NAB 2012: Ikegami Highlights New Product Offerings

Highlights of Ikegami Electronics’ exhibit include the new Unicam HD camera line with 3G-SDI and multiformat HD performance, the Hi-Motion II ultra-slow-motion camera system, a versatile new low-profile fiber base station, and a convenient new high-resolution LED-backlit 9-inch flat-panel LCD monitor.

Also on display will be such established Ikegami products as the tapeless, workflow-efficient GFCAM HD/SD ENG Flash memory camcorder, multiformat HD megapixel CMOS portable and field cameras, and the line of Ikegami-designed-and-built flat-panel LCD HDTV monitors, including the “50 Series” Grade-One displays and the “04 Series” of economical displays.

“Picture quality, production convenience, and cost-efficiency are paramount in today’s television industry, and Ikegami is dedicated to providing producers with the multiformat HD cameras and equipment they need to satisfy today’s HDTV viewers and tomorrow’s audiences as well,” states Alan Keil, VP and director of engineering for Ikegami. “Whether it’s mobile HD sports production, HD studio and entertainment programming, or fast-workflow tapeless HD ENG, Ikegami engineers the world’s most advanced HDTV acquisition technologies and the production solutions the television industry wants most.”

The Unicam HD Line
Leading off Ikegami’s NAB 2012 exhibit is the new Unicam HD camera line. These multiformat HD cameras – which also provide 3G-SDI 1080/60p performance – include the new HDK-97A 16-bit portable HD companion-camera and the HDK-97C 3G field production camera that supports not only 1080i/720p, but also 3G signals such as 1080/60p 4:2:2 and 1080/60i 4:4:4. The HDK-97A employs advanced new progressive AIT CCD imagers and an all-new digital video processing system for superior picture detail and accurate rendition of color gradations. Delivering a choice of 1080/60p 4:2:2 or 1080/60i 4:4:4 color sampling, the new high bit-depth HDK-97A is designed for traditional-style multi-camera production applications. A docking-style camera, the new HDK-97A also features a 3G fiber-transmission system from the camera head to its (also new) CCU. Transmission options include an HD-SDI QTV signal for teleprompter (or vanity/program monitor) use and an HD-SDI “trunk channel” that allows for connection of a second camera that doesn’t have its own built-in fiber transmission system (such as a POV camera, including one paired with the HDK-97A in a stereoscopic 3-D application).

The new HDK-97C compact low-profile docking-style 3G multiformat HD field production camera (which also delivers 1080/60p 4:2:2 and 1080/60i 4:4:4) employs next-generation CMOS 2.5 million pixel 2/3-inch sensors for low-power consumption and high performance. The HDK-97C and its companion Ikegami Unicam cameras operate with new and existing CCUs, including the 3G CCU-970, the 3G half-rack BS-97, and the new low-profile BSF-55 fiber base station. The HDK-97C allows easy change-over between fiber and triax adapters, with Ikegami’s CCU-970M capable of supporting both cable types with simple front-panel switch selection.

The HDK-970A is the full studio version of the HDK-97A, featuring the ruggedness and ease-of-service long associated with full studio-body cameras. Two hundred watts of utility power is available for prompter powering, and the studio versions includes new styling and coordinated color with their portable companions. The HDK-97 and HDK-970 cameras are also available in models that support native 24p: the HDK-97AP, HDK-97CP, HDK-970AP, and HDK-970CP.

The new HDK-55 is an affordable member of the Unicam HD camera series, and uses 1080i 2.3 million pixel AIT CCDs. New features include Quick EZ Focus and chromatic aberration correction. Like the other portable cameras in the Unicam HD series, the HDK-55 is a compact low-profile camera head with docking adapter for fiber or triax cable use.

Providing multiformat HD convenience and easing the transition from SD to HD, Ikegami’s new BSF-55 compact, economical fiber base station is just 1.5 rack units in height and weighs only 16 lbs., yet it supports SMPTE cable distances up to 2 km (1.2 miles). Including both up- and down-converters, the BSF-55 readily supports the transition from SDTV to HDTV with inputs and outputs in both formats as a standard feature. The BSF-55 operates with the full range of HDK-series camera heads, supporting both 1080i and 720p in either 59.94Hz or 50Hz.

Ultra Slow Motion
Co-developed, sold, and supported by Ikegami, the Hi-Motion II ultra-slow-motion HD camera system from NAC Image Technology – a leader in the design and manufacture of advanced imaging and motion-analysis systems – uses a three-CMOS-sensor camera head with 96GB of built-in memory to deliver greater than 10x speed for clear, sharp ultra-slow-motion playback of HD sports action. A dual-format 1080i/720p system, it provides simultaneous output of live normal-speed video and ultra-slow-motion replay video.

The Hi-Motion II ultra-slow-motion HD camera can be used as both a “traditional” HD portable/field camera and an ultra-motion HD camera that can work side-by-side with other Ikegami HD cameras on production trucks to deliver the exceptional imagery today’s HDTV sports viewers demand. Four Hi-Motion II cameras provided historic ultra-slow-motion coverage of crucial plays during Super Bowl XLVI.

HD Monitoring
Ikegami’s line of high-quality competitively priced HD flat-panel LCD monitors, which include the “50 Series” Grade-One displays and “04 Series” of economical displays, will be joined this year by the new HLM-907WR 9-inch high-resolution LED-backlit LCD panel. The compact new HLM-907WR is equally suited for rack-mount, truck, or portable applications. Additional compact LED-backlit monitors added to the line-up include the HLM-7002WR dual 7-inch rack mount and HLM-5003WR triple 5-inch rack mount.

Other Ikegami space-saving and affordable HD flat-panel LCD monitors range from the cost-effective “04 Series” HLM-904WR and HLM-1704WR multiformat 9- and 17-inch models, to the “50 Series” multiformat HD monitors providing wide critical viewing angles, built-in vector and waveform monitoring, and full 1920 x 1080 resolution. Ikegami “50” Series monitors include the HLM-3250W (32-inch), HLM-2450WB (24-inch), and HLM-1750WR (17-inch) models, all of which feature accurate color and gamma reproduction, embedded audio-level metering, time code reader display, and optional 3G-SDI inputs.

Versatile HD Cameras
Ikegami’s range of full-digital HD cameras are the choice of leading HD mobile production companies, TV stations, and studio operations around the world. Models include the HDK-79EC native multiformat HD CMOS portable field camera for use with fiber or triax camera cable and the cost-effective HDK-77EC native multiformat HD CMOS portable field camera designed to meet the demands of an increasingly varied HD market needing both 1080i and 720p HD. Both are configurable as “hard” studio or field cameras by using an Ikegami SE-79D System Expander. The 16-bit HDK-79EXIIIa, configurable for portable or “hard” field/studio camera use, also provides superb CCD imaging and optional multiformat HD output.

Ikegami’s long history of tapeless camcorder technology, is seen in the GFCam HDS-V10 HD camcorder for workflow-efficient tapeless ENG. Part of Ikegami’s GFSeries product line, the HDS-V10 HD camcorder employs three 2/3-inch CCD sensors (selectable between native 1080i and native 720p) and uses MPEG-2 compression and the MXF file format for an open-codec HD/SD recording architecture compatible with Avid and other leading editing systems. The HDS-V10 uses GFPak Flash-RAM media at up to 128GB capacity with a convenient USB port for instant access from laptop or desktop editing systems. Users can also choose Ikegami’s CF Adaptor loaded with off-the-shelf CompactFlash Type I media. The many advanced features of the HDS-V10 HD include Bluetooth for instant export of thumbnail clips directly to laptops for fast logging, metadata insertion, and other workflow advantages.

Ikegami also offers a wide selection of HD POV “box” cameras for applications ranging from TV traffic-and-weather to “goalpost cams” to airborne videography. Products include the HDL-45E, a three-CCD 1080i camera delivering exceptional detail, sensitivity, and low-light performance. The HDL-45E features Ikegami’s AVC (Automatic Video Level Control) and ATW (Auto Tracing White) image-processing features to compensate for light level and color-temperature changes. The HDL-50 is a multiformat POV camera utilizing the same CMOS sensors, image processing, and camera control panels as the HDK-79EC and HDK-77EC. It is available in versions supporting 24p and 1080/60p. Both the HDL-45E and HDL-51 include image flip capability for use in 3-D rigs.

For gyro platform use in helicopters and other applications, Ikegami offers the HDL-F30, a two-piece HD camera with separate optics, essentially a direct replacement for the prior generation SDTV separate optics camera. Also available is a one-piece CMOS camera with extremely shallow depth behind the lens for gyro use, the HDL-F50.

Compact HD/SD Production Switchers
Engineered to serve the needs of mobile HD production vehicles and other broadcast-grade HD control environments where space and efficiency are priorities, Ikegami’s HSS-200 and HSS-330 digital multiformat compact HD/SD production switchers are advanced, ergonomically convenient HD/SD switchers providing a generous array of sophisticated digital features for a wide range of production needs.

The HSS-200 is a compact 16-input, 6-output, two M/E (mix/effects bus) low-power consumption switcher that is optimized for such live-video production applications as “flight packs” or small mobile vans. The HSS-200 features a four-keyer configuration, a programmable effects capability, and an 8.4-inch LCD touch-screen for set-up.

Ikegami’s new HSS-330 digital multiformat compact HD/SD production switcher is designed for high-end broadcast applications and is available in a three-, two-, or one-M/E configuration with up to 48 inputs and 24 outputs. The HSS-330 features a compact three-RU electronic frame, and the switcher can be used with an optional RAM recorder and external 3D digital video effects device. As an option, up to two channels of 3D digital video effects or simple 2D effects per M/E is available (basic effects can be done without an external DVE).