The 2012 National Association of Broadcasters show which was held last month in Las Vegas was one of the most exciting and interesting NAB shows in recent years. According to show organizers attendance topped 90 000 for the second year in a row and there was a ten percent increase in both the size and number of exhibitors. As in recent years international attendees from 151 countries accounted for more than a quarter of the people there which always gives the show a very cosmopolitan feel. For most people the center of attention is the new technology on display and what it means for the production and post-production business and this year did not disappoint. In our next Report we will give a much more comprehensive look at the show but for now we are pleased to name what we believe were the Top Products of NAB 2012. Canon EOS C500 Cinema Camera One of the biggest hits of this conference was Canon’s EOS C500 cinema camera which capitalizes on the groundbreaking ergonomic design of the EOS C300 camera and offers a new Super 35mm 8.85-megapixel CMOS image sensor DIGIC DV III Image Processor and an expansive range of recording and output options specifically for 4K and 2K-image acquisition. Addressing the discrete needs of cinema and TV the EOS C500 offers two forms of 4K origination: productions can dynamically select DCI (SMPTE 2048-1:2011 standard) or the alternative television-centric Quad-HD (SMPTE 2036-1:2009 and ITU-R BT.1769 standards) source image formats and output a selection of 4K 2K and HD digital sampling formats. The EOS C500 features uncompressed Canon RAW output for both 4K and 2K recording. The Canon RAW output is delivered to external recording systems via built-in dual 3G-SDI ports. Dual uncompressed HD-SDI out ports supports external live monitoring. HD or 2K content can be written to dual onboard CF cards simultaneously to provide proxy video for offline NLE systems. Canon has collaborated with some of the most respected names in the industry to ensure the standardized 4K/2K output interfaces work with external digital recording units portable and master monitors and color grading systems - affording maximum flexibility to production and post-production teams. Canon also unveiled the EOS C500 PL which is a PL-mount camera. After the Canon press conference to unveil the EOS C500 the head of the professional movie camera department at one of the country’s best-known equipment sellers told me “This camera is a Red killer. And an Alexa killer too.” Blackmagic Cinema Camera While that prediction may or may not prove to be true another manufacturer introduced another camera that seems certain to find a lot of customers. Blackmagic Design unveiled the Blackmagic Cinema Camera a revolutionary digital cinema camera design that includes powerful features such as super wide 13 stops of dynamic range high resolution 2.5K sensor built in high bandwidth SSD recorder open file format support color correction with a full version of DaVinci Resolve and a built in LCD with metadata entry. Many current generation video cameras suffer from a video look due to a limited contrast range a maximum HD resolution sensor poor quality optics and lenses the use of heavy video compression for file recording and poor integration with NLE software metadata management the manufacturer says. With these limitations they cannot be used for high-end work or feature films. Blackmagic Cinema Camera has been designed to eliminate these problems so customers get a true feature film look and at an affordable cost can shoot high end television commercials episodic television programming and feature films. This is one of the most exciting products we have ever created and it’s been a work in progress for a very long time said Grant Petty CEO Blackmagic Design. Ever since I was a telecine engineer back in the 1990's I have wished that video cameras would include features that allowed them to perform creatively similar to film. However current digital cameras are too heavy way too expensive and need costly accessories to work. We felt there was a need for a camera that delivered these features in a design that's optimized for professional video shoots as well as being a compact elegant design that's easily affordable. We think we have achieved that. The Blackmagic Cinema Camera will be available in July for $2 995. Canon Cinema Zoom Lenses Lenses are critical to the success of any production and one thing our top two camera picks have in common is Canon glass. Canon has long been widely recognized for the quality of their lenses but the company’s new found and strong commitment to the motion picture business raises the bar even higher. At NAB 2012 Canon announced the development of four new EF Cinema zoom lenses designed to deliver exceptional optical performance on 4K resolution Super 35mm-equivalent cameras. Each of the four lenses features a compact lightweight design to facilitate handheld and Steadicam shooting while also covering a wide range of focal lengths. Included are two wide-angle cine zooms – the CN-E15.5-47mm T2.8 L S (for EF mounts) and the CN-E15.5-47mm T2.8 L SP (for PL mounts) – and two telephoto cine zooms – the CN-E30-105mm T2.8 L S (for EF mounts) and CN-E30-105mm T2.8 L SP (for PL mounts). Autodesk Smoke 2013 Smoke editing software has long been a staple of major motion picture production and at this show Autodesk introduced Smoke 2013 a completely redesigned and repackaged version of the all-in-one video editing and visual effects tool for the Mac. Smoke 2013 born out of two decades of visual effects leadership features a unified creative workflow that brings powerful node-based compositing right in the timeline. “Autodesk combined over 20 years of visual effects leadership and customer feedback to create video editing and effects software that serves the current and evolving marketplace for high-quality video content. Early feedback has been gratifyingly enthusiastic ” said Marc Petit senior vice president Autodesk Media & Entertainment. The industry is already abuzz with excitement for this upcoming version of Smoke. Matt Silverman creative director at San Francisco-based Bonfire Studios said “Autodesk creates tools for pros and listens to pros to create their tools.” A recent Autodesk-commissioned survey of film and video production companies found that editors and studio owners are grappling with limited budgets file management complexity and tight project timelines. Of the respondents 42 percent cited dealing with different file formats as one of the biggest challenges with current editing and finishing tools. In the survey 82 percent called out Smoke software’s support for HD and higher resolution formats and 60 percent its all-in-one package as the most valuable features to help combat production complexity and streamline their post-production workflow. The research illuminated a thriving professional video market with more Hollywood blockbuster-quality content required for web new mobile platforms interactive advertising and traditional broadcast. The new all-in-one Smoke with its unified editing and effects workflow can be that tool. Autodesk Smoke 2013 is expected to be available later this fall at a suggested retail price of $3 495 per license. Dolby 3D Auto-Stereo Display It is widely believed that stereoscopic 3D will never enjoy mainstream success until it can be viewed without glasses. At NAB 2012 Dolby took a major step in realizing that goal with a stunning demonstration of its prototype auto-stereo display. Developed in cooperation with Royal Philips Electronics and at least two years from fruition the system includes a 3D HD format and suite of technologies designed to deliver full HD 3D content to 3D-enabled devices including glasses-free displays. The two companies have undertaken the joint project to improve the 3D viewing experience on displays of all sizes including smart phones tablets PCs and televisions. Dolby 3D is a complete system designed to work throughout the chain to deliver clear glasses-free 3D content that operates over existing distribution systems. Ramzi Haidamus executive vice president sales and marketing Dolby Laboratories said “We believe that Dolby 3D can help drive the adoption of 3D—creating a comfortable customizable truly enjoyable glasses-free 3D viewing experience while enhancing 3D display performance. Armed with the innovative glasses-free 3D display technology from Philips based on years of extensive research and development in the field we plan to bring the same philosophy to 3D that Dolby has brought to the audio space—integrating our technologies and strengths throughout the entire content chain. Consumers will know that when they see Dolby 3D content on a 3D-enabled device it will look its very best.” “Dolby and Philips are committed to taking the 3D experience to the next level and delivering a high-quality solution for all 3D display devices including today’s glasses-based devices and tomorrow’s glasses-free displays. Working on cutting-edge technology with two leading companies is very exciting and I’m thrilled to lead this unique joint effort ” said Guido Voltolina general manager of the joint project. The focus of the project will be to work with original equipment manufacturers of display panels and entertainment devices to enhance the performance of 3D consumer devices to make viewing of 3D content just as convenient and appealing as viewing of 2D content on a high-quality screen is today.
