In Japan today we had the rare opportunity to witness an annular eclipse of the sun. Osaka, where are offices are located, was in the expected viewing area, so the only concern was the weather.
Luckily, we were able to catch peaks of the sun through the clouds, including when the eclipse was at its peak. I had expected that it would get quite dark at the peak, and was surprised at how bright it remained.
We felt that this was too good a chance to be missed, and so took the opportunity to record the eclipse using our AF100 and AC160 cameras, in conjunction with the filters from the special glasses made to view the eclipse. I hope viewing the video will give you an idea of the experience of watching this rare event.
To view all the photos from the shoot, please visit our Facebook page. If you made your own video of the eclipse, please post a link there for us all to see!
In a difference from consumer products, the video and audio interfaces of professional video equipment are used quite frequently. The ports themselves are rated to be usable for an extremely long time, but we also perform final tests of their strengths after they are included in the final product. This video shows the XLR professional audio signal interface being tested.
The video is divided into before and after. ‘Before’ shows how we used to perform this test, and ‘After’ shows how we now perform it.
It all happens very fast, and is difficult to catch, so the first half of the video is playing in slow motion. An XLR cable attached to an iron ball is attached to the camcorder, then the iron ball is swung around to ensure that the strength of the connector is sufficient. As you can see, it was a rather dangerous method for the engineer involved.
In order to improve safety and ensure uniformity throughout multiple tests, we developed dedicated testing equipment. The ‘After’ video shows the same testing being done with the newly developed apparatus. Now we are able to perform this test without putting ourselves in danger.
Thank you for your attention to this introduction of some our tests to improve reliability. We pledge to continue working hard to provide our professional customers with products they can rely on with peace of mind.
P2 is media developed specifically to be the ultimate in reliability for use in professional video. Along with the reliability of the card itself, starting with its physical strength, the same standards are necessary in the unit into which the card will be inserted. The following video is of a P2 card being repeatedly inserted and removed from a P2 drive to test the reliability and durability of both. After cycling the card in and out more times than we would expect our customers to ever need to, we test to ensure that both card and drive are still working correctly.
We also test the reliability of our camera recorders with a P2 card inserted. This video shows that test. By listening to the audio it is easy to tell, but the card is inserted into the camera recorder and then both receive a jolt.
Most pro camcorders have an EVF (Electronic Viewfinder) attached. These viewfinders are designed to be able to rotate, and this rotating mechanism breaking would cause great trouble. Causing inconvenience for our users is the thing we want most to avoid. This rotating mechanism is one of the major factors to which we pay close attention when testing reliability. We created the machine seen in the video to repeatedly rotate the EVF to simulate rotation cycles far beyond what we expect our customers to require in actual use, in order to check the reliability of the rotation mechanism. As we perform this test, we monitor the unit to ensure that there is no damage done to the rotating mechanism or connections.
We also perform tests opening and closing the LCD in a similar fashion to the above EVF testing.
The theme of our booth this year is “AVC Ultra - Ready for the Next Generation”
Today we revealed the next stage in the progression of the P2HD series, which has been a driving force in the advancement of file-based broadcast and production systems.
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In addition to the current AVC-Intra 100 and 50, AVC-Ultra, our new codec, will add support for next generation 4K with AVC-Intra444, and AVC-Long G, which makes possible highly efficient and affordable full HD production. We have already added the low bitrate AVC-Proxy, which allows for operation and browsing via the internet, for use with time-sensitive transmissions. We will provide specific solutions to address the image quality and efficiency needs of all professional users.
Next, the cameras that will include the rapidly evolving AVC-Ultra codec:
First is the 4K Varicam. With a small recording pack that harnesses AVC-Intra444 to its full potential, a modular form that optimizes field operability, and a sensor that faithfully reproduces a full 4K frame. We expect it to be welcomed in the world of 4K2K mastering.
Next is the shoulder mount AG-HPX600. Although 2/3” size with very high sensitivity, it is extremely low-weight. It is also expandable to AVC-Ultra. Users for whom future network environments are important will able to add AVC-LongG when available.
This is the arrival of a next generation camera that puts a focus on IT connectivity.
The theme of our booth this year is “AVC Ultra - Ready for the Next Generation”
Today we revealed the next stage in the progression of the P2HD series, which has been a driving force in the advancement of file-based broadcast and production systems.
In addition to the current AVC-Intra 100 and 50, AVC-Ultra, our new codec, will add support for next generation 4K with AVC-Intra444, and AVC-Long G, which makes possible highly efficient and affordable full HD production. We have already added the low bitrate AVC-Proxy, which allows for operation and browsing via the internet, for use with time-sensitive transmissions. We will provide specific solutions to address the image quality and efficiency needs of all professional users.
Next, the cameras that will include the rapidly evolving AVC-Ultra codec:
First is the 4K Varicam. With a small recording pack that harnesses AVC-Intra444 to its full potential, a modular form that optimizes field operability, and a sensor that faithfully reproduces a full 4K frame. We expect it to be welcomed in the world of 4K2K mastering.
Next is the shoulder mount AG-HPX600. Although 2/3” size with very high sensitivity, it is extremely low-weight. It is also expandable to AVC-Ultra. Users for whom future network environments are important will able to add AVC-LongG when available.
This is the arrival of a next generation camera that puts a focus on IT connectivity.
It is a series of SD type cards that allows wireless transfer of photos from digital cameras.
One of our engineers got the idea that this could be put to good use in the professional video world as well, and studied the possibility of supporting Eye-Fi cards with our AG-AC160 camcorder. In order for pros to feel comfortable using it, we think there are some necessities, such as being able to visually check upload progress, and manage the destination to which the files are being uploaded.
Through cooperation from Eye-Fi, we created support for these functions in the camera’s software. We want show this to our customers, and get a feeling for the reaction, before deciding whether to bring this upgrade to market.
How to use this tool will of course vary by user, but at the very least it should have merit early confirmation of recorded footage. We created this short video to explain the concept, so please have a look.
We will also plan to demo this in a prototype at NAB next week. We are eager to hear your thoughts on this, please let us know on our Facebook page.
Today I would like to introduce a bit about reliability and quality of our products.
Our customers use our products as business tools, and therefore demand an extremely high level of reliability. In order to ensure that our customers can use our products with peace-of-mind, we perform strict tests on multiple categories. Today I have asked Osamu Teshima, the General Manager of our quality assurance group to talk about these tests in detail. He previously worked in engineering, and developed many of our pro video products. He now puts that wealth of product knowledge and experience to use by managing this unique and strict product testing.
I will explain about the measures we are undertaking to ensure reliability in our products.
In contrast to some consumer products, we expect our pro video products to be used for a very long term, and in tough conditions. In order to test their suitability for these conditions, we perform multiple reliability tests.
I will introduce some of these over the next little while. Please excuse the video quality as they were originally shot for internal archive use only.
First are environmental tests.
Each of our products has a different approved operating temperature range, but we use the environmental simulation room to ensure that the products can operate safely even outside those ranges. This environmental simulation room allows for free setting of the internal temperature and humidity. The video below shows a product being tested in a 50 degree celsius (122 Fahrenheit) environment. We insert a product in the room and turn it on, then check that it is running properly and safely, and measure data relating to the performance of the product with tools on the outside of the room. There are many tasks that can be completed outside the room, but certain tasks must be done inside the hot (or cold) room, making it a tough job for the engineers responsible.
I thought I’d use this space here today to give you a sneak peak of one of the exciting new technologies we will be showing at NAB.
One of our young engineers, Furuda Eipuriru, was visiting his parents’ house one day and looking at their pile of old VHS tapes when he started to wonder if there wasn’t something we could do to make use of all the old tapes in existence. He got in to work the next day and went to work with a soldering iron and screwdriver, and developed this:
Tentatively called the apr-1, it enables users to record P2 footage to standard VHS tapes. What’s more, by attaching two tapes and using both sides of each, you can simultaneously record four streams of HD footage, allowing for stunning 4K video recorded on tapes that most videographers are probably currently using as doorstops!
One major issue that we are facing right now, however, is how to feed the tape through the P2 card without tearing. Tapes that have been stored in poor conditions tear quite easily, ruining the recording. We are currently working on a few ideas to fix this, and hope to be able to bring products to market that support this solution by April Fools’ Day 2013.
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One of our young engineers, Furuda Eipuriru, was visiting his parents’ house one day and looking at their pile of old VHS tapes when he started to wonder if there wasn’t something we could do to make use of all the old tapes in existence. He got in to work the next day and went to work with a soldering iron and screwdriver, and developed this:
