Ikegami Unicam HD Line, Hi-Motion II Ultra Slo-Mo Hit NAB

Highlights of Ikegami’s NAB booth 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.

For sports networks the big news is the Hi-Motion II ultra-slow-motion HD camera system from NAC Image Technology. It 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.

“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 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.”

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 better 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 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 use of 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 the most 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.

And 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.

Ikegami’s line of 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.

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