NAB 2022 in Review, Part 2: New Products

As mentioned in Part 1 of my NAB coverage, though NAB returned this year, it wasn’t quite its former self. There weren't a lot of earth-shattering announcements, but therewere a significant new releases and products making their NAB debuts. I’ve broken them down into Production, Audio, and Post.

Production

Panasonic PTZ Cams

Panasonic returned to NAB with three lines of PTZ cameras, grouped as Pro (entry-level UHD/HD), Premium (mid-level UHD), and Platinum (high-end UHD, with 1" MOS censors.) In the Pro line, they showed the AW-HE20 and AW-UE20. The Premium line is completely new with the AW-UE40, AW-UE40, and AW-UE80 (Figure 1, below). The first two are 2160/30p, the latter, 2160/60p.

Figure 1. The Panasonic AW-EU80 4K PTZ

All of Panasonic's PTZ cameras can be used with the same system hardware and/or software controls. The higher-end cameras match up well with Panasonic's broadcast cameras. Prices for the cameras range from $1,500 to $17,000 depending on their capabilities.

Marshall Electronics Miniature POV Cams and PTZ Cams

Marshall Electronics showed a number of miniature HD and UHD cameras that can be used in studios, sports, reality TV, and worship. These include the CV568/CV368 Global Shutter Cameras (Figure 2, below) with Genlock and CV566/CV366 Rolling Shutter Cameras with Genlock. These new POV cameras feature the latest in sensor technology, with theCV568/CV368 Global Shutter Camera models’ global shutter making them better suited to motor sports. Many of these cams can easily integrate into third-party control systems.

Figure 2. The Marshall CV568 Miniature Camera

Marshall also showed its CV6055xIP PTZ camera and the CV605-U35x USB, HD PTZ Cameras. The first is controlled over Ethernet, the second USB. Both cameras have 5x optical zooms.

The company also showed the 4K CV730-BHN High-Bandwidth NDI PTZ Camera. It features two simultaneous SDI (BNC) outputs with genlockable 12G SDI and 3G SDI, with HDMI and USB3.0 options

Blackmagic Design Shows URSA Mini Pros and Hyperdeck Shuttles

Two new Blackmagic Design URSA models, the URSA Broadcast G2 (MSRP $3.995) and URSA Mini Pro 12K (MSRP $2,995), made their NAB debuts last week. They feature interchangeable lens mounts, URSA Broadcast G2 using EF, PL, or B4 mounts, and URSA Mini Pro 12K using PL, EF, or F mounts. While URSA Mini Pro 12K shoots Blackmagic RAW, URSA Broadcast G2 records several formats including Blackmagic RAW, ProRes, H.264, and H.265. Both record to Cfast, SDXC, and external USB-C hard drives and SSDs. The URSA Broadcast G2 has a maximum resolution of 6K.

The HyperDeck Extreme 4K HDR (MSRP $2,995), a new broadcast deck with advanced H.265 4K recording, features a touchscreen user interface with built-in scopes and HDR screen. It will offer customers a modern design with traditional broadcast controls that allow them to record native 4K in H.265.

HyperDeck Shuttle HD (MSRP $495; Figure 3, below) is a new recorder/player that’s designed for use on the desktop as an on-demand media player. This new model supports recording and playback for ProRes, Dnx, and H.264 files as well as PCM or AAC audio. The unique design is dominated by a large metal search dial and traditional broadcast deck controls, which make it easy to quickly scroll through media. It even has a built-in teleprompter! HyperDeck Shuttle uses HDMI connections so it’s the perfect solution for use with ATEM Mini switchers.

Figure 3. Blackmagic HyperDeck Shuttle HD

Canon Unveils EOS R5 Cand New Cinema Lenses

The biggest news from Canon was the showing of the EOS R5 C mirrorless 8K recording camera. It can record 8K 12-bit RAW/Cinema RAW light at up to 60p. The R5 C has improved video recording capabilities and optimizations over the R5 (Figure 4, below). Although quietly announced last summer, and released towards the end of 2021, the XF605 is a 30% smaller, and UHD 60p capable camcorder, with many of the same features as the flagship XF705, for $2,500 less.

Figure 4. Canon EOS R5 C (left) and R5 (right)

Canon also introduced two new cinema lenses, the CN-E 20-50mm T2.4 L F/CN-E 25-50mm T2.4 L FP (EF/PL mount), and CN-E 45-135mm T2.4 L F/CNE 45-135mm T2.4 L FP (EF/PL mount). These lenses (Figures 5 and 6, below) will be available soon for $22,000 each.

Figure 5. The new Canon CN-E20-50mm cinema lens

Figure 6. The new Canon CN-E 45-135mm cinema lens

Orca Debuts “Quick Draw” Backpack and more

This year Orca Bags introduced a number of innovative camera bags, backpacks and accessories. I liked the OR-536 “Quick Draw” backpack that can hold two DSLR/Mirrorless cameras, a 17" laptop, and many lenses and accessories. They also offer the OR-580 rain cover for DSLRs and mirrorless cameras that you can put on while shooting on a tripod. It has two sleeves for getting both hands on the camera, and an extension sleeve for longer lenses. The OR-599 Transparent Pouch set consists of 3 different-sized, transparent, zippered bags for organizing your kit. It will keep you from having to open up and search multiple bags when looking for accessories.

The OR-516 Trolley Case/Backpack System (Figure 7, below) can hold two DSLR/Mirrorless cameras, a 17” laptop, and more lenses and accessories than the OR-536. It has a pop-out handle and wheels when you can walk leisurely, but when you need to run, you can put it on your back as a backpack.

Figure 7. The Orca OR-516 Trolley Case/Backpack

Audio

Sony Adds New Wireless Mics

Sony launched the fourth generation of its UWP-D Wireless Microphone Series at this year’s NAB. This series is a UHF system with digital processing offering many new features. The new URX-P41D two-channel portable receiver (two receivers in one package) supporting MI (Multi Interface) shoe with Digital Audio Interface. The URX-P41D boasts all the key features included in the 4^th Generation UWP-D Series, such as improved high sound quality from Digital Audio Processing, NFC Sync for quick and easy setup from receiver to transmitter, and functions such as auto gain mode and output level control. This allows you to set up the receiver, then hold the LCD display up to the transmitter's display and it will transfer over all of the important settings.

The new dual receiver will be available in a package, the UWP-D27, which will include two UTX-B40 body-pack transmitters, MSRP $1,229.99, and the URX-P41D alone for MSRP $679.99.

Audio Technica Fires Off New Shotgun Mics

Audio-Technica’s NAB booth featured its newly launched BP28 14" (MSRP $1,099) and BP28L 22.4" (MSRP $1,399) large-diaphragm shotgun microphones (Figure 8, below). These new mics are about 30% wider than other shot gun mics, allowing to get you more of a “hand held” microphone sound from far away.

Figure 8. Audio-Technica’s new large-diaphragm shotgun mics

Halter-Technical Intros Microsone

Aside from showing their great headphones, Halter-Technical introduced the Microsone (Figure 9, below), the worlds smallest rechargeable, Bluetooth in ear-monitoring solution for live events. The control pack can receive VHF and UHF signals from just about any source. MSRP is $1,199.

Figure 9. Halter-Technical Microsone in-ear monitoring solution

Post-Production

Adobe Integrates Frame.io

Adobe’s Creative Cloud saw some major updates at NAB 2022. Most notable was the incorporation of Adobe’s latest acquisition, Frame.io, into Premiere Pro and After Effects. Frame.io appears as a panel in both apps, where members of a group project can leave comments and message back and forth about the project. The Frame.io software also will allow “camera to project integration,” where clips can be uploaded directly from a camera to a project while the project is still being shot.

Adobe has also announced native M1 support for Apple’s new proprietary chips for their non-Mac Pro models.

Other World Computing (OWC)

Known to many as the go-to place for hot-rodding Macs, OWCshowed a number of interesting solutions for high-performance local and remote storage. For local storage, they featured their latest ThunderBay enclosures, where you have up to 8 drives in an enclosure run by OWC's Softraid RAID management software. For local and remote editors, OWC showcased their professionally managed Jellyfish RAIDs that allow you to edit footage down the hall or across an ocean.

Most surprisingly, OWC introduced powerful, yet affordable customizable workstations that can run Windows or Linux. They looked at the new Mac Pros and M1 based Macs, and saw that despite their great performance on certain things, certain power users would be hitting walls. They claimed the $9,000 workstation they showed me could render in an hour what a current Mac Pro would take 3 weeks to render.

HP Debuts Digital Workstations

Also making their NAB debuts were HP’s compact but powerful ZBook Firefly G9 14" and 16" mobile workstations. Both models feature 12th-generation Intel Core i5 and i7 CPUs, up to 64 GB RAM, and available Nvidia graphics, all in a lightweight system weighing under 4 lbs.

Figure 10. HP’s latest Firefly G9 mobile workstation

Blackmagic Design Rolls Out Resolve 18

Blackmagic Design released a number of postproduction products at NAB, including the Beta version of Resolve 18. This version of Resolve will include Blackmagic Cloud, which allows remote editors to work from anywhere and still be able to share Resolve project files with others on their project teams.

For high-performance storage for editing, Blackmagic introduced several NAS solutions. Blackmagic Cloud Store(MSRP $9,595; available Q2 2022) isa new, extremely high-performance network storage solution with four 10G Ethernet connections and a parallel memory core that can sustain maximum possible transfer speeds on each 10G Ethernet port, all at the same time.

Blackmagic Cloud Store Mini (MSRP $2,995) isa new network storage solution with high-performance 4 M.2 flash memory in a RAID 0 configuration. With its built in 10G Ethernet, the Blackmagic Cloud Store Mini is fast enough to allow multiple users to collaborate on video editing in software such as DaVinci Resolve. Plus with Dropbox sync, multiple units can be synchronized across different geographic locations.

Blackmagic Cloud Pod(MSRP $395)enables editors to use any USB-C disk as network storage. With the Blackmagic Cloud Pod, customers can build their own network storage using USB-C flash disks they already own. Features include high-speed 10G Ethernet and Dropbox sync, so customers can cache files locally and share them with everyone on their network. Blackmagic Cloud Pod even includes an HDMI monitoring output for a real-time view of the network storage status.

Filmfabriek Unveils Pictor Pro

This year Netherlands-based Filmfabriek introduced the Pictor Pro (Figure 11, below), an 8mm/Super 8 film scanner system for film transfers. It has a wet gate, 2 track audio, and produces a 12-bit uncompressed 2.7K image.

Figure 11. Filmfabriek Pictor Pro

This more affordable unit costs a lot less than the earlier 8mm/16mm unit that went for $30,000, and the current film 8/16/9.5/17.5mm HDs model that, optioned out, will go for $40,000. The MSRP for the Pictor Pro is $16,000.