MAYWOOD, NEW JERSEY, March 10, 2008 - One of the most exciting championships in NFL history, Super Bowl XLII, was seen by a record TV audience in thrilling detail, thanks in part to HDTV images captured by Ikegami HDL-50 one-piece full-digital native multi-format POV (point-of-view) cameras. Deployed throughout the University of Phoenix Stadium by robotic camera specialists Robo-Vision, the Ikegami HDL-50‘s, which feature leading-edge CMOS imaging technology, were central to an innovative new robotic pan/tilt system on both goalposts.
The one-piece design, extremely compact profile, and precise HD imagery of the Ikegami HDL-50 cameras made them integral to the pioneering system developed by Robo-Vision in conjunction with Movie Engineering. “The HDL-50 really captured the action on both Super Bowl goalposts,” says Jim Warden, President and CEO of Robo-Vision. “Combining the Ikegami cameras with the new robotic pan/tilt system was very advantageous for covering football. Using this technology, there‘s no delay like there often is for joystick-based systems. You can set up exactly as a cameraman, but from a remote location.”
There was a total of seven Ikegami HDL-50 cameras employed by Robo-Vision at Super Bowl XLII, providing POV from the goalposts, locker room hallways, and other locations where placing a full-size HD camera would have been difficult or impossible. In all, Robo-Vision has recently added 20 Ikegami HDL-50‘s to its equipment list, for coverage of NASCAR, Indy Car, Formula One, truck racing, and other thrilling events.
According to Warden, Ikegami‘s commitment to world-class imagery and reliability has made them an irreplaceable technology partner for Robo-Vision. “Our relationship with Ikegami is built on trust, going back to 1993,” he reports. “Ikegami has helped us every step of the way to make our company so successful, and equally important is that they build a great product. We really abuse the equipment with the projects that we do. On the race track our robotic cameras are sandblasted, pelted with tar and grit, and they continue to keep working.”
Ikegami‘s HDL-50 series one-piece full-digital native multi-format POV cameras employ newly developed 2.5 Mega-pixel CMOS sensors that provide wide dynamic range and superb picture quality. These CMOS sensors include native progressive and interlace modes for multi-format HD operation, including 1080/59.94i, 1080/50i, 720/59.94p, and 720/50p directly from the camera head (the HDL-51 sister-model POV camera supports native 1080/23.98p format operation as well). The HDL-50 series cameras‘ 2.5 Mega-pixel CMOS sensors employ sophisticated circuitry that includes a compact, low-power digital video interface between the sensor and the camera‘s DSP. End-to-end digital processing is achieved through the use of a highly advanced ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) that assures signal integrity, high picture quality, and stable and reliable operation.
Adding to the Ikegami HDL-50‘s compact, multi-format HD appeal is the value it brings to productions of all kinds, giving Robo-Vision‘s Director of Field Operations Rich Glandorff and Field Office Manager Chris Fuydal flexibility in every situation. “At Super Bowl XLII, it was astounding how good the colors looked coming from the HDL-50,” says Warden. “When you consider how relatively inexpensive these cameras are, it‘s amazing that they can deliver such high quality for such a low price.”
Beyond the Super Bowl, Ikegami is one of the Robo-Vision vendors that Wardern believes has been key to transforming the way the world watches motor sports. “I‘m really proud of what we have been able to do,” he concludes. “In conjunction with the network crews at FOX and NBC, we really have changed the way NASCAR races are broadcast. In the past, the races were televised only from up-top, but now you‘ll notice that the race is televised trackside from corner-to-corner, and today in each corner is an Ikegami HDL-50 bringing the action to the living room. It‘s extremely gratifying that, in conjunction with innovators like Ikegami, we‘ve been able to revolutionize the way races are televised.”
Ikegami Electronics (U.S.A.), Inc. is a leading supplier of professional broadcasting products in the Western Hemisphere. With U.S. offices in New Jersey, California, Florida, Texas, and Illinois, the Ikegami name is recognized worldwide for its state-of-the-art television cameras and closed-circuit TV equipment. Ikegami‘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.
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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.
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