PBE to highlight 'migration to quality' at IBC

Panasonic Broadcast Europe (PBE) will use IBC 2002 to highlight their product strategy of helping customers move to higher quality production with HD and Digital Cinema as a key part of the process.
Key elements of what Panasonic say is an evolutionary process, will be the first European showing of Panasonic's DV Digital Cinema camcorder with 24p film style output and Panasonic's variable frame rate camera, Varicam. Panasonic are also launching a new generation of entry-level DVCPRO50 equipment, making 50Mbps increasingly attractive as a production standard.
PBE Managing Director, Ted Taylor said, "We are seeing the start of a trend to higher quality acquisition, production and storage. Content owners and broadcasters are conscious of needing to extend the life of their valuable programme archive and aware of increasingly enhanced display technology in the home and workplace and its growing impact on archiving policy. Panasonic is well-positioned to take advantage of these major trends."
For the first time in Europe, Panasonic will show the DV Digital Cinema (AG- DVX100) camcorder with 24p film style output enabling material to be easily used with film and news documentary material. This is the first DV camcorder with 24p capability. Panasonic are also to introduce 24p capability with the AJ-SDX900 DVCPRO Cinema Camera which has switchable 25/50Mpbs capability.
The camcorder is part of a new range of DVCPRO50 equipment, significantly reducing the cost of ownership and making 50Mbps an increasingly attractive and all-purpose production platform. New enhancements to the range also provide easy steps to HD production at 720p.
With growing HD sales in Europe, Panasonic are highlighting a number of major developments across the HD range. The variable frame rate HD camera Varicam, is showing its new powerful cine gamma facility for the first time in Europe with similar characteristics to film cameras. Varicam is rapidly gaining critical acclaim and support among cinematographers in Europe and the USA. Panasonic are also to show the HD-D5 mastering VTR with significant sales of the system in Italy, Germany and the UK in the run-up to IBC.
Panasonic are also to show their range of new display technology including plasmas and LCD monitors. While in networking, production and archiving, Panasonic is also showing major introductions at this year's IBC 2002.
Panasonic Broadcast Europe, www.panasonic-broadcast.com
(SP)