Ikegami Press News

IKEGAMI'S EDITCAM HD WINS NAB 2005 MARIO AWARD

TV Technology Cites Ikegami HDN-X10 as a Significant Technical Breakthrough

MAYWOOD, NEW JERSEY, May 9, 2005: Ikegami, which pioneered digital television newsgathering (DNG) when it introduced its tapeless Editcam camera system with built-in digital disk recorder, has now advanced DNG technology into the realm of High Definition Television by unveiling its HDN-X10 Editcam HD camcorder at NAB 2005. This revolutionary HDTV DNG system is the recipient of one of this year's prestigious Mario Awards, which are presented by TV Technology magazine to companies that demonstrate forward thinking and technical excellence in their products.

The Mario Awards are named after TV Technology writer Mario Orazio, a pseudonym for a leading broadcast engineer who pens one of the industry's most widely read columns, titled "The Masked Engineer." Originated in 1993, the Mario Awards were established to recognize manufacturers whose products represent significant technical breakthroughs; many Mario Award-winning products have gone on to significantly impact the future of video technology. Mario Awards recognize companies that demonstrate forward thinking and technical excellence; the awards are limited to ten companies annually. Ikegami's HDN-X10 Editcam HD is the only camera product to win a Mario Award at this year's NAB.

" 'Mario' scours the NAB show floor for the ten most innovative products that represent the pinnacle of technical achievement," stated TV Technology Editor Tom Butts. "We are proud to present these awards on behalf of the eMasked Engineer.' "

"Ikegami is honored that its HDN-X10 Editcam HD DNG camera system with built-in digital disk recorder has won a Mario Award," stated Teri A. Zastrow, director of sales and marketing at Ikegami U.S.A., Inc. "We have designed this product as a versatile answer to the needs of the broadcast news and television production industries as they transition to the new, digital, tapeless era of HDTV. And Ikegami's close integration with Avid Technology means that HD video acquired with the HDN-X10 Editcam HD can be edited quickly and efficiently."

"Advanced implementations of new technologies for the era of tapeless HDTV production were at the forefront of this year's Ikegami NAB exhibit," states Alan Keil, VP and Director of Engineering for Ikegami. "The HDN-X10 Editcam HD is an historic product introduction that will shape the future of broadcasting for years to come."

The HDN-X10 Editcam HD's recording section utilizes the Avid DNxHD high-quality mastering codec to deliver HD resolution, full-raster (1920 by 1080) images that can be edited on laptop and desktop systems in real time. And because DNxHD source code can be licensed for free, it ensures media files will always be accessible in the future. The Editcam HD currently employs a data rate of 145 Mbps (Megabits per second) to provide 1080/60i, 1080/24p, and 720/60p recording and playback using FieldPak2 recording media. The DNxHD codec also supports 220 Mbps for increased future performance. At NAB 2005 Ikegami introduced new 100 GB FieldPak2 media for the HDN-X10 Editcam HD that can store 90 minutes of HD recording time. HD and SD editing from the FieldPak2 on a variety of Avid edit systems were also demonstrated in a special section of the Ikegami booth.

Ikegami's new HDN-X10 Editcam HD camcorder is one of several new Ikegami cameras shown at NAB 2005 that employ advanced CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensors. CMOS technology offers several advantages, including smaller camera size, decreased power consumption, and multiformat and high-speed imaging capabilities. The HDN-X10 Editcam HD's three 2/3-inch 2.1 megapixel CMOS sensors achieve superior picture quality and wide dynamic range.

"Ikegami is confident that its HDN-X10 Editcam HD will extend its industry-leading tapeless DNG solutions far into the age of HDTV and Digital Television," Zastrow concludes. "This is the right HD video camcorder for today and tomorrow."

About TV Technology: TV Technology is the industry's leading magazine for technology news and reviews and is celebrating its 22nd year covering the television industry. The magazine is published by IMAS Publishing, the world's largest publisher of audio and video publications. Other IMAS products include Radio World, Pro Audio Review, and a family of country-specific publications and Web sites.

About Ikegami: Ikegami is one of the world's leading manufacturers of high-quality professional broadcast equipment. Ikegami offers a broad range of TV cameras for ENG, EFP, Studio, HDTV, CCTV, and Medical Imaging. Ikegami products have received various Emmy Awards for Engineering Excellence. The company's universal High Definition TV cameras have been widely accepted by the broadcast industry as it continues the transition to the High Definition Television Format.

For more information about Ikegami and the location of the Regional Office nearest you, call Ikegami's Maywood NJ headquarters at 201-368-9171 or visit www.Ikegami.com.

Ikegami: Tapeless..Wireless..Seamless.