NMT reflects on NAB technologies, trends

By NMT staff

NMT recently shared its 2007 NAB Summary Report with SVG so we could get a sense of the hot gadgets the company’s staffers found on the NAB show floor. Here are some highlights:

At $3900 the AJA HD Frame Synchronizer offers enough that nothing else can come close for the price point. It’s still rough around the edges, but future revisions should smooth those. Anything in, anything out, extra output of alternate HD format that is synchronized, 8 audio I/O’s in analog and AES, pretty good web interface. Drawbacks: no fiber option, only does 2 groups of audio, AJA algorithms somewhat less robust than others. 1 R/U.

The Sony HDC-1400 camera: 1080/59.94I or 720/59.94P offers high quality HD at lower cost, for broadcasters who do not require full multiformat capabilities, but still require a high level of signal format flexibility. It can’t do 24p, only has one filter wheel…but is 30% less than an HDC-1500.

The Calrec Omega: This console is a lower cost ($250,000) version of the Sigma. The Omega can have up to 160 Channels and 56 faders. Optional are the usual Calrec features, such as a DK scope, Analog VU meters, etc. The Omega has less channel capacity than the Sigma, fewer physical faders on the group outputs and higher reliability on the GUI interface.

ADC Fiber Management: A series of modular raceways and rack mount products that make fiber installations far more manageable that what we have done on HD-12.

Studer Vista 8 Audio Console: Studer sound, outstanding user interface, total flexibility…AMV has two on the road already, we have used a smaller Vista 5 at the X Games, and there is a worldwide installed base of about 300 units currently. It is scalable just about as far as you can imagine, around 1400 in and 1700 out.

Sony LUMA Monitors: The next generation Sony LCDs are just fabulous. I for one have a lot less concern over the lack of CRTs in the future after seeing these babies. It was amusing to stand around the test booth and listen to number of television “professionals” who could not pick out the CRT from amongst the three being viewed! When you stand in a dark room, and have to work to find the CRT monitor, you start to believe.

Grass Valley Kayak switcher: Grass has redesigned the mainframe to scale up to 4.5 M/Es, 16 channels of DVE, 90 inputs…this switcher is the reborn DD-35, which for those who do not know has been the premiere switcher in Europe for many years (originally a Philips product.) It never caught on in the US, despite some excellent TD’s doing some very large shows with it (MNF etc.). We would like to consider the Kayak as a replacement for our aging 3000/4000 inventory, but it will be a difficult sell indeed with this small panel, and the reluctance of our TD’s to accept anything other than what they are accustomed to.

Bexel has a new fiber trailer: For projects relying on a heavy fiber optic backbone, this trailer can be one-stop shopping for set up and integration without a separate office trailer. Very nicely done. It is a 32 foot gooseneck trailer pulled behind a Ford F350.

Fujinon 88×8.3 lenses: Great piece of work…smaller, lighter and less expensive than the current 87x. Wide angle. once in use in our industry this might become the lens of choice.

Canon CanoBeam Transmission system: A low-cost link for areas impossible to wire with fiber or triax. This is an HD version of a product that has been around for 15 years. WFAA has an SD version still in use. Original SD was $8,000. I suspect new HD to be about the same. Uses multi-path laser beam system.

Sony is manufacturing a “split-cam” version of the HDC-3300 Super Slo-Mo System. This allows the user to separate the optical block from the camera head and attached it to a goal post or other POV situation. The optical block attaches back to the camera via an umbilical cord and gives the video operator the same control as if it were still on the camera.