So I’m digging through all 100+ NAB related emails, to figure out what is worth checking out this week. In no particular order, here is cut & paste PR copy of what caught my eye to check out. I’m not advocating anything in particular, other than just “this caught my eye.”

First item, goes without saying, is abusing my Exhibitor badge to be parked front and center Monday morning at Red’s booth, I have a 10am interview with Ted, which will have given me enough time to see what’s up in the booth to start drilling him on questions. OK, let the PR-speak commence – this is copy/paste, not my interpretation:

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Codex Digital Portable recorder. Scheduled to ship in June 2008, the multi award-winning Portable will be shown capturing 1080p, 4:4:4, from a Sony F23 camera, and delivering the footage to a range of editing and compositing systems. Weighing only 9lbs/4kg, the Portable records from all high-end digital cameras from Sony, ARRI, Panavision and Dalsa, amongst others. It will be shown working alongside its bigger brother, the Codex Recorder, enabling true concurrent production and post. SU1320

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ScopeBox. We will be in the south lower – Booth SL9521.

We will be demoing version 2.0 of the product, come check out all the new features:
-HDV camera support
-Multiple camera support
-New clip logging tools
-An even slicker interface

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Blackmagic – SL10920

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Automatic Duck – SL2128F

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Matrox – new Mac product – SL320

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Sonnet Fusion™ R400Q – Flexible 1U Rackmount, Four-Drive SATA Storage System Offers High Capacity, High Speeds, and Easy Media Access

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Coremelt in plugin pavillion – Hope you will have time to stop by at Noise Industries stand at the plugin pavillion. I’ll be showing all the CoreMelt plugins working with RED footage rendering in 10 bit color. The CoreMelt Motion / Editing and PolyChrome packs all together give you 120 plugins for doing online finishing direct in Final Cut Pro. All of those plugins are capable of rendering in high precision color preserving the dynamic range of the red footage.

I’m aware that most people are dead set on 2K DPX 10 bit log workflows for finishing with RED, which is fine, but for those fast turn around jobs, I think the 10 bit online in FCP can be a much simpler solution without sacrificing very much quality.

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Atto – Celerity 8-Gigabit Fibre Channel Host Adapter product at the SNW, RSA and NAB trade shows. The Celerity single-, dual- and quad-channel host adapters offer eight lanes of 5Gb/sec. PCIe 2.0 bandwidth. ATTO was the first in the industry to ship 4-Gb Fibre Channel host adapters. Now, with the introduction of Celerity 8-Gb Fibre Channel products, ATTO adds the next generation in PCIe 2.0 and Fibre Channel support.

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RaveHD:

The hardware side is our NEW RaveHD Bravo System
This is a 3U system that can be configured as either a RaveHD, a Server or as
an attachment to existing systems. This unit offers 2 removable SixPak
canisters that can easily be unmounted and removed.

The canisters can be stocked with either SATA or SAS drives easily and the
system offers up the ability to record/playback dual streams (stereo or A/B
camera)

The software side brings together many elements that aid in the overall
workflow. Database, Job System and Conversion Tools.

Within one system you can now capture uncompressed, create compressed offline
formats (some simultaneously), Conform and now manage your content via a
native database that also has the ability to connect into external databases.
Content can now be moved around without having to transfer onto other
solutions and drive Paks can be created in-expensively for whatever the need
will be (SD will require fewer drives than HD, Archiving will require few
drives than real-time, etc…).

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ASSIMILATE™ Scratchcine – is like Redcine on steroids, and does more of what you’d want:

manage R3D shots
control dailies, grading, review & approval
make tape based dailies with metadata burnin
conform R3D from editorial
pass metadata from camera to images
output to HD tape or file based deliverables

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Focus FS-5:

The Focus FS-5 Portable DTE Recorder lets you personalize and optimize workflow-while you shoot. With your wireless handheld device or laptop, you can access the FS-5 through a browser and assign custom metadata to video while you’re recording. When you transfer footage from the FS-5 to your NLE system or PX Media Server, all of the information that you assigned during the shoot goes with the clips, saving you hours or even days of logging time.

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Wafian:

HR-2-DS
Direct-to-Disk Stereoscopic Recorder
• 4:2:2 Stereoscopic recording and playback
• Single stream 10 bit 4:4:4
• Dual stream HD-SDI
• Left-eye, right-eye, or blended live 3D monitoring
• Massive 17+ hours of redundant storage
F1:

Portable 10-bit Direct-to-Disk Recording!
Direct-to-Disk Field Recorder
New to NAB 2008 is Wafian’s portable HR-F1 Direct-to-Disk HD Recorder. Hot swappable media, battery powered, and offering the same great features and recording quality of all Wafian DDRs.

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Automatic Duck:

Pro Export FCP version 4.0, the next generation of our popular AAF and OMF export plug-in for Final Cut Pro.
This version is currently in development and is expected to ship this summer.
Some of the highlights coming in version 4.0:
• Conversion of Final Cut Pro media to Avid MXF media files
• Translation of many FCP effects and parameters in to Avid Effects, like PIP
• 24fps support for exports to Avid editing systems
• Export to Pro Tools with linked media (not embedded media)
• Inclusion of many effects for next generation iQ and eQ systems
Read the entire press release about Pro Export FCP 4.0 here.

What’s New in Pro Export FCP 4.0:
Pro Export FCP 4.0 adds significant improvements to a number of key workflows for customers. Here is a sneak peak at some of the new features:
Improvements to the Final Cut Pro to Avid Workflow
• The ability to convert Final Cut Pro media into Avid media files;
• 24fps support;
• Conversion of many FCP effects and parameters into Avid effects, such as Picture-In-Picture.
Improvements to the Final Cut Pro to Pro Tools Workflow
• The ability to export an AAF file linking to external media files;
• The ability to include video track for viewing picture.
Improvements to the Final Cut Pro to Quantel Workflow
• The inclusion of more effects data from Final Cut Pro for import into next generation iQ and eQ systems.
What’s New in Pro Import FCP 2.04:
• Pro Import FCP 2.04 now improves the plug-in’s “Use existing media” feature for importing Avid sequences into FCP.
• Reference movies to Avid DV25, DV50 and DVCProHD media now use Apple-native QuickTime codecs instead of Avid codecs, resulting in vastly improved performance in Final Cut Pro, as well as compatibility with Color.
Pricing and Availability
Pro Import FCP 2.04 will be available after NAB and will be priced at $495.00 for new customers and is a free update for existing users. Pro Export FCP 4.0 will be available in the summer of 2008 and will be priced at $495.00 for new customers and will be available as a $195.00 upgrade for existing users.

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Michael Bravin from Band Pro on F35 in the booth:

On our stand we will also show THE Codex portable, Solid Designs accessories for the F23 and F35, the 135mm and 52mm DigiPrimes production lenses (last year was prototypes), Iconix cameras, Brutto a new pan remote head system for small cameras like the EX1 from Italy, and as usual a nice selection of kit from $3K HDV cameras through the F35. There will be a link to an interactive map of our stand posted at www.bandpro.com available starting Thursday April 10 (US time)

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SI-2K:

News: Silicon Imaging Announces Integrated 3D Technology Preview : News & Press Releases: “Suite of New Features and Accessories for the SI-2K Digital Cinema Platform at NAB 2008

(Las Vegas, Nevada–April 8, 2008) Silicon Imaging, together with it’s partners P S Technik, CineForm, and IRIDAS, announce a host of platform enhancements to the SI-2K, improving the user experience behind the camera, and enabling a more streamlined post workflow that blurs the line between pre-production, on-set and post-production, creating a powerful non-linear workflow solution that covers the gamut from the initial concept to final delivery.”

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BUNCH of good stuff in the NAB theater:

Welcome and Introduction
• 3-D Primer
• Art of 3-D Filmmaking

Afternoon Sessions
• Case Study: Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D
• Sony F23/35 CineAlta Features and On-Set Workflow Overview
• Case Study: U2 3D
• Live 3-D Transmission from Los Angeles
• Case Study: Live 3-D Sports

…and on Tuesday, my friends from OffHollywood will be talking about shooting/posting Red on a feature they did, among many other good bits

NABShow: Content Theater Schedule

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Red Giant Software:

Trapcode Horizon is a plug-in designed specifically for After
Effects users doing 3D work. Are you tired of figuring out how to
get your camera to match your virtual background? Well, we have a
simple solution for you. With the help of Trapcode Horizon, you
can generate motion in 3D in a true 3D space. Now that’s
beautiful! Priced at $99 this product will ship in Q2 2008

Instant HD Pro is designed to deliver the highest possible
quality conversion for SD to HD. Its advanced tool set offers
sharp, motion-compensated de-interlacing and de-noising; advanced
pan and scan; and a super-resolution algorithm for providing
actual resolution enhancement in an editing application. All these
features are combined into one plug-in with an easy-to-use preset
menu for choosing the right HD and 2K output formats.
Priced at $399 this product will ship in Q2 2008

Radium Glow will be a new package of plug-ins to create glowing
areas in an image, based on the brightest parts of the frame. The
four plug-ins are Glow EZ, a simple plug-in with limited controls,
Glow with advanced controls and masking, Glow Edge for creating
glows only on the edges of an image or around text, and Glow Depth
which will create the Glow based on a secondary z-depth or depth
buffer layer.
Priced at $99 this product will ship in Q2 2008

Magic Bullet Steady will include two new plug-ins for Final Cut
Pro 6 and After Effects CS3 (Mac and Windows). The stabilizer
function removes unwanted camera movement and drift with a
software-based 2D translation that is near real-time. Also,
included in this set is a tool to reduce visible noise and grain
in DV sequences produced by digital video cameras, camcorders,
TV-tuners, digitizers of film or analog video.
Priced at $199 this product will ship in Summer 2008

Primatte Keyer Pro 4 is a professional greenscreen tool that
extracts keys from any color background quickly and easily.
Version 4 brings new levels of power and speed to After Effects
and Avid, and for the first time, Final Cut Pro. New features
include easy-to-use Auto setup, which creates an almost-perfect
key with one click. Powerful features allow Primatte Keyer Pro to
overcome keying challenges such as uneven lighting, compression
artifacts, subtle shadows, and edge light contamination. Best of
all, Primatte Keyer Pro works right on the timeline.
Available now for $499 new or $199 as an upgrade

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More S.two news:

TAKE2™, DFR2™, and DFR2K™ uncompressed portable recorders; i.DOCK™ and i.DOCK4™ ingest docking stations; and A.DOCK™ and A.DOCK4™ archive stations.

ARRIRAW T-LINK™ is a proprietary uncompressed raw data link from ARRI that sends raw 3K resolution Bayer pattern data direct from the Arriflex D-21 film style digital camera to an attached recorder. S.two recorders receive this signal and provide real-time de-Bayer to HD-SDI conversion; the HD-SDI is then fed to monitors for viewing in EE and live modes-while recording as well as during instant playback. The Bayer data is recorded in its raw original quality in DPX frame wrappers.

One of the main attractions of using the Arriflex D-21 is that it provides a correctly sized super 35mm sensor using a 4 x 3 aspect ratio; this allows the use of standard 35mm film lenses, both Spherical and Anamorphic-S.two recorders provide the correct aspect ratio on the viewing outputs including accurate high quality 2.40:1 widescreen when using anamorphic lenses. User loadable internal Look-up Tables (LUTs) also mean that on set viewing does not require the whole video village approach that many have come to think of as necessary for a digital shoot. The ARRIRAW T-LINK™ data is implemented across S.two products as noted above.

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S.two Corporation (NAB Booth SL9208 S. Hall Lower Level) has announced the introduction of i.DOCK4™ (4K data and HD RGB offline production ingest dock) and A.DOCK4™ (4K data and HD RGB archive dock) to compliment the DFR 4K™ (4K Digital Field Recorder) announced last year and appearing at NAB 2008 for the first time. DALSA Digital Cinema, a leader in 4K digital motion picture capture is first to order the complete tool set.

Both A.DOCK4™ and i.DOCK4™ are fully compatible with all previous S.two products; underscoring the company’s philosophy that D.MAG™ users stay in front of digital production trends. When used with the DFR4K™ D.MAG™ users capture uncompressed 4K images from digital cinematography cameras and elegantly move into editorial with i.DOCK4™ which allows instant ingest to platforms such as FCP-for the fastest dailies turnaround time in the business.

i.DOCK4™ also features real-time de-Bayering of any single sensor Bayer data camera such as the DALSA Evolution and ARRI D-21. It also supports user loaded Look-up Tables (LUT’s) and provides network access to the uncompressed 4K and 3K frames plus metadata. A.DOCK4™ automatically provides fully data-based, verified, secure archive and safety copies to dual uncompressed LTO tapes and network access to the D.MAG™ data.

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S.two Corporation (NAB Booth SL9208 S. Hall Lower Level) known for their industry-leading uncompressed portable production recorders, has announced the introduction of the DSR” (Digital Studio Recorder) to economically speed the movement of uncompressed material through the Post Production environment.

Using S.two’s field-proven, uncompressed, file-based D.MAG” removable Digital Film Magazines, the DSR™ is designed to replace expensive, service-intensive VTR’s. The combination of familiar VTR functionality with the quality of uncompressed images up to 4K, the compatibility of standard DPX files, the flexibility of removable disk-based media and a low price point is a response to Post community requests. Immediate access to the material from networked workstations or through real-time video interfaces allows transfer of DPX frames with metadata, audio and timecode intact without a need to modify existing infrastructure. The DSR™ features:

• Front-mounted control
• Full RS-422 edit and playback
• 2 Gigabit Ethernet network connections
• Built-in down converter
• Analog monitoring outputs

The DSR™ is machine room and tape operator friendly while extending the instant sharing of files and video throughout a facility. Fully compatible with the S.two offline, archive and auto-conform products, the DSR™ allows Post facilities to serve both digital film capture and traditional film capture with a single broad-based solution.

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and one more press release:

DFR2K™ represents the state of the art in field portable digital capture. Using the unrivalled D.MAG™ Digital Film MAGazine technology, the DFR2K™ records up to 72 minutes of uncompressed 444 RGB industry standard DPX files on a single removable magazine while supporting user loaded Look-up Tables (LUT’s) and DC operation for field use.

DFR2K™ records HD, HD 444, 2K and 3K data with built-in de-Bayering for live production of single sensor cameras; frame rates up to 60FPS uncompressed are supported. The new DFR2K™ is compatible with all current S.two digital film workflow products and the new for NAB 2008 A.DOCK4™ and i.DOCK4™ to provide a complete capture solution for all digital film making needs. DFR2K™ is also the industry’s first recorder to be ARRIRAW T-Linkä certified.

BTW – I work with Codex & S.two gear in the work I’m doing now

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Convergent Designs: Convergent Design’s Flash XDR will soon enable HD ENG at TV stations WJLA (Washington DC). This ABC affiliate has placed a 20-unit pre-order of Flash XDR with ASI I/O, as part of their roll-out of HD ENG. Flash XDR will enable cost-effective HD-SDI to ASI encoding (on the camera) as well as ASI to HD-SDI decoding for monitoring (inside the OB truck).

Flash XDR encodes the HD-SDI (video + audio) signal at the camera into a 19 Mbps (MPEG2 TS) transport stream. The MPEG2 TS is then mapped onto a 270-Mbps ASI protocol and sent via coax cable to the OB truck. The ASI stream is then immediately relayed via microwave or satellite uplink to the local station for live-news broadcast. A second Flash XDR, inside the OB truck, is utilized to decode the incoming ASI stream (from the camera) for confidence monitoring. Alternatively, this second Flash XDR can be programmed to perform ASI encoding from a POV camera mounted on the truck or from another HD-SDI source.

In the design of this system, several connection scenarios were also considered, including HD-SDI grade coax, fiber optics, and wireless transmission from the camera to the OB truck. HD-SDI coax would reduce cable length runs from 350 down to 150 meters and required all new cabling. Fiber optical cable, while supporting very long cable runs, was considered too expensive and not rugged enough for the rough and tumble world of ENG. Wireless transmission was also deemed too expensive and added an additional potential failure mode for data transmission. All solutions required HD-SDI to ASI encoding to reduce the uncompressed HD-SDI to bit-rates compatible with microwave / satellite transmission (around 19 Mbps).

The camera-mountable Flash XDR proved to be the simplest and most cost-effective approach. By encoding the HD-SDI signal to ASI at the camera, TV crews can reuse their existing (composite analog) coax cable. Also with slight reductions in the MPEG2 TS bit-rate (from the 19.7 to 19 Mbps), comprehensive error-correction could be added before microwave/satellite transmission, thus improving the overall reliability of the video.

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Zacuto:

Click here http://www.zacuto.com/NAB2008.htm to preview Zacuto’s hot new releases, which include :

* The Z-Focus, Zacuto’s follow focus.

* Zamerican II articulating arms with new features and improvements.

* Universal rod adapters, interchange between 15mm lightweight, 15mm and 19mm studio rod configurations.

* New mounts and lens supports for 15mm and 19mm rods.

Zacuto will also be showing several videos in their booth. Produced by Zacuto and Fresh DV, these videos were shot at RDS in Chicago and featured a model in set in a bathroom scene with lighting done by Daniel Herman DP. The videos include :

* A side by side comparison of leading cameras including: Arri 35mm, RED ONE, Panasonic HPX3000, Sony F900, Panasonic Varicam, Sony EX1, Panasonic HVX200

* DOF (Depth-of-field) adapter comparison including: Letus35 Extreme, RedRock M2, Brevis, MovieTube, P+S Techniks

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Whew! OK, that is my email pile, I’m sure there’s a ton of other good stuff to see. I’ll be swinging by AJA to see if they have anything Red related to discuss, talking to Avid off the floor, I’ll be reviewing Final Cut Server for another publication, and there are of course other vendors of interest to check out too. I noticed a JVC banner promoting the XL-H1s, curious what that is about, I want to see what Panasonic has in the way of P2, and somebody sent me a link about a Sony EX-3 camera, I presume another XDCAM EX model – the link I have is in German and requires logging in so haven’t checked it out yet.

And yes, this NAB I am looking into more upmarket products, as that is what my current work is focused on.

-mike

UPDATE- just got some Sony press release stuff:

-11 inch OLED professional viewfinder, 960×540, 1,000,000:1 contrast ration since no backlight, price/ship TBA:

Its pixel resolution is 960 by 540, and it also delivers a wide viewing angle, a wide color gamut and extremely fast response time. Designed especially for professional camera operators’ use, a flexible mechanical design allows for comfortable operation, and a “stand-back” feature allows operators to remain a distance from the camera without sacrificing viewing quality.

The new viewfinder is expected to be available later this year, with suggested list prices to be announced.

-new low cost professional viewfinder based on 2″ CRT:

Sony’s new high-definition viewfinder is designed to provide a lower-cost of entry into HD for production professionals needing an affordable, versatile eye-piece that delivers high levels of color accuracy and reproduction.

The new viewfinder, model HDVF-200, is designed for use with many of Sony’s professional high-definition cameras and camcorders. These include Sony’s recently announced PDW-700 XDCAM HD™ camcorder, the HDC-1500/1000/1550/1400/1450 series of multi-format studio and field cameras, the HDC-3300 Super Slow Motion camera, and the HDW Series of camcorders.

Sony adding new functionality to SRW deck line, adding a data mode to the 5800 and adding a 5100 playback only deck (FINALLY!) for ingest:

With the new HKSR-5804 file transfer option board, users can transfer Digital Picture Exchange (DPX) files over Gigabit Ethernet networks, allowing for easy importing and exporting of 4:4:4 RGB content in high-bandwidth applications such as DI work.

Also a new HDV deck with HD-SDI – so you can take uncompressed HD and then….step on it. Hmmm. Offline media perhaps? Dailies from F900/F23/F350?

Sony’s top-end HDV™ videotape recorder, model HVR-1500A, now includes HD-SDI input capabilities, broadening the deck’s potential applications to a wider range of production environments. In addition, the enhanced HVR-M15AU and HVR-M25AU models now support native progressive recording, keeping pace with Sony’s newest HDV camcorders.

Also,

-eCinemaSystems – monitors for critical viewing – DPX24, DPX24 at the MGM Grand Convention Center during NAB 2008. This CRT replacement produces deep, dark blacks like you have never seen – even from a CRT! The DPX24 is the monitor that Broadcast, DI and Telecine facilities have been asking for.

We will also showcase the PRO-class. This reference grade monitor features 4:4:4 capabilities, advanced color management, 3D LUTs and even waveform monitoring options.

The FX-class will also be in attendance. From on-set reference to basic color grading, this entry-level monitor is being used across a wide range of applications. The FX is an economical-yet-accurate choice that delivers eCinema?s renowned performance.