Z Technology
Z Technology will introduce its portable DSS-5000 Series test and measurement system at NAB. The swept-spectrum field-strength meter and 8-VSB decoder is controlled by a laptop PC and powered by an ENG camera battery. The system, which is contained in a backpack and battery-belt/PC-tray assembly includes Z Technology's new DTV Analysis software running in Windows 98 for easy integration with other Windows programs. Measurements include graphic displays of the RF spectrum and numeric values for tap energy, tilt, 5-MHz high-low differential, peak power, total in-channel power, and 8-VSB mean squared error and signal-to-noise ratio.
Hitachi Denshi America
Hitachi will have a number of new offerings this year. Topping the list is the SK-777, a 16:9/4:3 switchable broadcast camera with a 12-bit A/D converter and 2/3-inch, 740,000-pixel FIT CCD chip. Horizontal resolution is 850 TV lines; sensitivity is f8 at 2,000 lux; DSP functions include automatic flesh-tone detail. Suggested list price is $42,000. Also new this year is the DK-H3, Hitachi' s first 1080i HDTV graphics camera. It includes a newly developed 2.2 million-pixel, 2/3-inch IT CCD chip and 1,100-TV-line horizontal resolution; DSP functions include six-vector color correction, adjustable detail frequency and flesh-tone detail. Pricing is $14,000. Also to be introduced at NAB is the HV-D5W, a new three 2/3-inch 510,000-pixel CCD color camera featuring a switchable (16:9/4:3) aspect ratio and DSP. According to Hitachi, the camera is suited for use as a graphics camera, in a pan/tilt system, or as a tower camera. It has a sensitivity of f1.4 at 0.5 lux, automatic electronic shutter and a horizontal resolution of 750 TV lines. Pricing is expected to be $4,000.
Tandberg Television
Tandberg Television will introduce the E5100, a 2RU digital ENG system combining MPEG-2 encoding and COFDM modulation, to remove ghosting and multipath problems associated with analog ENG systems in use today. It incorporates a fully integrated COFDM modulator card. Also new this year is the E5500 digital satellite news gathering encoder, which provides all the functionality required for a multitude of outside broadcast applications. The unit is housed in a 2RU chassis and features front-panel pushbutton control and LCD indicating low-latency modes, built-in frequency, agile QPSK modulation, SDI and composite video inputs, and high- and low-speed data inputs.
JVC
Among JVC' s offerings at NAB will be three new camcorders. First up is the DY-70 D-9 1/2-inch CCD camcorder, with 14-bit digital signal processing (DSP), 4:2:2 sampling and 50-Mb/s data rate. It weighs about 15 pounds and has several high-end features, including four-channel audio sampled at 16 bit, 48kHz. Also new this year will be the DY-90, with three 2/3-inch CCDs and similar features to the DY-70. The DY-90 will be complemented by the 16:9 native aspect ratio DY-90W camcorder.
Fast Multimedia
Fast' s focus will again be on the FAST601 editing system with new InTime processor and FAST601 DV, an IEEE 1394 I/O card that allows FAST601 users to input DV footage directly from DV cameras. The new DV card works with all FAST601 systems and will allow batch capture and print to tape.
Videotek
The VTM-400HD multiformat high-definition on-screen monitor provides on-screen measurement cursors for waveform amplitude and time, vector phase, real-time signal-quality alarms with adjustable limits, plus expanded system features. It also has audio display for 5.1 or 7.1 channel applications. It can be used for 720p, 1080i, and 1080p/24sF serial digital input formats.
Inscriber
Inscriber LIVE!Logo is a broadcast-quality 32-bit serial digital logo generator for post-production and live television environments. LIVE!Logo enables users to organize and display any number of logos, clocks, timers, text strings, animations and audio bytes (.wav files). Features include the ability to capture temperature in real time from a standard temperature probe and to create and preview analog clocks. In addition, any Windows TrueType font may be used for the digital clock, text string and temperature, allowing stations to create a unique look and feel for their time and temperature display.
Accom
Accom is introducing a high-definition WSD/HD digital disk recorder that will start at less than $40,000. The standard-definition 601 version uses a single Medea 78-GB VideoRAID/RT; four VideoRAID/RTs are required for high-definition storage. Capacities can range from 78 GB to more than 10 TB. Edit control is via standard Sony protocol, with manual control via an HTML/Java applet. Any Web browser on the WSD/HD network can open the GUI panel for control of the machine.
Advanced Rendering Technology
ART is introducing its RenderDrive RD5000 3-D rendering appliance. It is based on the AR350, ART' s ray-tracing graphics processor and delivers up to five times the performance of the company' s RenderDrive RD2000 system. Suggested list price is $24,950.
Itelco
New from Itelco this year will be two series of DTV transmitters. The KV Series is equipped with an IOT; the WV is liquid-cooled solid state. Both series have Itelco' s own 8-VSB exciter/modulator. The compact KV is suited for installations where space and weight are issues, and the WV offers improved transmitter efficiency and reliability for power levels between 800 watts rms and 40 kW rms.
Ampex Data Systems
Ampex' s next-generation quad-density data storage tape (DST) provides uncompressed storage capacity of 660 GB on a single cartridge. The new drive doubles the capacity of the current line of Ampex automated cartridge archive libraries.
AMS Neve
Audiophiles will find new Workflow technologies in place at AMS Neve' s booth, integrating the manufacturer' s production consoles and post systems to form seamless environments for rapid project transfer and improved studio flexibility. WorkFlow systems include the manufacturer' s Encore universal console automation system and the StarNet editor network.
YEM
YEM will introduce the world' s smallest and lightest portable HD MPEG2 encoder and decoder. Both the HE-1000 encoder and HD-1000 decoder are approximately the size and weight of a small notebook computer, and both offer low power consumption and efficient compression and decompression for on-location as well as studio applications. YEM is also introducing its battery-operated multiformat HD signal generator.
AccuWeather
FirstWarn Neighborhood NEXRAD is an improved pinpoint storm-tracking system. New features include intuitive browser interface and design, complete control of the levels of radar echoes displayed, archived map improvement, selected storm entry, and Storm Path Analyzer. AccuWeather will also be showing UltraGraphix ULTRA software version 2.06.
Vibrint Technologies
Vibrint will be presenting a new suite of low-resolution video, software-only applications offering desktop video browsing, interactive feed capture, and editing. The new applications are designed to run alongside the existing newsroom computing system on a standard desktop running Windows NT. The suite of MPEG1 tools includes NewsBrowse LR, which provides browsing of video clips; FeedClip LR, an application allowing the viewing and creation of clips on the desktop from incoming feeds without interrupting recording; and NewsEdit, an editing application. Vibrint will also demonstrate NewsLog, a tape-logging station that allows review of field tapes and selection of potential sound bites.
DVS Digital Video
The HDStationPRO is an uncompressed HDTV I/O single-board PCI for real-time input and output of 8- and 10-bit uncompressed serial digital HD signals for computer workstations and high-end PCs. It supports all HD standards and includes an analog HD monitoring output with overlay as well as a real-time digital color space converter.
Radamec Broadcast Systems
Radamec is introducing four products, including a heavy-duty New Track-Cam System featuring curved and lattice-type tracks that eliminate vibration and support camera and lens packages up to 110 pounds. Among other introductions are flat-panel LCD touch screens (13-, 14- and 15-inch) for Radamec touch control panels, a Free-d virtual studio tracking system with increased speed, and a virtual 3-D operator interface that allows Free-d and RP2VR users to interface directly with Radamec' s high-quality Virtual Scenario system.
Peak Broadcast Systems
Peak is introducing three products at NAB: PilotTicker, Everest NT and GeoNews. PilotTicker, based on Everest real-time graphic software, is available for the SGI NT, O2, and Onyx workstations. In combination with Pilot' s robust database, it provides the facilities to read electronically delivered financial data in a combination of formats, including multiple crawls and non-moving graphic displays. Each crawl can be independently controlled, including such parameters as speed, color, font size, font type and background colors.
Also new from Peak is Everest NT, real-time graphics animation and rendering software for the SGI Windows NT platform. Everest NT offers the identical feature set available on SGI Onyx and O2 platforms, and files are forward- and backward-compatible. Everest NT is particularly suited for in graphics design, live-to-air graphics production, and authoring of 2-D/3-D graphics and virtual sets. In addition, Peak is offering GeoNews, a high-resolution map of the world that operates on the Silicon Graphics Onyx and O2 workstations and will be available shortly for the NT platform.
