Sony Comes Out of Busy NAB with Confidence

At NAB 2010, Sony highlighted its full line of HD broadcast and production technologies, as well as new technologies for 3D content creation, and enhancements to existing products that allow them to fit a broader range of 3D applications. A significant part of Sony’s focus at NAB addressed integrated, service-oriented architecture solutions that can support a facility’s entire production workflow for HD, 4K and of course, 3D.

“Our focus is on providing customers with a total infrastructure solution which includes a framework for connecting Sony devices as well as third-party devices,” said Alec Shapiro, SVP of sales and marketing, Sony Professional Solutions of America.

The Media Backbone family of file management solutions will link the various devices and solutions used throughout a content creation workflow, providing network-based management of AV files and metadata; and fully exploiting the advantages of file-based operation. Sony highlighted the elements of the Media Backbone family at NAB 2010, including:

• Media Backbone Conductor: A platform designed to orchestrate media workflows between content production services and business processes to make customers’ operations more efficient and visible to management.
• Media Backbone Ensemble: A software solution being designed specifically to provide efficient management of ingest and archive workflows, and to work in conjunction with the Media Backbone Conductor and platforms from other manufacturers.

The MVS-8000X is the latest in Sony’s MVS production switcher family, which has become the standard in live and control room production. The new MVS model provides a bridge from 2D 720P and 1080i high-definition production to the growing need for 1080P/59.94 3Gbps and 3D stereoscopic production capability.

The MVS-8000X is multi-format and fully scalable up to 5ME and 200 input/100 output, including dedicated interfaces for DME at 3Gbps 1080P/59.94. The switcher’s 3D-on-3G mode enables the full performance of 5MEs and simplified operation for 3D production. In 3D 1080i/720P mode, complex link settings are not necessary since 2D and 3D signal sources can be assigned to crosspoint buttons, enabling flexible production of 2D/3D sources.  If the left and right signals are reversed, users can exchange signals easily through the switcher’s menu display. The Digital Multi Effects of the MVS system can adjust depth for 2D graphics using a newly supported Parallax menu.

Sony Electronics also unveiled the next generation of its HDCAM-SR production technology, with new products and planned upgrades ranging from acquisition and storage to archive and production efficiency.

In addition to the recent announcement of the new SRW-9000 HDCAM-SR camcorder, at NAB Sony announced the SRW-9000PL, a 35mm imager and PL mount version that offers shooters more image creation options. Both cameras will also adapt to future file-based production with the planned delivery of new SR memory solid-state media.

Sony also displayed new technologies and prototype concepts that can enhance the XDCAM HD® workflow. These solutions can be an effective bridge between the studio and the field, or between the Professional Disc™ media and the SxS memory card, demonstrating that Sony is focused on enhancing the total XDCAM workflow.

When it comes to 3D, Sony demonstrated its ability to offer, services and solutions for every part of the 3D ecosystem. These include new technologies designed for 3D content creation as well as 3D enhancements to current products such as the MPE-200 3D processor.

Designed to reduce the amount of mechanical adjustments made to 3D camera rigs during live shoots, Sony’s new MPE-200 3D Processor provides a variety of digital alignments to stereo imaging HD cameras, allowing a control experience similar to the use of mechanical servos. The MPE-200 processor works in conjunction with Sony’s MPES-3D01 stereo-image processor software to digitally simulate the adjustments that are currently performed mechanically. This allows stereographic engineers to easily manage multiple camera and rig parameters. Sony also showed:

• Rigs and cameras for 3D production at different price and performance levels.
• 3D capable switchers, VTRs and image processors
• New camera introductions like the HDC-P1, capable of 2D and 3D operation, and the first Sony camera to be designed from the ground up with 3D in mind.
• 3D processing that eliminates the risk of errors during live 3D shoots and helps keep the cameras in a rig in perfect alignment.
• A prototype 3D LED screen and 3D professional monitors based on our widely used 2D LUMA LCD chassis.

Sony unveiled a new version of its XDCAM EX series camcorders, a half-inch imager shoulder mount camera, PMW-320, which joins the 2/3-inch CMOS memory camcorder, the PMW-350. Both camcorders have three Exmor full HD 1920×1080 CMOS imagers, and are studio-configurable, with timecode in/out, genlock in, and HD-SDI and HDMI out. The PMW-350 camcorder features a DVCAM recording and playback as an option; with both features offered as standard on the PMW-320.