Sony broadens HD options at NAB 2005

With High Definition a key priority for broadcasters and programme makers everywhere, Sony is offering an expanded range of migration options to HD production at NAB this year.
As the Sony product line-up for NAB demonstrates, professional programme makers are offered a choice of evolutionary paths to High Definition while extracting maximum value from their SD investments. Furthermore, the choice of Sony High Definition production tools allows broadcasters to stage their HD investments at a pace that matches their commercial and operational needs.
The HDC-1000 studio camera, and HDC-1500 portable camera, represent a new range of high performance, multiformat HD cameras. They use the latest Power HAD EX CCD technology together with 14 bit Analogue to Digital Conversion to provide unrivalled picture performance. The cameras operate at all HD formats, including 1080 50i, 60i, 24P, 25P and 30P, but are also capable of 'supersampled' 720/50P or 60P operation, and in this mode achieve higher resolution and lower aliasing than is possible with a native 720 camera.
The SRW-5500 offers the same peerless HDCAM SR performance of the SRW-5000 but adds the convenience of HDCAM recording as well. While HDCAM is the worlds’ favourite HD format for mainstream productions, HDCAM SR is now well known at the top end of the market with multiformat 4:2:2 and 4:4:4 recording, along with 12 audio channels.
A new addition to the HDCAM family, the HDW-S280/1 portable recorder operates at the frame rates used for the creation of prestige and mainstream High Definition programmes. It can record and playback 1080-line interlaced and progressive pictures in 50i, 59.94i, 23.98PsF, 24PsF, 25PsF and 29.97PsF modes, removing the need to hold separate recorders for European, American and Japanese productions.
The highly compact HDC-X310 camera is an attractive choice for ‘any time, any place’ HD picture acquisition. Equally suited to the needs of corporate programme makers, broadcasters, events companies and industrial users, the camera features a network style fibre optic interface that simplifies the transmission of true 1080i HD signals over long distances.
Ideal for portable acquisition, the PDW-R1 field recorder is a record/playback version of the XDCAM system’s PDW-V1 player. The recorder can be AC- or battery-powered, and features a tilt-up LCD screen plus a wide range of interfaces, including i.LINK, Ethernet, SDI and composite inputs and outputs, and two-channel analogue audio I/O.
The new DSR-400P camcorder builds on the strengths of the popular DSR 390P, adding three 2/3-inch Power HAD EX CCD sensors (4:3) for improved horizontal resolution and smear performance.
Latest additions to the ‘Master Series’ of studio VTRs offer a cost effective option for corporate programme makers and local television stations requiring optimum performance from the DVCAM format.
NAB 2005 sees the launch of the latest versions of the software range and this will further enhance Sony’s solutions to the media industry.
(CD/GB)