Fueled by cheaper, higher-capacity storage, field production gear continued its drive toward ever-greater capture resolutions at this year’s NAB show. Content distribution, meanwhile, is moving in two divergent directions: toward lesser quality and lower bit rates for delivery to the postage-stamp screens of mobile phones and iPods, as well as toward 4K DCI-specified projection for movie theaters.

High-definition video, which has just started to surpass SD as the industry’s principal production format, is likely to be eclipsed by data formats that sever all ties to what we’ve come to regard as “video.” HD and SD video won’t disappear; television and cable will continue to deliver video to consumers for the foreseeable future. However, if you’re currently contemplating upgrading from SD to HD production, you should consider that the transition provides an excellent opportunity to shift to a data-centric approach to production as well.

Capture Wars
Consider the latest cameras from three manufacturers: the RED ONE camera from RED Digital Cinema, the SI-2K camera from Silicon Imaging and the Phantom 65 and Phantom HD cameras from Vision Research. All of these cameras record the output of their imaging sensor as “raw” data. All three employ a single Bayer mosaic filtered CMOS sensor to capture images at 2K and higher resolutions.

RED all but owned the buzz at NAB. People lined up for hours to see the short film Peter Jackson shot with a prototype RED ONE two weeks prior to the convention—and to play with working models of the camera themselves. I noticed some minor flaws in the footage, but on the whole it was stunningly good.

The company’s REDCINE application, which ships with the camera, converts the raw data to an output format of your choice and performs color correction, which is close enough in look and feel to be called Assimilate Scratch Lite. Another coup was RED’s partnership with Apple. Final Cut Pro version 6 dot something (not the first release, but an interim version thereafter) will edit RED’s raw files natively.

For its part, Silicon Imaging had P+S Technik redesign (and greatly improve) the ergonomics of its camera. And Vision Research showed simply amazing slow-motion footage captured with its cameras of actions taking place over microseconds.

Grass Valley showed its new 2/3-inch HD CMOS sensor, the 2.4-megapixel Xensium, designed for the Infinity camera line. What remains to be seen is whether 2K-and-above data cameras will have an impact on the Viper’s popularity for feature and television pilot production.

The feature and television pilot market is the target for Sony’s new F23 CineAlta camcorder. An SRW-1 HDCAM SR recorder docks to the 2/3-inch CCD-based camera head in a top or rear configuration. The camera section outputs 4:4:4 1080p signals at frame rates of 1-30fps and 4:2:2 1080p signals at 1-60fps, which are then recorded on HDCAM SR tape. The F23 has greater dynamic range—a claimed 12 stops—than its CineAlta cousins, with wider color gamut than Rec. 709 and multiple gamma curve selections, including a log curve. A remote control panel for the assistant cameraman and multiple monitor outputs with individual controls are perfect for the target market. Most important, the images were stunning for an HD camera. A list price of $185,000 will relegate the F23 to the rental category for most.

Other noteworthy cameras made appearances on the show floor. Easylook System’s Modula camera ($25,000) is currently available. This 2/3-inch single-CMOS-sensor camera, developed in cooperation with Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute, outputs 1080p (23.976, 24, 25, 29.97 and 30fps), 1080i (50, 59.94 and 60fps) and 720p signals. It measures 5 x 2.5 x 2.5 in., which makes it larger than an Iconix camera; however, the Modula is self-contained, with mounts for PL, B4 or Nikon still lenses. A single connector (breakout cable) handles 12V DC input, HD-SDI out (Dual Link is an option), RS-232/485, black burst and a 10/100 Gigabit Ethernet connection. The camera also has an HD-SDI monitor output. Setup adjustments are made by connecting a laptop to the camera via Ethernet. As hard as it is to evaluate image quality at a convention booth, this camera looks very promising.

Dalsa showed prototypes of a 4K camera called Evolution, which is smaller and lighter than the company’s Origin camera, as well as a camera-mounted recorder called the Flashmag, which can store 20 minutes of raw, uncompressed 16-bit 4K data or 40 minutes of compressed data. Evolution is a single-frame-transfer-CCD-based camera that outputs a 16-bit 4096x2048 signal. It has an optical viewfinder and uses PL-mount lenses. Dalsa claims a dynamic range of more than 12 stops. The Evolution is slated to be available for rent in early 2008. The Flashmag recorder de-Bayers and downconverts 4K data to 2K for monitoring via Dual Link HD-SDI outputs.

Recording Solutions
Codex Digital upgraded its Codex Media Recorder to capture at data rates over 1GB per second. That’s enough bandwidth to independently record two cameras outputting Dual Link HD-SDI (4:4:4) 1080p signals at 60fps or record uncompressed 4K data. For 3D production, the recorder plays both channels instantly in sync. The recorder can de-Bayer and downconvert 4K raw files to HD in real time for monitoring. The storage capacity of the DiskPacks, which employ RAID 3 protection, were doubled to 110 minutes. The system can be configured as an on-set server to distribute recorded material over a network as DPX, QuickTime or MXF files for editing purposes.

Colorspace showed a prototype of Icon, a 4:4:4/4:2:2 field recorder that stores 2K data (or any HD video format) as DPX files with embedded sound and timecode. The unit weighs less than 10 lb. and runs on Anton/Bauer Dionic 90 batteries. It uses hot-swappable media packs, which can be hard drives or Flash memory. Icon has Dual Link HD-SDI, dual AES3 audio and timecode inputs.

S.two showed Take2, a smaller, lighter, DC-powered digital film recording system that records to smaller D.MAG2 Digital Film Magazines, which can hold 24 minutes of 1080/24p footage. Take2 records 1080p video from 1 to 60fps.

Monitoring HD and Beyond
Many LCD field monitors marketed as HD displays have barely enough resolution to qualify. Look carefully at the specifications and you’ll discover that only a few of the 17-inch or smaller LCD displays have the necessary resolution (1280x768) to display a 720p signal without scaling. Most are either 1024x768, 800x600 or even lower. If you opt for 23-inch or larger flat-panel displays, Cine-tal, eCinema Systems, Ikegami, JVC, Marshall and Sony have models capable of displaying a 1920x1080 signal. Most displays are designed for facility use—not field production.

LCD monitors introduced by JVC and Sony at NAB sit at opposite ends of the cost spectrum. JVC’s DT-V24L1DU ($4,695), a 24-inch 1920x1080 monitor, has HD-SDI inputs and is housed in a metal case with front-panel controls and speakers. It’s AC-only, though rugged enough for field use, and has an attractive price.

Sony’s first LCD reference monitor, the 22.5-inch BVM-L230 ($25,000), ships with a DVI-D input. Single and Dual Link HD-SDI inputs are optional. The BVM-L230 is a 10-bit LCD monitor—an industry first that is capable of reproducing 1,024 levels of gray—and the first in Sony’s Master Series intended to replace the company’s BVM CRTs. The color gamut can be set to D-Cinema, SMPTE-C, EBU or Rec. 709. Sony’s color management system is designed with a color feedback feature to maintain stability. LED illumination provides the backlight and achieves luminance uniformity equal to Sony’s BVM CRTs. This monitor can display 2048x1080/24p signals and video formats up to 1080/60p.

Monitoring HD in the field is a huge problem when you want to avoid scaling and need something small and practical. Coming to the rescue is J-Lab Co.’s 15.4-inch LCD field monitor (JAE-15.4-AD, $6,500), which has a 1920x1200 resolution. Its features include Single Link and Dual Link HD-SDI inputs to monitor 4:2:2 or 4:4:4 signals, a -20 threaded mounting socket, tally light and battery power. Mounted on the back side of the monitor is your choice of an Anton/Bauer, PAGlok or Sony (V-mount) battery mounting plate. The monitor ships in a protective carry case.

Cameras may be capturing at 2K, 4K and higher resolutions, but finding displays at these resolutions is still tough. You’ll need to connect the few 2K-capable displays—2048x1556, or WQXGA resolution—to Blackmagic Design’s HDLink Pro ($795), a Dual Link HD-SDI to dual-DVI converter box, to monitor a 2K resolution signal in the field. Sony’s BVM-L230 scales the signal. The current choices for a WQXGA resolution panel are Apple’s 30-inch Cinema HD Display (2560x1600), Dell’s 30-inch UltraSharp 3007WFP or HP’s 30-inch LP3065. The alternative is to use a projector intended for theaters—which would make you long for the days of carting around a large CRT. In keeping with its stated intention to change paradigms, RED announced that the company’s next project is to design affordable 4K-capable projectors and flat-panel displays.

Likely to deliver sooner, perhaps before NAB ’08, are OLED displays. Sony showed an 11-inch HD studio-style viewfinder (1024x600, 5mm thick) prototype off the show floor. At the Consumer Electronics Show in January, Sony showed a 27-inch OLED TV with a resolution of 1920x1080. OLED technology allows higher contrast and a wider color gamut than LCD screens, and OLED offers 10-bit color depth per channel. These new displays are rugged, flexible, lightweight and less power-hungry. There’s no backlight, nor is there any glass. The challenge is the limited lifespan of the organic light-emitting diodes themselves, which can be as short as 5,000 hours. A new type of organic LED has the potential to increase the lifespan to 20,000 hours, which is about one-third the lifespan of an LCD display. The patent holder for OLED technology is Eastman Kodak.

Accessories & Adapters
JVC has begun to ship its PL lens adapter, the HZ-CA13U ($4,395), an optical relay solution that lets you mount 16mm lenses on JVC’s ProHD 1/3-inch CCD line of HDV cameras. The adapter preserves the depth of field and horizontal field of view of the lens, though it inverts the image. A setting in the camera corrects the inversion. (Read Videography's review of the HZ-CA13U adapter.)

Rosco introduced a line of inexpensive LED lights—LitePads—that run on 12V DC power. Prices range from under $100 to about $500 for these units, which are available in sizes from 3 x 3 in. to 12 x 12 in. The 8mm-thick panels weigh next to nothing and produce soft, even illumination that’s designed to be used close to the subject. LitePads are great for tight spaces such as car interiors, or for when you need some light for a close-up on a face.

Tiffen has an upgrade kit ($1,995) for the Steadicam Merlin handheld stabilizer ($849) consisting of an arm, vest and gimbal. The kit turns the Merlin into a miniature Steadicam. Operators can place cameras weighing up to 7 lb. on a Merlin Arm and operate for hours without fatigue.

Zylight’s Z90 Intelligent LED compact light ($875) can switch at the press of button from tungsten to daylight color balance. That’s not even the most interesting feature. This compact light (5.4 x 3 x 2 in.) has a color gel mode that lets you dial in any of the more than 400 industry-standard theatrical gels using manufacturers’ gel numbers to change the color of the light. It also has wireless control and runs on DC power.