Ikegami Shows Latest Broadcast Imaging Innovations at Open House in Cologne

Ikegami Electronics Europe reports strong attendance at its 2016 Innovation Day, held on Wednesday June 8 at MMC Studios in Cologne. Main focus of the 10.00 to 17.00 event was on the 8K Super Hi-Vision /4K UHD switchable SHK-810, the UHK-430 4K camera and the iHTR 4K Video Packetizing Optical Multiplex Fibre Transmission system.

"Visitor levels were a very encouraging 70 per cent above the levels achieved at our 2015 Open House," comments Ikegami Europe President Masanori Kondo. "We were also very gratified by the level of interest shown in our product range which spanned essentially 2K high-definition, 4K ultra-high-definition and 8K Super Hi-Vision.

"Holding the event in one of Germany's leading production facilities enabled us to demonstrate our cameras in a true studio environment. We also showed examples from our range of ultra-compact camera heads which are ideal for applications such as close-up coverage of athletics and field sports.

"The presence of partner companies also contributed to the success of the day. Canon and Fujifilm displayed their lenses, Leader its test equipment, Sharp its 80 inch 4K monitors and  Vitec Group its Vinten/Sachtler tripods."

Centre of interest at the 2016 Innovation Day was Ikegami UHK-430 4K UHD camera. 4K resolution and high dynamic range have become important issues throughout the broadcast media industry as content producers and delivery channels plan their investment strategy for the coming five to 10 years.

The first in Ikegami's new-generation Unicam XE range of cameras, the UHK-430 incorporates three newly-developed 4K-native 2/3 inch 8 megapixel CMOS sensors which provide full 3840 x 2160 ultra-high definition resolution plus the depth of field required for studio and outdoor production. The UHK-430 delivers four times more image detail than high definition and has a colour depth of 10 bits per pixel instead of the current limit of 8 bits per pixel.

The UHK-430 incorporates a B4 bayonet mount compatible with 2/3 inch HD lenses. An optional SE-U430 expander accommodates large studio or OB lenses. Two piece construction allows the sensor and lens head to be detached as a compact unit for easy deployment on a support devices such as long-reach manually-controlled camera poles. In this mode, the head can be operated up to 50 metres from the camera body.

At the heart of the UHK-430 is a new processor, the AXII, reducing power consumption and delivering a wide range of features including 16-axis colour correction and new focus-assist for 4K and HD video modes. The AXII also provides the processing for Ikegami's newly developed i-Log transfer characteristic which delivers high contrast for a wider dynamic range. This allows more image information to be retained for greater headroom and colour grading. The ITU-R BT.2020 extended colour space specification is supported in 4K mode. BT. 709 colour space is supported in both 4K and HD modes.

Ikegami viewfinders available for the UHK-430 include the 7.4 inch OLED VFE741D, the 7 inch full HD resolution LCD VFL701D LCD and the 2 inch portable LCD VFL201D. All three include a serial digital interface for integrated camera and viewfinder menu control.

The companion Ikegami CCU-430 camera control unit enables easy migration from HD to 4K live production. Features include switchable 4 x 3G-SDI 4K output as well as HD output. An optional plug-in board makes 4K video, HD video, and HD cutout from 4K available simultaneously. 12G-SDI and video-over-IP interfaces will be introduced in the coming months.

A built-in 40 gigabits per second optical transceiver delivers full bandwidth 4K RGB 4:4:4 component channels from camera to CCU, allowing very high quality chroma keying. Dual HD outputs are provided for teleprompt and talent monitor plus return video lines from studio to viewfinder. The UHK-430 also has a Gigabit Ethernet data port to allow networked control.

Proof of Ikegami's commitment to the highest quality imaging quality was the SHK-810 is Ikegami's fourth-generation 8K camera. Designed in collaboration with NHK, it employs an 8K native 33 million-pixel Super 35 CMOS sensor achieving 4,000 TVL horizontal and vertical resolution. The sensor allows the tight depth of focus often chosen for high-impact drama programmes. The SHK-810 provides 8K, 4K and 2K output. It can be used in a fully 8K production environment or alongside 4K and/or 2K cameras. Regular PL-mount lenses can be used.

8K offers 16 times more image detail than HD and delivers very sharp images on screen sizes or 85 inches or more. Public demand for 8K content is expected to be driven by coverage of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Ikegami is confident that 8K Super Hi-Vision will prove extremely useful across a wide range of applications including broadcasting and healthcare.

Also demonstrated was the iHTR series multi-channel optical multiplex fibre transmission system. This comprises a range of modules which can be selected in various configurations to match a specific operational requirement. Up to 20 gigabit per second multiple full-bandwidth uncompressed camera feeds, and optionally power, can be delivered along a single cable.

The iHTR series is far more compact than traditional multi-cable alternatives and can be deployed quickly. Applications including high capacity low-latency data links within or between buildings, outside broadcast coverage from a sports venue or event hall, live broadcasting from locations requiring secure electrical power, and emergency surveillance.

The iHTR-100 bi-directional interface allows six HD-SDI camera sources and two return video channels to be multiplexed along a dual-core optical fibre. When connected to a second iHTR-100 module, the combination delivers video across distances of up to 20 km. Direct-current power can be delivered up to 1 km to remote cameras using the iHTR-103 transmitter and iHTR-104 receiver modules.

A typical iHTR configuration can accommodate six cameras covering a field or stage to a 1 km distant OB vehicle or control room, including return video channels.  Where remote power is not required, six camera can be linked  to control-area feeds as far as 20 km away along with two return video channels. In all instances, the iHTR system can be accessed via 100 BASE-TX networked personal computers.

Also on show at the 2016 Ikegami Open House in Cologne were:

* HDK-97 Arri 4K-ready Super 35mm format broadcast production camera with digital cinema image quality.

* HDK-55 full digital portable HD camera.

* HC-HD300 full digital studio/portable HD camera.

* HDL-45E 2/3 inch 2.3 megapixel 3-CCD compact remote HD camera.

* HDL-57 2/3 inch 2.3 megapixel 3-CMOS compact remote HD camera.

* HDL-23 1/3 inch 3G 3-CMOS ultra-compact remote HD camera.

* SE-H750 system expander for Ikegami Unicam HD cameras.  

In addition, Ikegami showed its range of operating control panels (OCP100, OCP300 and MCP300), HD picture monitors (HLM-2450WB, HLM-1751WR, HLM-1705WR and HLM-905WR) plus the new HQLM-3120W 31 inch 4K UHD LCD monitor and and high dynamic range version, the HQLM-3120WH(tentative model name).

Contacts for further information

Ikegami Electronics (Europe) GmbH, Ikegamistrasse 1, 41460 Neuss, Germany

Tel: +49 (0)2 1311 230

Web: www.ikegami.de

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ikegami.electronics

Email: info@ikegami.de