TV TECH: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2022 NAB Show?
JOHN J. HUMPHREY: For our specialty—professional system cameras used for broadcast and live events—4K and full HD cameras with high dynamic range and wide color gamut continue to become increasingly important. For traditional broadcasters, the significance of these technologies has mostly been for future-proofing their archives, but NextGen TV will enable consumer delivery as well. Media enterprises in other segments of the market or with other delivery mechanisms, such as streamers and mobile sports production, have already been active in deploying these technologies, and their usage will continue to expand.
TVT: What will be your most important product news?
HUMPHREY: We’re planning to unveil our second-generation 4K Ultra HD broadcast and live production camera system, the SK-UHD7000. It incorporates three 2/3-inch, global shutter CMOS image sensors with native 4K resolution. A new prism design with expanded spectral range fully complies with all international colorimetry specifications and enables full-range BT.2020 UHD Wide Color Gamut (WCG) capture. Meanwhile, a dual 4K and HDTV workflow supports separate controls for Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) HDR and standard dynamic range (SDR). There’s a lot more I’d love to tell you about the camera, but I’ll save that for the full announcement.
TVT: How is your new product different from what’s available on the market?
HUMPHREY: In short: price/performance value. Hitachi Kokusai has long differentiated itself by providing cameras that incorporate the latest technologies, exceptional performance and advanced features that broadcasters and production professionals need, all at accessible price points that deliver unmatched cost-effectiveness. The SK-UHD7000 is designed to continue this tradition.
From a feature standpoint, the SK-UHD7000 incorporates the latest CMOS global shutter imagers and advanced digital signal processing. And since it uses three 2/3-inch, 4K sensors, no adapter is needed for the camera to use standard B4 lenses.
TVT: How has the pandemic affected your company's business over the past two years and how will it impact how you exhibit at this year's show?
HUMPHREY: While business with broadcasters and mobile event companies slowed during the peaks of the pandemic, the uptake of broadcast-class cameras in other markets increased. For example, the need to begin or improve high-quality live streaming production led many houses of worship to expand or upgrade their equipment, and such customers benefit from the advantages of system cameras for their multicamera live events.
In terms of our NAB Show exhibit, as eager as everyone is to get back to in-person trade shows, there are still many people who aren’t comfortable yet returning to a physical event. While we may reduce the amount of equipment we display in our booth, we’re keeping a similar footprint to what we had in 2019, leaving plenty of room for maintaining distancing and meeting health protocols.
We’re in the same location as we were in 2019 too, C4409. We’re looking forward to getting to meet our customers face-to-face in Las Vegas again!
