To meet the needs of studios and production facilities that need to shoot high-quality HD television on a tight budget, Grass Valley launches the LDK 3000 "value-priced HD camera" series. This is Grass Valley's first LDK-family system camera application to use the in-house-developed Xensium CMOS imagers—the same imagers first seen in the Infinity Digital Media Camcorder (DMC 1000).

While the Grass Valley LDK 8000 camera series remains the best choice for top-end HD production, the functionality of the LDK 3000 camera (built on the same physical platform and to the same uncompromised standards) has been tailored to allow the price to be significantly lower. (The LDK 8000 camera is priced at $73,000.)

The LDK 3000 camera uses three 2.4 million pixel CMOS imagers, which allows the camera to switch between shooting 1080i and 720p. A low-cost commercial option will add the ability to shoot film-style in 25p and 29.94p. The LDK 3000 uses the high-performing HD Triax transmission system to allow cable runs up to 1,200 meters.

As the LDK 3000 is physically compatible to the other Grass Valley HD cameras, it can utilize all existing accessories, including the SuperXpander. The camera can be controlled from a standard Grass Valley OCP 400, by using Grass Valley’s Ethernet-based C2IP control network.

“At Grass Valley, we have always thought of innovation with our customer’s needs in mind,” said Jeff Rosica, senior vice president of Grass Valley. “We have invested a great deal into an innovative CMOS imager which met our very exacting standards, and has enabled us to introduce the LDK 3000—a remarkable HD camera at a highly affordable price point.”

Pricing and Availability
The LDK 3000 debuts at NAB 2009. The camera is priced at $73,000.

Deliveries of the new camera will start in the third quarter of 2009.