Ikegami Press News

EDITCAM TAPELESS HD AND SD CAMERAS, CMOS AND CCD IMAGE-SENSOR INNOVATIONS, NEW LCD MONITORS, DUAL HD/SD PRODUCTION SWITCHERS, AND RF MICROWAVE PRODUCTS ARE AMONG IKEGAMI'S NAB 2006 PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS

New, Expanded Exhibit Prominently Located in the Las Vegas Convention Center's Central Hall Will Showcase a Range of Versatile Solutions for Tapeless, Wireless, and Seamless High Definition and Standard Definition Television Production Applications

» Booth #C-3226

LAS VEGAS CONVENTION CENTER, BOOTH C-3226, APRIL 24-27, 2006: Ikegami Electronics (U.S.A.), Inc., the world-leading manufacturer of advanced high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) television production solutions for broadcast and professional video, will present a wide array of leading-edge products at this year's National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) exhibition. Ikegami's product display will include: the tapeless Editcam and EditcamHD family of news/field-production cameras and accessories; new HD cameras with multi-format CMOS imaging sensors; versatile HD cameras with native 1080i and 720p CCDs for all production applications; full-size and compact HD/SD production switchers; and RF microwave systems.

"HDTV production activity is rising sharply and the demand for SD cameras remains strong," states Alan Keil, VP and Director of Engineering for Ikegami. "The broadcast and professional television industries demand innovative products to meet the many challenges of HDTV and SDTV, and that's what Ikegami will be showing at NAB 2006. From Ikegami's fully tapeless HD and SD workflow solutions to advanced, seamless implementations of new CMOS and CCD camera-imager technologies, to new HD/SD production switchers, and wireless RF microwave systems, Ikegami's NAB 2006 product exhibition is designed to enable the broadcast television production industry to smoothly transition to the coming Age of Digital Television."

The Advantages of CMOS
Ikegami's NAB 2006 exhibit will feature several HD cameras employing new multi-format CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) imaging sensors. CMOS camera-imager technology provides several advantages, including decreased power consumption, smaller camera size, multi-format video capture, and high-speed imaging capabilities. Among Ikegami's new CMOS-based cameras on display will be the HDK-79EC/HS, which operates in standard and high-speed HD formats; the camera will be demonstrated in 720/120p and 1080/60p for slow-motion HDTV applications. Other Ikegami CMOS-based cameras on display at NAB 2006 include the HDK-79EC, a top-of-the-line portable camera featuring docking-style triax and fiber capability from the same CCU for excellent cable flexibility in field-production applications. Also on display will be the HDL-40C one-piece full digital native multi-format HDTV box-style camera for POV and other specialized applications, and the HDN-X10 tapeless EditcamHD camcorder.

Tapeless EditcamHD and Editcam Acquisition and Post
Ikegami pioneered tapeless portable camcorder technology, and the HDN-X10 EditcamHD is Ikegami's newest innovation in this area. In addition to employing a multi-format CMOS HD imager, the HDN-X10 EditcamHD is the first camcorder to use Avid's 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. The DNxHD codec is an open system that can be licensed for free, ensuring viability far into the future.

The HDN-X10 EditcamHD currently employs a data rate of 145 Mbps (Megabits per second) to provide 1080/60i, 1080/24p, and 720/60p recording and playback using removable hard disk FieldPak2 or solid state RAMPak recording media. Ikegami's new 120 GB FieldPak2 provides 90 minutes of HD recording time. FieldPak2 and RAMPak media can be mounted and edited immediately without the need for digitizing or transcoding. Desktop editing workflow with video recorded on FieldPak2 media acquired with the HDN-X10 EditcamHD as well as the original standard definition DNS-33W Editcam camcorder will be shown in a special section of the Ikegami booth, dramatically demonstrating Ikegami's Tapeless, Wireless, and Seamless NAB 2006 exhibit theme.

Ikegami's original DNS-33W Editcam camcorder, meanwhile, is the proven performance leader in standard definition tapeless ENG and EFP. The DNS-33W Editcam3 is a next-generation 520,000-pixel AIT (Advanced Interline Transfer) CCD camcorder; like the HDN-X10 EditcamHD it features such revolutionary innovations as Retroloop recording (so videographers never miss a shot) and a Timelapse feature. Triax and multicore adapters are available for added versatility when the DNS-33W Editcam camcorder is used in studio or field-camera configurations. Editcam's 80GB FieldPak2 can record six hours of DV25 digital video, with DV50 and IMX formats available as options. Solid-state RAMPak media is also available. Also on display will be the DNE-31 stand-alone Editcam recorder.

HD and SD, Portable and Studio Camera-Imaging Choices
HD cameras featuring native 1080i and 720p CCD imagers will also be featured in Ikegami's NAB 2006 product display. Product introductions in this area will include the HDK-79EX II, which is designed for 1080i portable-camera production applications and features 14-bit A/D and new Knee Detail features. Additional high-end Ikegami HD cameras on display will include the HDK-75EX for studio applications, and the HDK-725/725P for 720p studio and portable work.

Specialized "box-style" HD cameras for such applications as goalpost, aerial, and other POV uses will also be on display. Among these are the HDL-40 and HDL-40p compact self-contained HD cameras, which provide 1080i and 720p video, respectively. These cameras use the same sensors and DSP ASIC as Ikegami's corresponding studio models, and they offer matching picture performance as well as controllability via identical remote-control panels. Also in the HD camera line-up are the three-CCD HDK-79EX/NA and the very compact two-CCD HDL-20 models. Both feature separation of the optical block from the camera electronics unit, which enables them to be used in such applications as helicopter, blimp, or fixed-wing airborne gyro rigs.

Recognizing the continuing demand for standard-definition video acquisition, Ikegami will display a strong complement of studio and portable cameras for a wide range of applications. Among such cameras will be the HK-399W and HK-399PW, which are Ikegami's latest full-size studio and portable SD companion cameras. Also to be demonstrated in Ikegami's SD camera display in booth number C-3226 are the HL-60W, the top-of-the-line HL-series high-performance portable camera, and the HC-D57W professional series portable camera, now including triax capability. Accessories for Ikegami SD and HD camera models will include the new OCP-200 and MCP-200 assignable Arcnet-based control panels.

HD/SD Production Switchers
Complementing Ikegami's full line of HD and SD cameras is the HSS-3000 Next-Generation, full-size HD/SD Large Production Switcher and its smaller counterpart, the new HSS-300 Compact Production Switcher with 2ME and 1ME control panels. The HSS-3000 can input HD or SD SDI signals; a total of 96 inputs and 64 outputs can be supported, with all output signals fully assignable. The HSS-3000 offers four M/E's (Mix/Effects buses), with either HD or SD signals assignable to each M/E. A two-channel DVE is built into each M/E for basic programmable effects. High-flexibility key control, a dual LCD Touch Screen for easy set-up of complicated effect sequences, an optional frame store, external machine control, and extensive networking capabilities make the HSS-3000 the perfect production switcher for high-end broadcast applications in the coming HD/SD DTV era. The HSS-300 Compact Production Switcher is based on the same technology as that used in the HSS-3000, and is available in one- and two-M/E versions.

Video Monitoring and RF Microwave Products
In addition to its camera technology, Ikegami has also long been known for its line of high-quality video monitors. This year, Ikegami's NAB exhibit will feature additions to its growing line of space-saving, compact color LCD monitors. Multi-format compatibility is this year's emphasis, as seen in the HLM-900P, 8.4-inch battery-operated field monitor, which joins the company's existing line of HLM-2200R, HLM-1700R and HLM-900R LCD multi-format models. Ikegami will also display its industry-leading line of CRT video monitors; the new HTM-1505RA(Z), 15-inch rack-mount monitor will be seen alongside Ikegami's established HTM-1980R and HTM-1907R CRT multi-format monitors.

Ikegami will also display its RF Microwave solutions, including the point-to-point PF-503 digital HD COFDM (Coded Orthogonal Frequency Division Mulitiplexing) microwave link suitable for a wide range of applications and the portable camera-mounted model PP-57 HD RF camera system.

See the full line of Ikegami products throughout NAB 2006 at Booth No. C-3226 in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

For more information 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 Electronics 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 change over to the High Definition Television Format.

Ikegami - "Tapeless Wireless Seamless"