mounted display. Telemmersion image streams are also suitable for direct projection onto a dome screen. IMC's stitching software creates blended "sphere movies" showing the whole environment in motion at once, using QuickTime or Windows Media Player.
These sphere movies are suitable for recording on CD or DVD and are compatible with image standards such as MPEG-2 and MPEG-4. They can also be broadcast using HDTV resolution channels.
The IMC Telemmersion System's omnidirectional video system can be integrated with GIS systems and GPS software, and merged with features on a map, letting an operator or viewer select the layers of information based on specific requirements and drill down to get a better understanding of a place. For example, a viewer can move from a satellite map to an aerial shot to a terrestrial perspective, seeing things up, down and on all sides.
An unimpeded 360-degree perspective lets the viewer virtually walk, drive or fly through an area or situation. Production staff no longer have to visit and revisit locations. Instead, they can review immersive videos, allowing producers and directors to make informed decisions about where and how to shoot.
