NAB 2023 in Review: Central Hall — SportsTech Buzz From Calrec, Canon, Fujifilm, Grass Valley, Lawo, NEP, Riedel, Sony, and More
The SVG and SVGE editorial teams were out in full force at NAB 2023, covering the biggest sports-technology news and delivering daily SportsTechBuzz at NAB 2023 roundups. Here is a look at the news from exhibitors in Central Hall.
Featured in this roundup are Arista, Arkona Technologies, Audio-Technica, BeckTV, Belden, Calrec, Canon U.S.A., Cartoni, Clear-Com, Cobalt, Cyanview, Dante, Deltacast, disguise, Fujifilm, Grass Valley, Joseph Electronics, JVC, KMH Audio-Video Integration, Lawo, Leader Phabrix, Marshall Electronics, Mo-Sys, MRMC, Nemal Electronics, NEP Group, Pliant Technologies, Q5X, Riedel Communications, RTS, Sennheiser, Sony, Shure, TSL, and Waves.
Sony (Booth C8101) is highlighting the NXL-ME80, an ultra-low-latency HEVC product for low-bitrate remote production. Said Andy Raynor, chief technologist for Nevion, “Remote has been the reserve of relatively high-bandwidth connectivity, which is always a prerequisite. But, with the ME80, you can do remote production with relatively low-bandwidth connectivity, making the cost of remote production viable for the next sports tier down.
Marshall’s Tod Musgrave
A supplier a hefty number of POV and robotic cameras that impact live sports production, Marshall Electronics (Booth C5520) is loaded with new broadcast equipment on the show floor. Four new cameras take center stage: the CV570/CV574 miniature cameras and CV370/CV374 compact cameras. Shipping after the conclusion of NAB 2023, all devices feature low-latency NDI|HX3 streaming as well as standard IP (HEVC) encoding with SRT. In addition to these POV cameras, on display are CV730-BHN with Full-NDI and CV730-ND3 PTZ cameras. Besides camera hardware, Marshall is also presenting its new highly optimized Sony sensor for its lineup of POV cameras and arsenal of professional broadcast monitors, including the ML-503, ML-702m, V-702W, and mV-702W-12G models.
An advanced new feature of MRMC’s (Booth C5325) MHC software creates virtual teleportation, allowing users to seamlessly bring remote talent into the shot or studio while maintaining camera motion, effectively creating one camera shot in two locations using IP-controlled robotics. The synchronized movement of the two cameras paired with the subject’s being able to move naturally makes the illusion hyper-realistic, according to Broadcast Business Development Manager Sascha Kunze: “For me, it’s why robotics? What value does that add? This is full internet; you can do a single camera shot in two locations. Sports broadcasters can bring talent in and have the same experience in a remote-acquisition workflow as they would in a normal situation. This solves the eyeline problem, which means it feels very natural. It also gives you all the seamless camera transitions you’d want in a studio. It’s got everyone excited!”
Sennheiser Anubis audio interface by Merging Technologies
Sennheiser (Booth C5217) is flexing some immersive muscle with demos of its AMBEO 2-channel spatial audio system for live-broadcast applications. The technology, previously applied to streaming for stereo devices, is now set to bring immersive sound to those platforms. The prototype device exhibited is currently in its field-testing phase, according to AMBEO Project Manager Brian Glasscock, who demonstrated the system through an Anubis audio interface made by Merging Technologies, which Sennheiser acquired last year. “We tuned it primarily for speakers, but it still provides an improvement over headphones,” he said. “It can pre-render or pre-virtualize an immersive mix so that we can deliver it to everybody who doesn’t have a device other than a stereo device. It does not require any kind of upgrade or new equipment at the consumer end.” Renato Pellegrini, head of Sennheiser Pro Labs, amplified: “Today’s large, televised sporting events are increasingly produced in immersive formats. However, both distribution pipelines and viewer access to immersive speaker systems have limited its reach into homes, leading to a duplication of efforts between stereo and immersive mixes. Now, using our renderer, broadcasters can instead focus on immersive formats and know they can reliably translate those mixes into a far better stereo experience than could be previously achieved.” The technology is designed to facilitate making surround and immersive content available for all viewers by translating immersive mixes into an enhanced 2-channel experience that works on any stereo device.
disguise (Booth C6118) is showcasing the results of its partnership with markerless-motion-capture–technology provider Move.ai. The partnership marries advanced markerless motion capture with superior graphics processing for film and episodic TV, broadcast, and extended-reality studios around the world. To do this, disguise and Move.ai are developing a custom AI technology based on real-time markerless-motion-capture software Invisible. Said GM, Broadcast, Grigory Mindlin, “The Invisible platform is a new mo-cap system that enables you to track talent on stage with no markers in real time. We’re taking XR production to the next level by using AI tech.” The integration of Invisible with the disguise platform aims to redefine real-time motion capture by removing the need for restrictive and costly mo-cap suits. The technology works by extracting natural human motion from video using advanced AI, computer vision, biomechanics, and physics to automatically retarget the data to a character rig and create a virtual character that can mirror human motion in real time.
Joseph Electronics (Booth C1713) is showing a number of new products, including the Ereca STAGE RACER 2 optical-fiber transmission solution. According to Southeast Sales Engineer Bo Reames, it operates in a decentralized network topology, and up to 24 units can be strung together, and any signal can be sent from one unit to another. “It’s super powerful,” he said, “and people are finding out what they can do and are falling in love with them.”
TSL MPA1-MIX-NET
TSL (Booth C2416) is showcasing its new MPA1-MIX-NET solution alongside its flagship Precision Audio Monitoring (PAM) range, both of which provide smooth migration paths to IP. That’s important, according to Director, Products and Technology, Mark Davies, because the IP user cohort is widely inconsistent in terms of its knowledge base. “Audio being carried on IP is becoming the norm now,” he explained, “so we’ve moved away from the early adopters, which has both a good and a bad side. As a vendor, it means we can sell a lot more kit because it’s the new standard. But you’ve got people who haven’t been learning and understanding the technology. The early adopters know all the parameters; now there are people who want to do it just because it’s easy. For us as a vendor, that takes a lot of support.” He added that the MPA1-MIX-NET is ideal for ST 2110 trucks and installations. A 1G AoIP connection provides 64 channels of input, with a further 64 available via an optional MADI SFP.
Returning to the NAB Show for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic, BeckTV (Booth C3840) is sharing its expertise in system design and integration. Covering various sectors of broadcasting — networks and stations, cable and satellite facilities, network operations centers, production trucks, professional and university venues — the company is discussing its work with 4K HDR, SMPTE ST 2110 deployments, and the only installed 8K replay systems in NFL venues. The company recently assisted development of the New York Mets’ Citi Field in Flushing, NY. Its new 4K, IP-capable control room powers elements and content played on a brand-new dual-side centerfield video display — 17,400 sq. ft. of LED on the front, 6,900 sq. ft. on the back — that is now the biggest videoboard in Major League Baseball.
Riedel Communications Audio Monitoring App
Riedel Communications (Booth C4910) is launching its new Audio Monitoring App at NAB 2023. AMA enables users to monitor audio streams while managing production via the company’s Intercom App. It will allow a direct connection to any SMPTE 2110-30/AES67 stream on a network, either dynamically managed via NMOS protocol or in a static IP/SDP-based configuration, mixing audio directly inside a Riedel SmartPanel. The AMA is SMPTE 2002-7–capable and can be configured via a dedicated tool or a broadcast controller using a built-in API. SmartPanel users can monitor up to 16 stereo/mono SMPTE 2110-30/AES67 streams in parallel, and a total of 256 audio-monitoring sources can be preconfigured and managed directly on the panel. In an early test, the AMA was deployed to enable reliable, flexible communications across Gillette Stadium. “The specially developed inter-application behavior between Intercom and AMA allows the user to work simultaneously with intercom and monitoring and use only one audio output and one device for both,” said Product Manager, Headsets and Audio Monitoring, Kristina Uhlitz. “Now you will never miss an important call while monitoring audio and can concentrate on your audio while using the solo function.”
KMH Audio-Video Integration (Booth C5539) is in Las Vegas with a bevy of new projects in the works. In the sports world, NBC Sports in Stamford, CT, has recruited the company’s expertise for upgrades of the broadcaster’s production-control rooms and commissioned a new production workflow fully embracing ST 2110 IP integration. Outside of sports, the company has been involved with a variety of projects, including an AWS-powered office and studios for “The Messenger” in New York City and Washington, DC, as well as studio-operations and digital-production upgrades for the New York Post, Wall Street Journal, and Barron’s.
Dante (Booth C5735) Connect is a suite of software applications facilitating cloud-based broadcast production. Dante Connect gets Dante audio into the cloud and transports audio to and from production software running in cloud-based virtual machines (VMs) that can be accessed anywhere with an internet connection. Features include 256 channels of audio per VM; remote monitoring allowing producers to check on audio over a lightweight webRTC connection without risk of interruption to source channels; and connection of local Dante devices directly to cloud services. “We’ve partnered with Amazon Web Services, so we can maintain accurate clocking anywhere in the world with zero latency,” said CMO Joshua Rush. “We’ve also integrated Dante Domain Manager into the Connect dashboard. It’s a pretty amazing connectivity solution.”
Arista (Booth C1708) Technical Lead Albert Faust said, “We’re here to support the industry; we provide the backbone. Here at NAB we’re talking about the continued growth of our media-control surface (MCS), which is the fastest SDN on the market. For sports broadcasters, it gives them guaranteed service on their network. We’re known for our reliability, and we’re growing the visibility of what we do so people know exactly what’s going on with understandable telemetry.”
Cobalt’s Suzana Brady
Cobalt (Booth C2108) is introducing its Sapphire BBG-2110 converter, a standalone ST 2110/JPEG-XS to HDMI BBGs for behind-the-monitor mounting. SVP, Worldwide Sales and Marketing, Suzana Brady said, “This is really good for low-latency, high-quality remote-production contribution, using a fraction of the bitrate. It’s a mini convertor, very small, rugged, and reliable, with direct HDMI outputs.” Single-, dual-, and quad-channel versions are available.
Cyanview (Booth C6635) CEO and founder, David Bourgeois, is talking about camera shading, “If you’re looking to integrate large-sensor, shallow–depth-of-field cameras into your live sports productions, we have everything you need here.”
Belden (Booth C3541) is exhibiting its DCX system, which optimizes the ROI of fiber infrastructures, reducing capital and operating expenses to offer lower total cost of ownership. Christine Williamson, global account director, sports and entertainment venues, said, “Belden is excited to showcase our DCX System at NAB 2023. This is a high-density fiber optical distribution frame that is installed in some of the most advanced-technology stadiums in the world. With 3,840 termination points per cabinet, Belden offers the highest density available in the marketplace. From DAS networks that keep the fans connected and friction-free to a full-IP production-control room, the DCX system supports the infrastructure backbone that brings sports- and entertainment-smart districts to life!”
Arkona Technologies’ Erling Hedkvist
Arkona Technologies (Booth C4345) is talking about its spinoff, Manifold Technologies, which has launched a new cloud product here at the show. Manifold provides IP core-infrastructure solutions for top-tier broadcast productions. Its first-ever Tier 1 live-production core-infrastructure service-based ecosystem is built on private-cloud COTS infrastructure. The core architectural concept of Manifold Cloud is an on-demand configurable pool of shared resources allocated within a private-cloud environment. It is a 100%-software solution running on COTS FPGA programmable accelerator cards (PAC). Said Erling Hedkvist, head of sales and business development, “What used to take eight rack units we can now do in one. Plus using COTS FPGA cards uses 90% less energy, so we’ve got a great sustainability angle on this as well.”
The Mo-Sys booth (C3325) features the all-new StarTracker Max optical camera-tracking system in conjunction with the Mo-Sys VP Pro XR. According to Marketing Director Stephen Gallagher, a demonstration of a Mo-Rail system at the LG booth (C6025) is also worth a visit: “It’s a curved rail for sports studios and allows a nice, controlled movement of a PTZ- or ENG-camera package that weighs less than 15 kg. It can orbit the presenter, with or without tracking graphics. We’ve had pan-and-tilt forever, but that isn’t a very creative shot, and now you can have creative movement and also adjust the height for a standing or sitting presenter.”
Canada’s Q5X (Booth C4819) has been like the traditional magician, continuously pulling rabbits out of the same hat, although the bunnies are a bit different every time. This year, a new version of the Incognito transmitter — whose separate plug-in for 4-, 8-, or 16-hour batteries allows it to be hidden in swim tops — appeared ready to become available later this year for use on water sports and gymnastics. A pair of Shure Axient Digital transmitters, part of an existing alliance between the companies, are attached to the underside of the bill of a baseball-type cap, which would, as President Paul Johnson put it, “produce an instantly miked-up ball player — just pop on the cap.” The real capper, though, might be the so-called Toss Mic, a palm-sized plastic cube walled with sonically permeable foam surrounding an omni microphone capsule, transmitter, and battery. As its name suggests, the mic can be simply tossed into a situation, such as a golf green (where it’s currently being tested), making that area instantly wired for sound. Look for it being tossed in your direction sometime later this year.
RTS DSPK-4 Digital Speaker Station
RTS (Booth C3811) introduced its DSPK-4 Digital Speaker Station, part of the RTS Digital Partyline intercom system. The IP-based wired speaker station, with four channels of talk/listen via microphone and speaker or headset is available in desktop, flush-mount, and wall-mount versions, each with a variety of power options and headset connectors. Users can operate DSPK-4 in partyline mode with OMS (OMNEO Main Station) or in portable keypanel mode with an RTS matrix (ODIN/ADAM). A compact and ergonomic design uses full-color icon-based menu navigation for quick setup and intuitive operation. Flexibility is further enhanced with Bluetooth headset and PoE (Power over Ethernet) connectivity. “This makes the DSPK-4 ideal for new users or current partyline users looking to grow from analog systems into the superior sound quality and flexible connectivity of digital/IP communications,” said SVP Ramesh Jayaraman, who joined parent company Bosch two years ago to do a “complete strategic look” at RTS’s comms and other product lines. He added that “progress has been phenomenal,” citing synergy with Bosch’s eight other business units. “We’re going to bring that into this space.”
JVC (Booth C4218) is showing off improvements to its GY-HC500 sports camera as well as a hardware-control system that has vMix software built in. “The GY-HC500 has NDI HX and, in the sports-graphics area, now has ‘Ball On’ and play clock directly from the scoreboard system, using a Genius Sports decoder,” said National Sales Manager, Sports, Dan Skirpan. “We’re also selling a hardware box, the RM-LP350G Connected Cam that has vMix software on it and supports all of our new PTZ cameras that have NDI built into them. When you turn on vMix, you just hit ‘add inputs,’ and the cameras are there, and you also don’t need extra equipment for camera tally. The workflow is very simple, but you can have a very high-quality production.”
Audio-Technica’s (Booth C4931) BP3600 8-channel immersive microphone, introduced last year and making its NAB Show debut, shows how sound capture can push the envelope. The microphone has eight compact capsule assemblies integrated into the body while remaining compact and lightweight enough for single-operator usability and easy setup. Direct routing is also possible, without need for additional decoding or latency processing for 5.1.4-channel speaker layouts. The BP3600’s eight microphone modules extend from the body to form a cube with 5.9 in. between microphone assemblies. Each assembly in the eight-channel near-coincident array is equipped with a half-inch hypercardioid capsule to produce discrete signals. The company is also featuring four recently introduced bundles suitable for podcasters, live-streamers, and other content creators; all include ATH-M20x headphones. The headphones, noted Marketing Director Gary Boss, represent a new category: headphones adapted for streaming, with the M20 series condenser mic capsule (on a shock-mounted, movable boom) bringing studio quality to the sound, in the process providing a voice lift from within ambient noise. “As sports moves further into streaming,” he said, “that kind of headset is going to find a niche.”
Waves Cloud MX audio mixer
Waves’ presence at the Audinate booth (C5735) underscores both the Israeli digital-audio–processing company’s ubiquity and the fact that broadcast audio technology is increasingly interrelated, transcending limited categories and brands. At NAB 2023, Waves — whose processing is already native to mixers like DiGiCo and SSL — is showing its Cloud MX audio mixer, a rare piece of hardware from the plug-in maker. It’s fully compatible with Audinate’s Dante Connect cloud-based solution, which allows production to deploy Dante connectivity on cloud-based environments and also incorporates Dan Dugan Sound Design’s auto-mixer software. Cloud MX is a scalable, broadcast-ready cloud workflow whose broad range of audio-processing plug-ins enables broadcast engineers to integrate studio-quality audio processing directly in cloud production workflows. The cloud-based solution allows up to 256 channels of audio to be captured at remote locations and mixed, processed, and delivered from anywhere in the world. In fact, the Cloud MX came about in part because of interaction at one of the SVG-sponsored DTV Audio Group meetings, where, said Waves Live Division GM Noam Raz, company execs saw validation for its applications in broadcast sports. Incorporation of plug-ins including Waves Noise Suppression (WMS) and Waves Loudness Meter (WLM) made it “a great fit” for sports on television, he said.
Nemal Electronics (Booth C4822) now has a new tactical SMPTE fiber cable that is super robust and can literally be tied in knots or yanked without failing, according to founder Ben Nemser. “We put a jacket around the normal coating that has a Kevlar filling, which gives it a huge amount of extra strength and an outer layer,” he explained. “On a per-foot basis, it’s about 30¢ more [than regular fiber cable].” Also highlighted are the Bluebell ST 2110 SDR encapsulators and decapsulators — one with 12 Gig and two over 25-Gig SFPs and a 3G version that has up to four SFPs. Also on display is an SFP converter that can do SDI to HDMI as well as single-mode to multi-mode and it can convert wavelengths.
Lawo mc²36 xp audio-production console
The Lawo (Booth C4111) mc²36 xp desk is a recent addition to Lawo’s top-of-the-line audio-production-console range. CMO Andreas Hilmer explained that “the xp stands for external processing.” Physically identical to the mc²36 MkII but without on-board processing, the mc²36 xp supports up to 256 DSP channels and offers IP network and processing redundancy, as well as eligibility for a multi-slice console array based on a single A__UHD Core processing unit. Reflecting a trend toward multi-use capability from single platforms, the desk can also be segmented for simultaneous use by up to eight discrete productions, each having up to 128 DSP channels, according to Hilmer: “In combination with the Pooling 8 license, the xp console can share the DSP power of one A__UHD Core with up to seven other virtual or physical console surfaces for cost-effective premium audio processing.”
Cartoni (Booth C6720) is showcasing its Lifto 25 motorized support for PTZ cameras, which features a unique elevation unit. “It can raise and lower and is very simple to set up in the field,” said VP, Sales and Marketing, Steve Manios Jr. “You can also run and gun with it. It can be used to raise and lower a teleprompter.” Lifto 25 joins some other popular products, such as the Master 65 tripod for larger-lens camera packages or the Focus 2,2 which is for camera packages up to 50 lb.
It has been six months since Riedel (Booth C4910) acquired Simply Live, and the Riedel booth brings the two brands together for the first time. Harry Kapros, business director, EMEA, Live Production, Riedel, cited the combination of the two technologies as a means to do everything from on-premises production to remote production to cloud production: “Depending on the customer needs, we can put all the pieces together and propose the best kind of solution.”
Leader Phabrix (Booth C4920) is talking about its QxP portable 12-GB SDI 25G IP waveform analyzer and generator, which has been shipping since the end of March. Commented Kevin Salvidge, sales engineering and technical marketing manager, “The sports-broadcasting world was the first to adapt to 4K, UHD, wide color gamut, and HDR, but the portable test-and-measurement products hadn’t moved on with them. We’ve been asked about this by our customers, and, with QxP, we’ve delivered what they need.”
Deltacast (Booth C3012) is highlighting two new features in Delta-highlight, its sports-game–analysis tool for broadcast and coaching: in V.12, 3D parabolic arrow enhancement and Player Coat are stealing the limelight. Said International Sales Manager Lionel Dutilleux, “Our customers are asking for these functionalities. When looking at our product roadmap, we look at all the parameters available and then ask our customers what they prefer; it’s always about the discussions we have with our customers that are taking this forwards, so we can bring the innovation they need to them.”
NEP Group (Booth C4535) is spotlighting the launch of TFC Link, an addition to its Total Facility Control (TFC) system. Said Casper Choffat, SVP, global product, “TFC is our proprietary inhouse application designed to simplify the complexities of IP 2110 network infrastructures. We have a suite of TFC-supported products: TFC Core, our broadcast controller; TFC Flow, our in-venue signal-flow solution; and now TFC Link, our SDN solution used for network orchestration between facilities via point-to-point technology. The feedback we’re getting is that what we’re doing with TFC, with IP, with the networking; is a generational change.”
Pliant Technologies’ weather-resistant CrewCom radio transceiver
Pliant Technologies (Booth C7521) is showcasing the weather-resistance qualities of its new CrewCom IP-rated radio transceivers. IP here refers not to IP connectivity but to the ingress-protection (IP) code that indicates how well a device is protected against water and dust. “Both kinds of IP are important,” noted VP, Global Sales, Gary Rosen, referring to the ingress protection of the new RTs, which are available in both 900-MHz and 2.4-GHz versions. “The latest RTs are reliable in all types of weather conditions, making them suitable for a variety of outdoor as well as indoor applications.”
Calrec’s (Booth C6107) recently announced ImPulse1 IP audio-processing and -routing engine is making its NAB Show debut. A compact version of the ST 2110-native ImPulse platform, ImPulse1 features an optional second core for redundancy and a new 128-input channel DSP pack offering entry-level pricing. Also on show are ImPulse, RP1 remote production, Assist Remote Working, Brio 36, Type R/Talent Panel, and Artemis. “What Calrec are doing is learning how to support customers in both REMI/at-home and distributed-type environments, especially in a cloud-based environment,” said Henry Goodman, head of sales and marketing. “Production doesn’t happen in just one place anymore, not just the venue or the studio. It’s in the cloud, and the products have to reflect that. Our proof-of-concept approach is collaborative with customers so we can see what they need in each situation and provide the right solutions.”
Shure UniPlex UL4 cardioid lavalier microphones
Shure (Booth C6920) is offering a glimpse the new Wireless Workbench 7 (WWB7) software, Shure’s free software that puts a full suite of RF-spectrum management tools in one place, providing full command of compatible wireless devices. New with WWB7, the Scan Library lets users view recently uploaded RF scans before upcoming productions by accessing an integrated scan-library portal. Users can upload and download past scans to facilitate frequency coordination for their gear before going onsite. Shure is also displaying the UniPlex UL4 cardioid lavalier microphone and the AD600 Axient Digital Spectrum Manager — both nominated for NAB’s Product of the Year Awards. The company is also noting that Shure’s microphones have been getting into sports venues in unique ways. Senior Marketing Development Specialist Ben Escobedo explained how the Shure MX910, MX920, and, more recently, the 710, which were developed for installed-systems applications, have been showing up as capture devices on NBA and Big 10 courts and in the press rooms for after-game interviews. “TBS and Scotiabank Arena are both big users of these products in those applications,” he said. “They’re reliable and easy to use and are Dante-compatible. They check all those boxes. They’re where systems and sports converge.”
Attendees looking for innovation in cloud-based workflows will want to stop by the Grass Valley booth (C2408) and check out AMPP Local. The on-premises version of the Agile Media Processing Platform is intended to offer a solution for production trucks and other facilities that will transition to the public-cloud domain. “We provide the common off-the-shelf (COTS) processing hardware, and then the AMPP platform is deployed within that hardware,” says CTO Marek Kielczewski. “You don’t need cloud connectivity. If the network goes down for a few hours during the show, it does not affect the production. That was something that a number of our customers raised as a concern.” In addition, it’s entirely scalable and reconfigurable, and applications can be purchased on a pay-as-you go consumption model, which Grass Valley believes will be attractive to sports leagues and teams that have specific seasons. The company is also introducing a compact version of the LDX135 camera, the C135, which is native ST 2110 IP but also can be used in baseband environments, and AMPP Grid, which allows inputs and outputs to be scaled up as needed in lieu of deploying to a larger system than needed.
Clear-Com Arcadia Central Station
Clear-Com (Booth C5507), which is celebrating its 55th birthday at NAB 2023, has intercom solutions for a lot of sports application. Arcadia Central Station combines C-C’s HelixNet, FreeSpeak, Encore 2W/4W endpoints, and third-party Dante devices in a single scalable, integrated system. But other dynamics drive product development and sales, Regional Sales Manager Mike Franklin pointed out: “Particularly wealthy donors may want very specific sports, like swimming or women’s volleyball on television, and a scalable and affordable platform like Arcadia, which can partition 100 channels into several different sports simultaneously, is a cost-effective way to get more sports on-air.” He added that it’s part of a development strategy the company has dubbed “Clear-Com Connect.” VP, Products, Simon Browne noted wryly the link between sports technology and college funding: “It creates a virtuous circle.”
College and university sports professionals (and anyone else interested in sending content direct from a camera to Adobe Creative Suite) will be interested in participating in a Fujifilm (Booth C5725) special case-study program designed to make a few selected programs among the first to experience Frame.io camera to cloud integration for the Fujifilm X-H2S and X-H2 cameras. Users with the FT-XH file-transmitter accessory can use their paid Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptions — and any active internet connection — to deliver any combination of still or video files to Frame.io directly from the camera. “NAB is the perfect place to celebrate and demonstrate our new Frame.io camera-to-cloud functionality, because NAB attendees are so engaged and interested in the latest tech,” says Victor Ha, VP, Electronic Imaging and Optical Devices Divisions, Fujifilm North America Corp. “Having Frame.io camera-to-cloud technology in X-H2 and X-H2S will fundamentally change the way we make images and video because of how it simplifies collaboration and how it saves time for everyone involved.”
Canon U.S.A. (Booth C3825) has two new 8K Flex cinema lenses on display. The CN-E14-35mm T1.7 and the CN-E31.5-95mm T1.7 Super 35mm format lenses expand the Flex Zoom series to include support for Super 35mm cinema cameras. Available in interchangeable EF and PL mounts, the new lenses help produce video with the beautiful and natural background blur desired by many end users. Also being demonstrated, four new relay kits — the RL-S1 and RL-S2 (for Super 35mm) and the RL-F1 and RL-F2 (for full-frame) — adapt each Flex Zoom lens to suit whatever sensor format is required and support the ever-changing requirements of film productions for both popular sensor formats.
Sony Electronics (Booth C8101) is showcasing products, solutions and workflows for broadcast, live-event, newsgathering, and cinematic-content creators at every level here. With a focus on trending topics in imaging, cloud, networked capabilities, and virtual production, Sony is presenting its comprehensive end-to-end ecosystem, providing demos and offering hands-on time with the latest technologies.
NEP Group (Booth C4535) has become the first organization to purchase Sony’s new MLS-X1 Live Switchers (see Sony at Booth C8101). NEP has purchased more than 20 MLS-X1 units for use in its NEP Andrews Production Hub in Sydney. A key element of Sony Networked Live ecosystem, the MLS-X1 stands out for its modular and effective approach as part of NEP’s business-transformation effort with effectiveness and scalability at its core.
Phabrix (Booth C4920) is demonstrating its ability to support interoperable SMPTE ST 2110-20, 2022-7 RGB enhanced-UHD workflows and NVIDIA RivermaxDisplay at NAB 2023. The presentation marks the continuation of a long-running cooperation with NVIDIA and advanced-media-server company 7thSense, both of whose technologies are being featured in the demo alongside the QxL UHD-25G rasterizer from Phabrix.