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Salute
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We 'Salute' top new products at GVExpo
Jan 3, 2008
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by Mark J. Pescatore
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For the first time, the Government Video & Technology Expo was the site for presenting the Government Video Salute, an award from the editorial staff of Government Video that recognizes top new products and technologies at the show.
Last month's show in Washington, DC, was a big success (we'll have a full wrap-up next month) and was loaded with new and innovative tools for video professionals.
Only products that were featured by exhibitors for the first time at GVExpo were eligible for the Government Video Salute. Winners were determined by an editorial panel of experts.
Adobe
Creative Suite 3 Production Premium
There are upgrades and there are upgrades. Sure, Adobe Creative Suite 3 Production Premium delivers the improvements you'd expect, such as native support for Panasonic P2 and improved efficiency for the Premiere Pro NLE software. But improvements such as a video layer and an Analysis menu in Photoshop CS3 Extended allow new forensic analysis capabilities (read Wayne Cole's September 2007 "In Focus" column online in the archives for more details). And the addition of OnLocation (formerly known as Serious Magic's DV Rack HD) brings direct-to-disk recording and on-set monitoring, while Ultra provides keying tools and virtual sets. Suddenly, your post-production software bundle is also part of your production toolset.
Audio-Technica
SpectraPulse
It's called Ultra Wideband technology, and it basically avoids using RF spectrum for wireless transmissions (that means no "white space" or interference issues). Instead, it transmits audio within the 6 GHz frequency spectrum using a series of short pulses. UWB technology is the driving force behind this truly revolutionary wireless microphone system for conference rooms that can handle up to 14 different microphones simultaneously. And while the nature of the system makes it inherently secure, an optional NIST-approved 128-bit AES encryption package is also available.
Autoscript
ClockPlus
From the "why didn't I think of that" department, ClockPlus lives beneath your prompter and provides SMPTE/EBU time code in big, bright LED digits (more than two inches tall). It works in 12 or 24-hour mode and instantly sets itself to a vertical interval or longitudinal time code source.
There's even an internal timekeeper, so it keeps time even if you disconnect from your VITC or LTC source. Perhaps the coolest feature, though, is that the display turns from green (standby) to red (live) when you use the tally input. A great way to help your talent keep time during live programming.
Harris
FAME
Intelligent asset management for the intelligence community. Short for Full-Motion Video Asset Management Engine, FAME is all about combining ingest, coding, and storage into a single DAM platform that handles info from a variety of platforms and integrates the metadata. This "intelligence fuion" allows you to schedule live video feeds based on various criteria and optimize network distribution of assets. Plus, it's got a built-in compressed media stream recorder to capture MPEG-2 content as well as a number of media tagging options, and even offers geospatial analysis of metadata in real time with its mapping interface.
JVC and Broadcast Microwave Services
Libre
Developed by BMS for JVC's ProHD line of camcorders, the Libre system provides an affordable HD microwave option -- great for HD ENG as well as crisis management applications. A battery-sized transmitter attached to the back of a 200 series camcorder takes the camcorder's MPEG-2 stream via FireWire and transmits a COFDM signal (8 MHz bandwidth in 2 GHz channel) to your truck's microwave for relay back to base.
Panasonic
AJ-HPX3000
For those agencies that aren't limited to low-cost HD but can't quite justify a VariCam investment, Panasonic has introduced a very happy medium. The AJ-HPX3000 uses advanced AVC-Intra compression technology that's based in the MPEG-4 world.
As a result, it's twice as efficient as MPEG-2, so your P2 cards can provide double the record time at half the bit rate (50 Mbps) of DVCPRO HD -- but with comparable video quality. And at 100 Mbps, the camcorder records video at near D-5 quality. Oh yeah, beyond the codec, it's a native 1080p camcorder with 2/3-inch, 2.2 million pixel CCDs and plenty of shooting modes.
ProCyc
MyStudio
For those of you who don't have the space to dedicate to a permanent insert stage for shooting small equipment or scale models, this is a great find. Available in two sizes, MyStudio features a background cyc constructed of high impact ABS plastic and comes with everything you need to light your subject.
MyStudio 32 (32x32 inches, 16 inches tall) includes an adjustable height aluminum light stand with two daylight color-balanced fluorescent lights, plus two overhead reflectors and two bounce card reflectors. The smaller MyStudio 20, at 20x20 inches and 12 inches tall, has only one light and reflector.
Sachtler
FSB 6 with FSB CELL
Designed for smaller camcorders, the FSB 6 can support up to 13.2 pounds and offers Sachtler's Snap & Go sideload mechanism, which allows 10-step counterbalance and a 4.7-inch sliding range for fast balancing. Very nice, but the fluid head is only part of the story. The FSB CELL, a 7.2-volt Li-Ion battery, weighs less than two pounds and is locked into place directly over the FSB 6 and below your camcorder. You get plenty of power without compromising your camera balance or smooth camera movements.
Sony
HVR-S270U
Apparently, grumblings about the death of HDV have been greatly exaggerated. Either that or no one told Sony, because the company brought three new HDV camcorders to the show. The HVR-S270U is the cream of the crop. With its three 1/3-inch ClearVid CMOS sensors (with Exmor technology), it has low-light capabilities that rival Sony's DSR-PD170 workhorse, plus a removable lens, four-channel audio, and shoulder-mount form factor. It also includes a new memory recording unit that allows you to record to CompactFlash media -- plus, you can simultaneously record HD footage to tape and SD footage to CompactFlash.
Streambox
Portable Video Transport System, Rugged Version
It takes a licking and keeps on encoding. The ruggedized version of Streambox's Portable Video Transport System is built to stand up to extreme environments, adverse weather conditions, and handlers that aren't always gentle. It uses the company's established ACT-L3 codec for video over IP operations, but it's packed in a tough, compact, and lightweight form factor with extended battery life. Plus, it meets or exceeds MIL-STD-810F, a rigorous testing standard for the Department of Defense.
MORE INFO
Adobe adobe.com
Audio-Technica audio-technica.com
Autoscript autoscript.tv
BMS broadcast-microwave-services.com
Harris harris.com
JVC jvc.com/pro
Panasonic panasonic.com/broadcast
ProCyc procyc.com
Sachtler sachtler.com
Sony sony.com/government
Streambox streambox.com
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