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NAB 2008: The Preview – Part One
A Major New Attraction at the show makes the Case that Content is King
 Demonstrating a solid commitment to the idea that content is king, the National Association of Broadcasters has devoted a significant amount of space on its trade show floor to what it is calling Content Central. When NAB 2008 opens its doors at the Las Vegas Convention Center on Monday, April 14th attendees will be treated to, among other things, a Content Theatre and a Content Commerce Area.
Content Central will occupy a large section of the main convention hall. According to NAB, the Content Theater will present innovative cinema, television, online and mobile entertainment and examine how it was created using new tools and technologies. There will be four days of sessions in which hands-on professionals screen episodes and clips and shine a light on their production, post-production and distribution.
 Programming will include the latest in 3D; animated and visual effects-driven motion pictures; digitally captured films; and multi- and single-camera entertainment for traditional broadcast, broadband and wireless platforms. Sessions will take place in a state-of-the-art digital theater fitted with the latest 3D exhibition technologies.
The Content Commerce Area is described as a marketplace and meeting place for content buyers and sellers to meet and collaborate to generate new revenue streams on multiple platforms.
There are numerous events and educational sessions during the convention but at some point most, if not all, of the more than 100,000 attendees expected will tour the massive exhibition hall to see the latest film and television technology. Here is part one of our preview of what to expect on the show floor.
Production Products
Although Sony has made no formal announcement it is widely believed that the company will be showing a prototype of its F35 digital cinematography camera, which will launch globally towards the end of 2008.
The F35 shares the same body as the F23 but features a single Super 35mm size CCD sensor with PL-mount lens. The Super 35mm size CCD uses an RGB stripe approach, as opposed to the interpolated bayer pattern CMOS sensor used on some other cameras. The RGB stripe allows full resolution 1920 x 1080 RGB output, with no sub-sampling at all, while the CCD sensor ensures a huge dynamic range with full detail in the black regions. Like the F23, the F35 is also designed to record on to an HDCam SR recorder, which can be docked directly on to the back or top of the camera, or connected remotely via cable.
In addition to its new products on display Thomson Grass Valley will be touting the fact that Frost & Sullivan it was has named the recipient of Frost and Sullivan’s 2007 “Product Line Leadership of the Year” award. The award recognizes Thomson’s ability to help its customers make the transition in the broadcast sector from standard definition to high definition and, in cinematography from film to digital image processing.
Thomson Grass Valley will also highlight the fact that it has added to its advanced digital video converter family with the ADVC-HD50, bringing high-definition flexibility into the professional videography and prosumer marketplace for the first time. The ADVC-HD50 converts uncompressed HDMI HD video and audio to the HDV format and outputs the signal via FireWire (IEEE 1394) for use in any HDV-compatible nonlinear editor. The ADVC-HD50 can be used with both Mac and PC-based editors. The ADVC-HD50 will be available in April at a suggested retail price of $999 (€699).
 Sachtler will introduce am upgrade to the artemis ACT 2 C carbon fiber spring arm and the artemis ACT 2 Vest for camera stabilizing systems including the artemis EFP, EFP Pro SDI HD, Cine, and Cine HD.
Working in collaboration with racecar industry experts, Sachtler's engineers developed the carbon fiber upgrade for the artemis ACT 2 because of its excellent response to vibration. The faster the operator runs, the steadier the arm becomes. The new lightweight and torsion-free ACT 2 C Upgrade handles payloads from 24-57 pounds/11-26 kilograms.
When combined with the new artemis ACT 2 Vest, operation of the camera stabilizing system is optimized. The Act 2 Vest is constructed of exceptionally breathable nylon Cordura and features six moveable (washable) pads to maximize comfort, improve posture, and ensure a perfect fit for any body type. Both the Vest and Arm feature industry standard connections for compatibility with systems by Sachtler and other popular manufacturers.
 Sachtler will also unveil SOOM, the world’s first multifunctional camera support system for Mini DV to HDV camcorders. SOOM configures into four distinct support tools, all in one compact, easy -carry system. In SOOM TriPod mode, the system’s 75mm bowl can be mated to a Sachtler FSB or other fluid head and features single-stage legs providing a vertical height range from 27-56 inches and an integrated TriSpread mid-level spreader. For more height, TriPod becomes HiPod, via its integrated center column, the SOOM Tube, telescoping vertically to a variable lens height of over eight feet. In Monopod configuration, the SOOM Tube removes from the tripod to function as a monopod with a height range of 34-62 inches. For going low, the TriSpread mid-level spreader removes from the standard tripod to become a single-stage baby tripod with a height range of 8-19 inches. SOOM reconfigures for various functions quickly and easily, without tools.
 Finally, Sachtler will introduce its first LED on-camera light: Reporter 8LED. The compact fixture requires the power input of just eight watts yet can produce a light output of 250 lumens. With an input voltage range of six to 24 volts, the fixture is ideally suited for work with everything from compact 7.2-volt HDV camcorders to popular broadcast cameras, and a variety of shooting applications. The Sachtler Reporter 8LED is available in a standard daylight version. However, optional accessories give the unit a broader application spectrum and allow an operator to change the beam angle, and an alternative LED module even converts the color temperature to Tungsten balanced light output.
Oconnor will be featuring the 120EX Extended Capacity fluid head to support the variable weight range of EC camera systems as well as the compact yet rugged, Cine HD tripod, heavy-duty Ultimate 2575C fluid head, plus more.
 Cooke Optics will showcase its S4/i series of prime lenses. Equipped with Cooke’s /i Technology, these lenses are fast, light, and enable film and digital cameras to automatically record key lens and camera data for every film frame shot and provide it to post-production teams digitally. Companies with equipment supporting the /i protocol include Aaton, ARRI, Avid, Cinematography Electronics, CMotion, Dalsa, Mark Roberts Motion Control, Preston Cinema Systems, RED, The Pixel Farm and Service Vision. Cooke lenses will also be featured at the exhibit booths of JVC and Aaton, and Cooke’s limited edition RED Set of lenses will be on display at the RED booth.
Panasonic has announced a 64GB P2 solid-state memory card for its line of P2 HD and P2 solid-state camcorders and decks. With the arrival of the 64GB card in the fall, Panasonic will again have doubled the storage capacity of its P2 card from the current 32GB capacity. The 64GB P2 card, model AJ-P2C064, is scheduled for initial deliveries in the fall at a price to be announced. The new 64GB P2 card will be offered in addition to the current 32GB and 16GB P2 card.
The 64GB P2 card will work immediately with all P2 HD camcorders purchased from May forward. P2 and P2 HD products purchased prior to that date will need a free, downloadable software upgrade available on the Panasonic website. Customers wanting to connect the card to an ExpressCard slot of a laptop can utilize a low cost PC card-to-ExpressCard adapter.
Post-Production Products
 Doremi will unveil the GHX-10, which features HDMI, DVI, and SDI connectors and allows for any input to be converted to any output format or scan rate. It supports both SD and HD video and features audio support, sync output and genlock. The GHX-10 can be used as a computer DVI to HD-SDI converter, a HDMI resolution converter, or as an HD video upconverter or downconverter.
 Doremi will also be showing the V1-HD-2K, which features dual-link HD-SDI and synchronized two channel playback for 3D, Video+Key and super-wide screen applications.The V1-HD-2k video server records and plays SD and HD-SDI video and features high quality JPEG2000 video compression. The included hot-swap drive provides up to six hours of storage. The V1-HD can function as a Sony nine-pin device via its RS-422 port. The V1-HD-2K is shipping now.
 Digital Vision will introduce new 4K real-time capabilities for its Film Master tapeless grading and finishing system, unveil a new software-based standards converter, and showcase new tools and options for its DVO and DVNR image enhancement systems. The company is also celebrating its 20th anniversary during NAB.
Digital Vision will also unveil a software-based, motion-compensated standards converter. Available initially as a software option to Film Master and Nucoda HD or SD, the technology will enable post facilities to deliver masters in any format.
The company is also announcing the immediate availability of new tools for the DVO software and options to the DVNR image processing system. Stablise, RGB Align, and Vertical Scratch Removal will be shipping at NAB.
Making its first appearance at NAB, eMotion Engines will be showing its motion estimation technology, which is the inspiration behind the company. The technology is based on algorithms developed by Academy Award winner, Dr Anil Kokaram, a world-renowned expert in this field. The company will be demonstrating its flagship DigiCrank Motion Estimation application and its new Transformer File-Based Standards Converter.Quantel has integrated eMotion Engines full technology into its genetic engineering.
ARRI will be supporting Bright’s BrightClip intelligent data recording technology. ARRI will integrate BrightClip with its ARRIScan film scanner range. As media is moved between the different processes of a post-production workflow, BrightClip employs technology to ensure it is laid out logically on to the disks, thus maximizing performance. Designed specifically for digital post-production and digital intermediate work flows where multiple processes are the norm, BrightClip says this enables customers to achieve increased stability, better use of resources and faster project turn-around times.
Da Vinci Systems and Thomson have already endorsed the new BrightClip data recording technology. Bright will make it available to all third party application software developers during the course of 2008.
Studio Network Solutions will showcase the Ellips Enterprise Fibre Channel HBA for Mac OS X. The company says new Ellipse Enterprise Fibre Channel HBA (Host Bus Adapter) delivers the ability for Mac servers and workstations to reliably use the multi-path features in enterprise-class storage systems.
ARRI www.arri.com
Bright Systems www.4bright.com
Digital Vision www.digitalvision.se
Oconnor www.ocon.com
Panasonic www.panasonic.com/broadcast
Studio Network www.studionetworksolutions.com
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