The Clarity 800 camera system offers sports and event producers high-quality, real-time HFR video. It’s one of multiple products Bexel will have on show at the 2017 NAB Show.

The Bexel Clarity 800 Camera is part of Bexel’s specialty camera initiative. The new model was first used at 2017 NBA All-Star Weekend, with two cameras used to capture key moments of the D-League All-Star Game. “It’s a proprietary camera that we have been developing for more than a year, is about the size of a smartphone, and can capture HD images at 4x, 6x, and 8x speed,” says Lee Estroff, Bexel, VP of account development. “We think it is going to be a game changer.”

The 12 oz camera system, which expands the possibilities of slow-mo imaging, is the world’s first miniature, high-frame-rate (HFR) point-of-view camera for live production. Building on Bexel and Camera Corps’ experience of using specialty cameras in live broadcast, the company developed the standard-setting Clarity 800 camera system to meet sports and event producers’ increasing demand for high-quality, real-time HFR video.

The Clarity 800 offers HFR processing in HD up to 8x (480 fps) and 1080p for superior quality and can handle all video formats, including 1080i and 720p. The camera delivers complete camera functionality in a form factor that is only 4.7 inches high, 2.56 inches wide, and 1 inch thick. The Clarity 800 easily integrates into a live event ecosystem, operating as a broadcast camera system with real-time processing via fiber optics and integration with industry-standard video servers. Key features include a full-function camera remote control panel for paint control of the camera and a positive-lock lens mount with lens control of focus, iris, and zoom motors.

While the Clarity 800 is the star of Bexels’ presentation at NAB 2017, the company will also have on display its wireless audio and communications solutions. On display at NAB will be an example of Bexel’s exclusive RF audio solution developed with Quantum5X. Intended as player and coach mics for a variety of sports applications, the QT-5100 PlayerMic is a rubberized, flexible player microphone system that weighs less than 2 ounces and is only a third of an inch thick. The PlayerMic has been field-tested by the NBA and can be wirelessly controlled to adjust frequency, mic gain, RF power level, mode, and grouping.

Bexel has recently made a substantial fiber-optic equipment investment, following the growing need to accommodate 4K and its requirements for increased bandwidth and 12G support. At NAB the company will showcase its expertise with its newly built Fiber Mini Booth Kit, a solution for interfacing an announce booth with audio, video, intercom, and IFB equipment to connect with a mobile unit up to 3,000 feet away without signal degradation — all over six strands of single-mode “tactical” fiber-optic cabling.

According to the information available, “the Mini Booth Kit gives productions the ability to send and receive 12 bidirectional video paths (six each way), 16 audio paths (eight microphones, eight intercoms), four IFB channels, and an optional robotic camera interface with Ethernet control. The Fiber Mini Booth Kit is extremely user-friendly and can be moved around and set up within minutes, making it ideal for smaller productions with only a single on-site technical manager to set up the various fiber paths.”

Also from Bexel, expect to see the Creative Studio, an IP-based, cloud-managed solution for the distribution and consumption of both live and recorded video content. On display at the 2017 NAB Show, the Creative Studio features a complete production tool that is user-friendly, cost-effective, and remotely managed.