| Broadcasting Feature at Creative COW |
 | Debra Kaufman
Santa Monica California USA
©2011 CreativeCOW.net. All rights reserved. |
Article Focus:
Panasonic Solutions Company just debuted the AW-HE120, a pan/tilt/zoom camera that features a fast 20X zoom lens and three 2.2 megapixel U.L.T. MOS imagers supporting Full HD video capture. |
Panasonic Solutions Company just debuted the AW-HE120, a pan/tilt/zoom camera that features a fast 20X zoom lens and three 2.2 megapixel U.L.T. MOS imagers supporting Full HD video capture. The new camera is an evolution of Panasonic's AW-HE100 and more cost effective AW-HE50.
|
|
John Rhodes, Product Line Manager, System Cameras and Switchers, Panasonic Solutions Company
|
"What we've wanted to do is get this category to grow up," says John Rhodes, Product Line Manager, System Cameras and Switchers, Panasonic Solutions Company. "With the HE120, our objective was to create something with a no-compromise picture that any broadcaster - or anyone producing broadcast pictures - would be satisfied with the image and the degree of control. And to do that at a price not out of the reach of the mass part of the market, which is education, houses of worship and government agencies."
The AG-HE120, which ships on December 25, has a suggested list price of $8,900. "We've had very positive response among potential customers," says Rhodes. "A major Internet/media company plans to standardize on this for all their corporate facilities." He also brought in some pre-production units to a large cable TV network, which plans on building a new set at the New York Stock Exchange. "They're already using four of our older, bigger cameras but they wanted something less intrusive for the new set," says Rhodes, who says that he set up for his presentation, but as soon as he turned the camera on, the cable TV network said they'd take ten of them. "The quality of the image sold them," says Rhodes. A major concert promoter also bought three AW-HE120s for use in an upcoming project.
"The HE120 comes with the same sensors and DSP (Digital Signal Processor) that we use in our broadcast camcorders, such as the AG-HPX370," he says. "Its signal-to-noise ratio is pushing 60dB, which is almost unbelievable. It gets 1000 lines of resolution and offers features like 16-axis color correction and Panasonic's own DRS (Dynamic Range Stretch) which are usually only found in our studio cameras. It's that level of picture, but the price of the HE120 is lower than the HE100, the one it's replacing."
|
|
AW-HE120, a pan/tilt/zoom camera that features a fast 20X zoom lens and three 2.2 megapixel U.L.T. MOS imagers supporting Full HD video capture
|
Standard outputs with the HE120 include HD/SD-SDI, HDMI, analog component and SD composite. The camera is multi-standard, delivering international HD and SD formats including 1080/59.94p (HDMI only), 1080/59 .94i, 720/59.94p, 480/59.9p (HDMI only), 480/59.94i, 1080/50p (HDMI only), 1080/50i, 720/50p, 575/50p (HDMI only) and 576/50i.
Controls for remote operation have also been expanded from the existing RS-422 serial compatibility with controllers that work with the previous generation of Panasonic remote camera systems. "The HE120 supports browser and IP control," says Rhodes. Direct control uses Panasonic's AW-RP50N as well as suitably programmed systems from
Crestron,
AMX and other manufacturers. Browser control offers new and interesting possibilities. "You can control this camera using your Windows Internet Explorer browser anywhere in the world," he says. "It's ideal for any situation, such as a reality TV show, when you won't have a cameraperson there and need something unobtrusive and invisible."
The 20X optical zoom lens can cover the 35mm equivalents of 32.1 mm at the wide angle end to 642.5 mm at the telephoto. Shooting in bright conditions is easily handled by the built-in remote-controllable four position ND filter (clear, that. Now that a camera of this form factor and high quality image is available, it might have a wide variety of uses in the broadcast arena as well as its more traditional market.
Reply
Like
