Atomos cuts costs to Bare Bones

Anyone buying a recorder from Atomos has always got a lot for their money - including various accessories, such as a case, batteries, etc. For the $1,995 Shogun, there are more than $500 of accessories included (HPRC hard case, AC adapter, SSD media cases, D-Tap adapter, 5200mAh battery, battery charger, XLR breakout cable and SSD docking station).

If you already have an Atomos system, you may not need all of these items, which is why Atomos is adding a complete range (in May) of “Bare Bones” models, which reduces the price of the Shogun (with just an SSD media case, AC power supply and a soft case) to $1,695, the Ninja 2 to $395, and both the Ninja Blade and Samurai Blade to $795. The complete suite of Shogun accessories will also be available for $395, and $195 for Ninja Blade and Samurai Blade.

Shogun records 4K in Avid DNxHR

The Atomos Shogun has become the first recorder to implement Avid’s new DNxHR 4K recording format, which is included in AtomOS 6.2 (available as a free download).

The 4K $1,995/£1,299 Shogun has been phenomenally successful, with more than 10,000 sold in just two months. “That was my six-month forecast. 4K is really taking off,” said CEO, Jeromy Young (pictured above), at BVE2015.

For-A focuses on 4K future

An updated FT-One high-speed 4K camera, a new extraction system to take HD windows from 4K images, and a 4K virtual studio system, are just some of the things that For-A has introduced this week at NAB, where it now boasts products for every stage of the 4K workflow — from capturing, processing, switching, and viewing, to recording.

AJA Cion 4K/UHD camera

Yet another non-camera maker has entered the camera market: AJA Video Systems has announced a very nice looking 4K camera that doesn’t cost much more than the Blackmagic Ursa, but has some nice features.

The AJA Cion has a Super 35mm-sized sensor, with global shutter and 12-stops of dynamic range, and records using various Apple ProRes codecs, including 12-bit 444. It builds on AJA’s excellent reputation for external recorders, such as the Ki Pro, Ki Pro Mini and, most recently, the 4K Ki Pro Quad, so it had already built the back-end of the camcorder.

Panasonic HX-A500 4K action cam

The world’s first 4K 25p/30p wearable camcorder has been launched by Panasonic, as part of a growing Ultra HD ecosystem that encompasses home cinema, professional monitors, a new prosumer 4K DSLR (the GH4), and its 4K VariCam 35broadcast camera launched at NAB.

The new, lightweight HX-A500 UHD action cam can also record HD at 50p, and is waterproof (to 3m for 30 minutes) and dustproof.

Atomos Shogun 4K recorder launched

Atomos has announced a new 4K AppleProRes and RAW capable recorder, the Shogun, which uses new 12G-SDI and 4K HDMI connections.

The Shogun is the first 12G-SDI and 4K HDMI I/O monitor recorder, and features a 1920x1200 SuperAtom IPS 7-inch touchscreen (with 325 pixels per inch), 179º viewing angle and 400nit brightness. The monitor can also automatically switch frequency (48/50/60Hz) depending on video input, to give smoother monitoring and playback. [UPDATE: It also won an award from the IABM at NAB as one of five Game Changers - see end for details].

Tiny Atomos Ninja Star recorder

Atomos has announced a new $295 action camera-sized Apple ProRes Compact Flash recorder, the Ninja Star, at NAB that should be ideal for use on remote-control helicopters or with point-of-view cameras.

“Our customers screamed for a tiny, flash-based Apple ProRes recorder and player for extreme applications, their second location cameras or simply when they already had a monitor,” explained Jeromy Young, CEO and Founder of Atomos. “At $295 with low-cost Gen 1 CFast [solid state memory cards], weighing a mere 100 grams (3.5oz), its price, durability and portability is unmatched – this is one of our best creations yet.”

Sony + Panasonic create Archival Disc

A new Archival Disc standard for professional, next-generation optical discs aimed at long-term digital data storage has been agreed by Sony and Panasonic. The discs, which will each store up to 1TB, could be an answer to the storage needs of anyone wanting to archive HD, Ultra HD or other high-resolution formats.

Optical discs already offer dust and water resistance, and can withstand changes in temperature and humidity when stored. They also allow inter-generational compatibility between different formats, ensuring that data can continue to be read as formats evolve. This, the companies say, makes them a suitably robust medium for long-term storage of content.

Atomos Samurai Blade looks sharp

Atomos announced its latest field recorder, the Samurai Blade, at NAB, which it promises will answer demand for a recorder that is also a fully fledged on-camera monitor.

It competes with the larger Convergent Design Odyssey7 monitor-cum-recorder on base price ($1,295), but unlike the Odyssey the Blade includes recording capability from the start, and will be the less expensive option if you don’t need the raw and higher-speed recording capabilities and extra screen size of the Odyssey.

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera

Blackmagic Design keeps on keeps on disrupting the market with broadcast equipment at lower prices than the competition, and has done it again with two new cameras: The £665/$995 Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera and the £2,675/$3,995 4K Production Camera.

Both offer high quality lossless 12-bit CinemaDNG RAW and Apple ProRes recording, and lots of interesting features that should keep prospective buyers salivating until they ship in July.

Convergent Design Odyssey7 + 7Q

A full-featured 7.7-inch OLED monitor that can also be a high-quality recorder (for Avid DNxHD, raw and 4K formats) is the attraction of Convergent Design’s adaptable new Odyssey7 and 7Q products.

As a monitor, it costs from $1,295, with the recording capabilities available as optional upgrades (online licenses for the various formats, such as DNxHD). Given that some users might only need a format like Arrirraw for a few days shooting, the licence for this will also be available for daily rental.

Datavideo MS-3000 production unit

A new, low-cost modular production unit that can be used as a flyaway or be quickly fitted in a van has been unveiled by Datavideo. The MS-3000 Portable Production Unit will cost from about £12,000-13,000 for a full, turnkey system.

It sold the first one at BVE for live events production with eight cameras, and the system will be available as a completely customisable package, including free fitting of equipment a buyer already has, according to Allan Leonhardsen (pictured), sales and marketing director of Holdan, the Datavideo distributor, which will assemble the unit at its UK facility.

The PPU is based around the SE-3000 8- or 16-channel 2M/E broadcast vision mixer (which costs from about £9,000 and has two mix/effects channels, full 3D effects, transitions, picture-in-picture and sophisticated keying, including chromakey effects), and will almost certainly include talkback, hard disk recorders, vectorscope and waveform monitors, and power distribution sensors.

It is designed to be easy to install in a small van or temporary studio. As a single cased unit, running on caster wheels, it can be rolled in to place to provide instant television and AV facilities.

“We want it to be that you turn up, plug it in, and be live in seconds,” explained Leonhardsen. “We’re not using systems like embedded computers that take a long time to boot up. We want to make sure that if you lose power, you are back on line in five to ten seconds, maximum. It’s very much aimed at the live market, or anyone who wants stability.”

Holdan hopes to create set configurations, to make it easy for customers to specify and check price points, and talked to prospective users at BVE to find out what they’d need in such a package (one item being coffee cup holders – so users are less likely to spill drinks on it), but he expects that almost everyone will want to choose their own configuration. As it will be created from a kit of modules, it will be possible to keep prices low despite the customisation.

“We can create integrated solutions but we don’t believe in it,” he added. “We don’t want it to happen that one item goes down and the whole system goes down, which is why we are using independent modules. We believe in stability and non-embedded functionality, so that independent items do independent jobs. If a hard disk recorder goes down, you can simply replace it rather than sending the whole thing back.”

Although Datavideo manufactures all the items, customers won’t have to specify them and can have a unit from another manufacturer fitted instead.

At BVE it showed a flyaway-style configuration with two 17-inch LED HD monitors, the SE-3000 switcher, dual-screen vectorscope test devices, a 16-way intercom, audio mixer and hard disk recorders. Units for live encoding, real-time graphics or additional media playout facilities can simply be inserted into the rack enclosure. Power for the PPU is supplied by a Datavideo central distribution system, which operates from 110-260v. This can have power outlets on the back for the cameras, tally, talkback and prompter (through a single multicore cable), and can be fitted with up to three redundant power supplies.

For use in a van, it has a system that clicks into the normal seating rail system, so that a people carrier can be turned into an OB van (and back) in about ten minutes – it has already used this system for a few vans in Europe and the Far East, which Leonhardsen sees as being ideal where an OB van is only needed occasionally, or to allow the system to be moved between studio and OB use.

Holdan has put up a video of the Datavideo equipment, in the Mercedes Sprinter van shown at BVE (and seen in the background of the first photo), giving more details on its benefits and how it works.

Studio in a briefcase

Also new at BVE was the Datavideo HS-2800 portable integrated production studio (pictured). The briefcase-style HD production switcher can be up and running on location in a matter of minutes, and has eight digital inputs, a built-in multi-view video monitor and 10-bit video support.

It supports multi-camera shoots, blending video sources, audio feeds, logos and graphics, and is designed for small-scale live production, or AV use for events or corporate production.

“With HD-SD conversion, downstream keying and dual picture-in-picture functionality, producers can deliver very polished TV for multiple audiences,” said Leonhardsen.

Features include high-quality digital video effects, multiple XLR inputs, a 17.3-inch monitor to display input sources, programme preview and the live programme, and an eight-way intercom system complete with headsets and tally lights.

By David Fox

BBC buys 500+ GY-HM650 cameras

JVC has recently made a big breakthrough in broadcast news use with the order of more than 500 units of its GY-HM650 ProHD network-enabled camcorder by BBC News for use in newsgathering throughout the UK and globally.

The lightweight cameras record HD or SD in multiple file formats, including native XDCAM EX (.MP4), Final Cut Pro (.MOV), and AVCHD, to SD cards. The 650 also supports MXF files for metadata.

One of its advantages for news is that it has dual codecs, so that it can record full HD files on one memory card, while simultaneously creating smaller, web-friendly files (1/4 HD or SD) on a second card. It also has built-in FTP client and network connectivity, so that it can deliver the footage back to a station without a microwave or satellite connection (all it requires is a WiFi connection or mobile broadband).

It has a secure web server built-in, to allow you to take full control of the camera – including zoom, Rec start/stop and metadata editing – via any browser-enabled device such as an iPad or smart phone.

Other features include: three, 1/3-inch 12-bit CMOS sensors, each with 1920x1080 pixels; a 29mm-667mm (35mm equivalent) Fujinon 23x autofocus zoom lens with optical image stabilizer; manual focus, zoom and iris rings, plus three ND filters; auto-focus with face detection; good low-light performance (F12 at 2000 lux in extended mode); a 1.22MP colour viewfinder and 3.5-inch LCD; a second trigger and servo zoom control on the built-in handle to make it easy to record while holding the cameras at low or high angles; Pre Rec to continuously record and store up to 15 seconds of footage in cache memory to help prevent missed shots of breaking events; built-in stereo microphone plus two XLR inputs with phantom power; separate input for a wireless mic receiver; LANC remote connector; time-code synchronization input; plus HD-SDI and HDMI outputs. It also has Flash Band Correction, to avoid rolling shutter problems if you shoot an event there are flash guns going off.

The camera has been tested by Alan Roberts (whose reports are always worth reading) and met the EBU’s criteria under EBU Tech 3335 for journalism use (Tier 2J), and will also meet the requirements for general long form HD programming (Tier 2L), when used with a suitable external recording device supporting 50Mbps or greater recording (it records up to 35Mbps internally).

By David Fox

Sony XAVC codec explained

Sony will release a new H.264-based codec this month to enable its equipment cope with resolutions beyond HD, as well as higher frame rates, while delivering higher quality pictures. It looks likely to be Sony’s new core codec, so it could play an important role in future productions.

Once Sony’s new PMW-F5 and PMW-F55 4K cameras start shipping (sometime before BVE), users will be able to take advantage of the new, more efficient, mid-range XAVC codec, which has been designed for 4K, and will offer both intra frame and the more efficient Long GoP encoding. It will also allow higher framerate recording at 1080p.

Sony is offering the F5 and F55 as multi-format cameras, rather than just XAVC, “so that they would fit within the workflow people want rather than restricting choice,” said Product Specialist Sebastian Leske.

The cameras will support four codecs: XAVC, for high frame rates and 4K; MPEG2 at 50Mbps; MPEG4 SStP (Sony’s SR Master codec); and Raw 4K, “by the switch of a button, depending on what job you want to do,” added Olivier Bovis, Sony’s Head of AV Media.

XAVC is an extension of H.264 (AVC/MPEG4), using the highest Level 5.2 of the standard, so it is very solid in terms of multi-generational support, he explained.

However, as Sony already had HDCAM SR and Raw on offer, why did it need yet another codec?

“The data rate from an F65 sensor can be as much as 35Gbps, whereas the new SxS Pro+ cards can go up to 1.3Gbps. So, we still need efficient compression to take all that data and package it in a manageable way,” explained Strategic Marketing Manager Peter Sykes. Besides, MPEG2 simply couldn’t cope with 4K, whereas XAVC is not only able to handle higher resolution but higher frame rates too.

He doesn’t believe that Raw is suitable for every-day production as it results in much higher data rates and can't be used as an interchangeable format. Although Raw offers all the flexibility some productions may need for high-end postproduction, it is inextricably linked to the camera sensor, which complicates the workflow and makes it less suited to productions that need to use a variety of different cameras.

Multiple formats

The F5 and F55 can record existing XDCAM HD formats at 50Mbps or 35Mbps, HDCAM SR (MPEG4 SStp) at up to 220Mbps or XAVC at 440Mbps. For 4K work, you’ll be able to use intra-frame XAVC at 10-bit 4:2:2, which will require 240Mbps at 24p or 600Mbps at 60p. For HD, it will record 10-bit 4:2:2, at up to 60p, at 200Mbps. It can also deliver proxy 4:2:0 images at low bit rates. Users will be able to choose between 8- and 10-bit recording for both XAVC and MPEG2.

XAVC uses an MXF wrapper, as it is “industry standard and well recognised,” said Sykes, and its implementation is identical to Sony’s MPEG2 and MPEG4 SStP MXF OP-1a files.

“It is an enabling technology for a range of products that will emerge from now on,” he added. “It’s a major part of our plan for our acquisition products. XAVC will become the core codec for applications beyond HD and for higher frame rates.”

“To drive beyond HD we had to develop XAVC,” agreed Leske. “The design is future ready.” It will be able to do 4:4:4 (where it will be able to go up to 1.2Gbps), although the F5 and F55 will use HDCAM SR for 4:4:4 work.

“To go beyond HD we needed a new codec, but it is also useful for 1080 50p and 60p,” he added. “It uses a different mechanism to keep the highest quality we can. It allocates more bits to the details (like hair) than for flat areas (like a wall).”

It uses “a pre-coding mechanism to maximise the picture quality,” expanded Sykes.

This uses bit estimation, the same procedure as used for DVD authoring, which estimates what bit rate you need to get the highest quality. If it doesn’t reach it, it does it again. Used as an intra-frame codec, XAVC will do this for each frame, so they are all recorded to the highest possible quality.

At present, H.264 codecs set the parameters for a recording when you start recording, and stick to them, whereas XAVC can change them every frame, so that when you shout ‘Action’, and there is suddenly lots of movement and fine detail in the shot, you aren’t limited to parameters set when nothing was happening.

Sykes believes that 4:2:2 10-bit XAVC at 100Mbps “will be a good basis for broadcast infrastructure and relatively easy to handle.”

Open season

XAVC has been developed as an open format, providing a license program for other manufacturers in the broadcast and production industry to develop their own high quality and high frame rate products.

“It is a codec we are going to be using for lots of different applications,” said Sykes. Sony developed the low power consumption chipset used in the cameras. This not only does XAVC, but also processes MPEG2 – and because it is so fast can do both at once, so that the F55 can record both 4K XAVC and XDCAM HD at 50Mbps simultaneously to its SxS Pro+ card.

Currently, it seems that the XAVC workflow will be supported by such manufacturers as: Adobe (CS6 with Rovi Total Code Plug-in installed), Apple [[UPDATE - Sony XAVC plug-in for Final Cut Pro X (version 10.0.8) now available to download]], Avid, Grass Valley, Quantel and Sony (Vegas Pro 12) for non-linear editing; Assimilate, Codex, Colorfront, FilmLight, MTI and YoYotta for on-set dailies; Assimilate, FilmLight and Quantel for colour grading; Rovi for software codec management; and Matrox for a codec board.

The F5 is designed for HD on-board recording, requiring an external recorder for 4K, whereas the F55 can record 4K internally as well as HD.

On-board recording, in whatever format, will typically require about 25 Watts, but adding the external Raw recorder will add an extra 22W. With the viewfinder attached the complete camera will require about 50W, which is good for a 4K camera recording Raw.

For 16-bit 4K Raw, the system runs at data rates of up to 2.4Gbps for 60p, but this will only be possible with the new Sony AXS-R5 recorder, which fits to the camera body with no need for cabling. The cameras will be able to record both Raw externally and XAVC internally at the same time.

PMW-1000 Deck

To support XAVC (and SxS recording in general), Sony has just announced the new PMW-1000 Memory Recording Deck. This is a half-rack sized recorder, with two SxS memory card slots and VTR-like jog/shuttle operations, that is suitable for both studio and Outside Broadcast use – and is the first stand-alone recorder to handle the new codec.

Following the launch of the PMW-F5 and PMW-F55 CineAlta cameras, “the PMW-1000 studio recording deck is the next natural step to bring enhanced and easy workflow support,” said Fabien Pisano, Strategic Marketing Manager, Sony Europe. “The versatility of the PMW-1000 in terms of interfaces, coupled with linear-like operation and the ability to record the XAVC HD format on SxS media, make it an ideal choice for broadcasters and production houses looking for an affordable, quality production solution or for a smooth transition from SD to HD.”

PMW-1000 users can select recording and playback formats from HD (XAVC, MPEG HD422 and MPEG HD420 50/35/25Mbps) and SD (MPEG IMX 50/40/30Mbps and DVCAM 25Mbps) in a variety of frame rated. For anyone who still has to do some work in SD (are there many?) the recorder is designed to make the transition to HD easier, and can also do up-and-down conversion from/to HD.

The PMW-1000 offers a wide range of AV and IT interfaces including: HD-SDI, SD-SDI, HDMI, and composite outputs. An RS-422 interface enables it to be used as a feeder for linear editing while a Gigabit Ethernet (1000BASE-T) port allows for high-speed file transfer in network or non-linear operations. The PMW-1000 also includes a HDMI output at the rear for easy monitoring on HD displays. 

A USB interface on the front panel enables easy connection of external USB HDDs without a PC for the direct copying of clips.

It also boasts three-way power source selection. It can operate on AC, DC or battery power, and so it can even be used on location. It should be available in Europe from April.

Procam order

The 4K cameras seem to be attracting a lot of interest. One of the UK’s biggest broadcast hire facilities, Procam TV, has just spent £500,000 on the PMW-F5 and PMW-F55. Procam believes it is the largest single transaction of its kind in the broadcast hire industry.

It is getting its first instalment of 12 cameras this month, and expects considerable demand from its current customers as well as attracting new clients.

By David Fox

Panasonic AF100A/AF101A update

It seemed as if Panasonic had forgotten its AF100/AF101 Micro Four Thirds-based AVCCAM camcorder, but it has finally announced an update: the AG-AF100A / AG-AF101A.

The new A series looks identical to the existing model, but will now be able to record 1080p 50/60 (at up to 28Mbps) internally and will produce a 10-bit 4:2:2 output via HD-SDI for recording on an external recorder (compared to 8-bit output on the previous model).

Although this means that the AF100/101 hasn’t been totally forgotten, it is a rather limited upgrade. Given that Panasonic’s own GH3 stills camera can record 1080p 60p/50 at 50Mbps IPB and 24p at 72Mbps ALL-I internally, it seems a shame that the camcorder should lag so far behind a much cheaper stills camera.

Admittedly, the new GH3 only has 8-bit 4:2:0 output via HDMI (although given what hacks have done to expand the recording options on the existing GH2, one would hope the GH3 will be similarly tweakable).

The AF100A/AF101A also gets an expanded focus assist function, which enlarges the centre of the displayed image, and 2.39:1 (cinema scope size) safety zone marker.

Besides the GH2 and GH3, the other option for anyone with an investment in Micro Four Thirds lenses is the upcoming MFT version of Blackmagic Design’s Cinema Camera. It has certain advantages over the stills cameras in terms of faster connections (Thunderbolt), higher bitrate recording and smartphone-like controls (although the GH3 will be controllable from a smartphone), but is not as ergonomically usable as the AF100/101 (nor have its dual XLR audio inputs). However, it does cost less.

The AG-AF100A (the US version) and AG-AF101A (European version) will be available later this month with a list price of €4,150 excluding VAT (about £3,300 or $5,300).

By David Fox

Atomos releases Avid DNxHD support

The new AtomOS 4.0 operating system upgrade for the Atomos Ninja-2 and Samurai external recorders, will support Avid’s DNxHD production codec in addition to Apple ProRes, so that user’s recordings can be directly editable in their non-linear editor of choice.

The update is free of charge and downloadable from the support section of the Atomos web site.

“There has been huge demand from our customer base for Avid support,” said Jeromy Young, CEO and co-founder of Atomos. “Now, editors have a choice of native codec for their editing system. Both Apple ProRes and Avid DNxHD provide higher quality, with higher bitrates and 4:2:2, 10-bit resolution. Both are ready-to-edit straight from the Samurai's HDD or SSD, in your preferred NLE.”

AtomOS version 4.0 allows encoding to Avid DNxHD in the following formats: High - 220/185/175Mbps (10-bit); Medium - 220/185/175Mbps (8-bit); Low - 145/120/115Mbps (8-bit). The firmware has apparently been well received by customers who were invited to beta test it following a successful preview at IBC in September.

The HDMI-equipped Ninja-2 and HD-SDI-equipped Samurai field recorders allow the recording, monitoring and playback of 10-bit uncompressed images straight from a DSLR or camcorder directly to Apple ProRes or Avid DNxHD.

AtomOS 4.0 is being released only for Samurai now, from www.atomos.com. It is a full working version, but Atomos refers to it as a pre-release because it will be further updated to support Ninja-2 in late November.

[[UPDATE: Atomos has introduced new Samurai Blade with a sharper monitor and upgraded operating system (AtomOS5) – it has also cut the price of both the Samurai and Ninja-2]]