THE KEYstory at IBC2012 in my estimation was about prices rather than technology. Huge savings in broadcast and post production equipment costs have been made over recent decades through the adoption of software-based systems running on mass-produced computer platforms. Hence the unstoppable rise of file-based editing and media asset management, accelerated by the transition to file-based content-capture. Similar cost reductions are
now evident at every point in the content-creation, refinement and delivery chain, from cameras and lighting to racks-room infrastructure and transmission. IBC2012 was where you could talk through with suppliers some of the real-world issues that don’t get covered in their promotional PDFs. A useful aspect of big shows such as IBC and NAB is that you get to meet technical staff from the source manufacturers. These people generally don’t attend the smaller shows, particularly where a company is represented by a local reseller. The question to ask is whether a given piece of low- price-ticket hardware is built to withstand heavy-duty operation
or is meant for less demanding prosumer operation.
Compact 1920x1080 (2K)
camcorders at accountant- friendly prices have already received huge publicity. One trend now very evident is the competition for market share between D-SLR-based cameras, traditional over-the- shoulder camcorders and new entrants such as Blackmagic Design’s Cinema Camera. Another is the increasing
the horizontal directionality of traditional lenticular filtering. Marginally more interesting was a demonstration by Budapest-based Holografika in the IBC Future Zone. Also autostereoscopic, this allowed viewers to see additional depth information by changing their horizontal viewing angle. An ingenious 3D post
production tool was demonstrated by Quantel. Already in use by Burbank-
‘The question to ask is whether a given piece of low price-ticket hardware is built to withstand heavy-duty operation or is meant for less demanding prosumer operation’
affordability and compactness of remotely steerable and adjustable video heads that allow a single operator or a very small team to control a large number of cameras located practically anywhere.
Where’s 3D now? Interest in 3D among exhibitors and visitors was subdued. Sony and Dolby both showed the latest versions of the autostereoscopic 3D screens they introduced to NAB conventioneers in April. The ongoing aim is to overcome
based Stereo D LLC, SynthIA compares incoming video from stereo-paired cameras and calculates the relative depth of the various image components. This data can then be used to adjust the apparent interaxial distance between left and right camera positions, typically to correct the excessive depth resulting from over-wide spacing. Given the increasingly competitive pricing of conventional HD equipment, it is no surprise that a growing number
of manufacturers are pressing for an upshift to 4K. This is very rough shorthand for a range of image resolutions all hovering around what a digital stills photographer would dismissively describe as 9 megapixels. 4K cameras now available include the Red One (4096x2304 pixels), Red Epic (4096x2160), JVC GY-HMQ10 (3840x2160), Sony CineAlta F65 (4096x2160), plus two new cameras from Canon (EOS C500 and the EOS- 1D C D-SLR, both 4096x2160). Display manufacturers are
4K cameras now include Red One, Red Epic, JVC GY-HMQ10 and Sony CineAlta F65, plus the Canon EOS C500 (pictured) and the EOS-1 C D-SLR
moving in the same direction but, as with early standard- definition flat
screens, at astronomic prices.
4K demos Continuing its ‘Believe Beyond HD’ theme, Sony demonstrated an
experimental application of 4K in a content
acquisition role for traditional 1920x1080. A pair of 4K cameras were placed side by side and carefully matched to generate an 8Kx2K panorama (32:9 aspect ratio). This was used to cover an entire sports field, the accompanying hardware allowing a producer to track the action in HD with a respectably high degree of horizontal and vertical freedom. Elsewhere on the Sony stand,
impressively clean compressed (50Mbps H.264-encoded) 4K live transmission via SES Astra satellite was demonstrated on an 84-inch LCD screen to show that 4K really does have a practical future for delivery to the home. Post production software designers are meanwhile being encouraged to support 4K. Signs of affordable 4K
infrastructure are already appearing. AJA Video Systems