Ikegami Experiences Rapidly Growing Interest in 4K UHD and 8K SHV

(11/05/2015) Increasing affordability of 4K UHD consumer television displays is encouraging broadcasters in practically every country to adopt this resolution for new high-budget studio productions, comments Mark Capstick, General Manager of Ikegami Electronics UK. This helps to ensure that new programmes and series retain their value well into the future.

Major television productions have a project lead time of anything up to three years so there is good reason to plan ahead for advances in transmission standards. It was evident at NAB 2015 that several European broadcasters have already committed to the early introduction of 4K UHD channels.

The Ikegami 4K Technology Exhibit this year included a new 4K UHD camera with three 8 megapixel 2/3 inch CMOS sensors (R,G and B) and traditional prism optics. This configuration delivers the long depth-of-field capability which is particularly important when televising outdoor events such as sports. The camera head has a low profile form factor and employs full end-to-end digital processing. It connects to a newly designed 4K UHD base station. The full specification will be announced in due course.

As part of the 4K exhibit, Ikegami exhibited Hibino Corporations 4K 293-inch 4K UHD LED screen.

Also making its first appearance was the Ikegami SHK-810 8K SHV Super Hi-Vision camera, adds Michael L tzsch, Broadcast & Professional Video Division Manager at Ikegami Electronics Europe. Preparations are currently under way in Japan to introduce a Super Hi-Vision television service in time for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. This has a horizontal screen resolution of nearly 8K and will make television viewing a highly immersive experience, potentially comparable with a front seat at a live stage event or in a cinema.

Designed both for outdoor and studio production, the SHK-810 camera head is compact (168 x 228 x 395.3 mm WHD) and weighs less than 9 kg. It has the same control layout and ergonomic style as existing Ikegami broadcast camera systems. The SHK-810 is Ikegamis fourth generation 8K SHV camera. One tenth the size of the first generation model, it has significantly improved operability.

The Ikegami SHK-810 camera head has a single 33 million-pixel Super 35 CMOS sensor, achieving 4,000 TVL horizontal and vertical resolution. This is designed to deliver the tight-focus close-ups required in studio applications such as drama production. Developed in cooperation with NHK, the SHK-810 employs a dual-green colour filter to deliver the wide dynamic range of Super Hi-Vision. Resolution limit is 4,000 TV lines horizontal and vertical. Output from camera head to the control unit is 40 gigabits per second via standard SMPTE hybrid fiber, allowing long-distance links for live broadcasting. 8K SHV, 4K UHD and 2K HD feeds are available from the CCU.

An optional system expander for the SHK-810 camera head enables the use of large viewfinders and full studio lenses, converting the portable version into a full-facility studio/field camera. For easy focusing, a viewfinder detail function allows the camera operator to increase the visibility of detail edges displayed on the viewfinder and video monitor channel. Lens aberration correction as well as communication features such as tally and intercom are, of course, available.

The SHK-810 has a PL-Lens mount which allows the operator to use 8K lenses, cine lenses, 4K lenses and custom-designed zoom lenses for single-chip Super Hi-Vision cameras. A flange-back adjustment system is built-in, enabling back focus adjustment of PL-mount lenses without shims.

Also introduced by Ikegami at NAB 2015 were two new high-definition cameras, the HC-HD300 and HDK-65C, both of which are now in production.

The HC-HD300 is a 1/3-inch 3-CMOS docking-style camera that represents Ikegamis first affordable HD studio camera system. Ready for studio or field, it features a newly-developed 1/3-inch 3-CMOS optical block design, in keeping with the outstanding imagery and rugged construction of the broadcast-ready Unicam HD line.

The HDK-65C is a 2/3-inch 3-CMOS portable camera. The latest addition to Ikegamis Unicam HD line, it is equipped with multi-format 2.5 million pixel 2/3 inch CMOS sensors. The HDK-65C is available as a single-format system and is software-upgradeable to additional HD formats. Providing end-to-end digital processing, it features a low-profile docking camera head for fiber, triax, or wireless applications.

About Ikegami

Ikegami Tsushinki Company Limited is a leading manufacturer of specialised cameras, image processing and transmission equipment. Founded in 1946 in Tokyo, Japan, the company today has around 800 employees working across three factories and nine sales and service organisations all over the world. Ikegami is a world leader in the development and delivery of image capture, transmission, recording, processing and display products for broadcast, inspection, medical and security applications.

Ikegami Electronics (Europe) GmbH was founded in 1970. Based in Neuss, Germany, it is the sales and service headquarters for Europe and Africa. There is a branch in the UK. In the other European countries and Africa, Ikegami works in partnership with authorised distributors and dealers.

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