MAYWOOD, NEW JERSEY, May 29, 2008—NEP Supershooters, a leading international provider of outsourced television production services critical to the delivery of live sports and entertainment events, recently outfitted its SS17 mobile production truck with ten Ikegami HDK-79EC HD Native Multi-Format CMOS Camera Systems, which provide full 16:9 aspect ratio and operation in 1080/60i, 1080/24p, and 720/60p HD. As a provider of HD production services to multiple clients requesting a variety of HDTV format standards, the versatility of the HDK-79EC has become crucial to NEP. Each camera is also outfitted with Ikegami’s VFL-900HD, a 16:9 color LCD viewfinder measuring 9 inches diagonally and featuring very low lag characteristic and very wide viewing angles.
“When we were purchasing equipment for the new SS17 truck, flexibility was at the front of our minds,” explained NEP’s Chief Technology Officer George Hoover. “The HDK-79EC’s ability to operate from triax or fiber, and its ability to switch between 720 and 1080 were the major reasons we chose to purchase these cameras.”
An historic addition to the Ikegami product line, the HDK-79EC HD Native Multi-Format CMOS Camera System employs three 2/3-inch 2.5 Mega-pixel specified CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) imaging sensors to achieve supreme picture quality and multi-format HD performance. These 1920H x 1080V active-pixel CMOS sensors are the first of their kind in the broadcast television industry and are switchable between interlace and progressive readout modes.
Incorporating Ikegami’s sophisticated Chip C4 ASIC video processing technology, the HDK-79EC HD Native Multi-Format CMOS Camera System can handle the wide dynamic lighting encountered in outdoor broadcasting with advanced digital-imaging features including Knee Detail, Smooth Knee, and Super Color Knee. The system’s docking-style camera head and universal studio conversion System Expander make it easy to be configured for use with either triax or SMPTE fiber cable. Additional system components include the CCU-890 full-digital camera control unit with built-in broadcast down-converter and optional high-speed support, and the OCP/MCP-200 networked control panel system.
Ikegami’s mastery of CMOS technology, which provides such advantages as reduced power consumption, multi-format HD video capture, no vertical smear, and high-speed imaging capabilities, was another important factor in NEP’s selection of the HDK-79EC. “We’re very excited about being able to utilize CMOS technology,” Hoover added. “The improved sensitivity, better signal-to-noise ratio, and considerable reduction in error correction give it a big advantage over CCD imagers, and were key factors in our decision.”
NEP’s SS17 truck made its debut at a major boxing event on May 3rd, and Hoover was very pleased with the initial results. “Right out of the box, the cameras were excellent in their first show,” he remarked. “Our senior video operator was thrilled with the images he saw, and everything performed up to our high level of expectations.”
Hoover is confident that HDTV is integral to the future of sports production, and that NEP’s new HDK-79EC HD Native Multi-Format CMOS Camera Systems are essential to providing superior television production services for live sports and entertainment events. “I would expect to see all sports production to be done in HD by the start of 2011,” he concluded. “On top of the HDK-79EC camera’s outstanding performance, Ikegami’s support was outstanding, and it underlies the reason we’ve had a relationship with them since the late-1970s. Their quality, reliability, and service are a tremendous combination.”
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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