Sony Expands 3D Commitment; Embraces OLED

Sony’s commitment to 3D sports was on display at its NAB press conference as it gave attendees a live look at The Masters in 3D, highlighted its role in the upcoming 3D production of Wimbledon, and also laid out details for its new 3D camcorders. The shoulder-mounted PMW-TD300 will be priced at $33,000 and available in late 2011 while the HXR-NX3D1U NXCAM compact camcorder, will cost $3,400 and hit the streets this summer.

“We have not had a dedicated 3D camera but that is about to change,” said Alec Shapiro, SVP of sales and marketing, Sony Broadcast and Production Systems. “Both address many needs and complement the camera rigs from 3ality Digital, Pace, and Element Technica.”

The PMW-TD300 features a dual ½-inch Exmor 3 CMOS sensor design with full HD 1920×1080 pixel resolution. Based on the XDCAM EX recording platform, users can record on solid-state media with left and right-eye signals recorded on separate SxS cards (four cards in total can be stored in the camera). A 2D feed can be derived by using one of the two cards.

Inter-axial distance is 45mm while near-side shooting requires a 1.2-meter minimum coverage distance.  A newly developed dual-lens system allows for full sync with high accuracy in focus, zoom, and iris adjustment.

As for the HXR-NX3D1U, it has double Sony G lenses and double Exmor R COMS sensors with recording in 1920×1080 full left and right images. Recording is done using h.264 MVC and is packaged into a single file. When the file is imported into editing software (like Sony Vegas) images are treated as synced images and do not need to be imported twice. It also has a 3.5-inch 3D LCD flip-out monitor that is glasses free.

Recording is on 96GB of internal flash memory, offering up to 7.5 hours of 3D recording.

Mervyn Hall, broadcast liaison manager for The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club and Wimbledon, was on hand to quickly discuss the 3D production that will feature Sony, the BBC, and NEP Visions working together.

“3D has a huge impact on viewers and many will be able to see the action as if they were there,” added Hall.

Shapiro also introduced a new PVM series of reference grade OLED monitors in both 25- and 17-inch sizes.

The new monitors follow Sony’s most recent display innovation, the BVM-E Series of reference grade OLED monitors, with a revolutionary new signal engine. Each model offers full 1920×1080 HD resolution with10-bit signal processing and support multiple color standards. They also include an easy set up procedure for stability and matching.

Additional key features of the PVM series include: simple panel illumination control, built in 3G HD-SDI inputs, serial and parallel remote control, timecode display, embedded audio display, internal waveform monitor, auto white balance and DC operation (on the PVM-1741).

The following are availability and suggested list pricing for Sony’s professional OLED displays:

BVM -E250: May – $26,000

BVM- E170: Summer – $17,000

PVM-2541: Summer – $6,100

PVM1-741: Summer – $4,100