Sony Electronics has introduced its first professional camcorder that uses the AVCHD format, the HXR-NX5U. AVCHD is a long-GOP codec based on MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 long-GOP image compression.
The new professional HXR-NX5U model is part of Sony’s NXCAM family of video products for professionals. It features Sony’s Exmor CMOS sensor with ClearVid array to deliver full high-definition resolution and low light sensitivity with low noise.
The camcorder will record in AVCHD at up to 24Mb/s, delivering 1920x1080 HD images with both interlace and progressive modes along with native 1080/24P, 720/60p and MPEG-2 SD recording.
AVCHD technology has been widely adopted in Sony’s consumer camcorder line. In the professional market, the company has already introduced one AVCHD-based model: the compact point-of-view (POV) camera and solid-state recorder combination, model HXR-MC1.
The new NXCAM model also shares the 20x optical zoom G lens used in Sony’s HVR-Z5U professional camcorder. The camcorder uses two types of consumer media along with an optional HXR-FMU128 128GB Flash memory unit for more than 11 hours of recording time at 24Mb/s. The HXR-FMU128 unit can be easily removed and simply powered through a computer’s USB connection, to make file downloading or editing easier and faster.
Besides the Memory Stick PRO Duo media, users are also able to record HD content on class four or higher SDHC cards. Sony is also expanding its industry leading line of consumer media with the addition of five new SD/SDHC memory cards for digital imaging products, including camcorders.
