By Ken Kerschbaumer

Sportscasters looking for easier means of transmitting HD signals have a new option at NAB. IDX is introducing CAM-WAVE, the Model CW-5HD, a new HD wireless transmission system based on MIMO/OFDM technology. By using the 5.2 GHz range of WiFi spectrum it can transmit that uncompressed HD camera signals with less than a millesecond of delay up to 150 feet via line of site or 100 feet through walls.

“This system is designed for getting signals from hard-to-get-to places,” says Tony Iwamoto, IDX VP of sales and marketing.

For sportscasters it can come in handy with eliminating the occasional tricky cable run in arenas or stadiums.

Transmission from a video camera is sent to a receiving station via encrypted MIMO/OFDM. CAM~WAVE HD also weighs just 1.7 pounds and has four manual or auto-select frequencies with 256-bit encryption in the 5.1-5.8 GHz frequencies. Pricing is expected to be $6,000 with availability in the third quarter.

“We anticipate that CAM~WAVE HD will have an important effect on real world production,” says Henry Hara, president of IDX System Technology. “Its unique nature will enable camera people shooting live events in high definition to move with an unprecedented degree of freedom without cables.   Companies will save on rental and up-front costs including manpower for long cable runs.   Wireless technology holds great promise for the production industry, and we are pleased to be a leader in this emerging technology.”