Hitachi Unveils 2 New HD Cameras for Sports Video

Among the product highlights at the NAB 2012 Booth of Hitachi Kokusai Electric America, Ltd., will be the U.S. introduction of a slow-motion HD camera capable of capturing video at 2.5X and 3X the speed of standard frame rate cameras.

The SK-HD1500 uses standard 2/3-inch Bayonet mount lenses and integrates easily into existing Hitachi SK-series camera infrastructures. Also to be introduced will be the new HV-HD33 - a compact, 3-MOS sensor, multi-standard, P.O.V. HD camera - and the super-small, self-contained, signal sensor KP-HD20A HD camera.

Hitachi Kokusai Electric America will exhibit in booth #C4309 at the annual NAB convention, running from April 14th-19th at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Several recently introduced multi-format cameras will also be in the Hitachi NAB 2012 booth this year. Those include: the SK-HD1200 native 1080/60p studio and EFP camera; SK-HD1000 dockable studio and field camera, SK-HD2000 native 1080/60i studio and field production camera, Z-HD5000 HDTV studio and field camera, DK-H200, DK-H100 and the DK-Z50 multi-purpose HDTV camera.

"We anticipate a tremendous reaction from sports producers and mobile truck companies to our new slow motion camera and a lot of excitement from the broadcast, security, and industrial markets over the cost-effective HV-HD33," said Sean Moran, Hitachi Kokusai Electric America's National Sales Manager. "I'm positive this will be a very strong show for us. We've incorporated feedback from our customers, and now we get to show off the results of our efforts."

The SK-HD1500 slow motion HD camera rounds out Hitachi's offerings to mobile truck companies and sports producers. Hitachi now provides a comprehensive model line of HDTV cameras suitable for mobile sports and field production companies.

The SK-HD1500 has three 2.3Mpixel 2/3-inch, progressively scanned IT-CCDs. Like its sibling, the SK-HD1200, it has state-of-the-art, digital-to-analog, 16-bit RGB converters that further improves the dynamic range, signal-to-noise, and color fidelity. It is capable of 6Gbps transmission over SMPTE standard optical fiber. Hitachi assures compatibility with most slow-motion servers capable of 3X SMPTE292M 1.5Gbit/second HD-SDI links. This new slow motion HDTV camera can record at speeds of 150 and 180 frames per second, and its outputs are digital HD/SD video at 1080i, 720p and 480i all at 59.94 or 50Hz field rate. The SK-HD1500 employs the control panels, viewfinders, studio build-up kits and accessories of the existing Hitachi SK-series cameras. The SK-HD1500's sensitivity is F9 at 2000 lux with a signal-to-noise ratio of -58dB. The camera has 1100 TVL of standard resolution.

First introduced at IBC 2011, orders for the SK-HD1500 have already been placed by Saudi TV, the Arabic news and entertainment channel in Saudi Arabia. Saudi TV has approximately 150 Hitachi studio cameras, along with a new 16-camera OB truck, and two five-camera DSNG trucks. Delivery of the SK-HD1500 cameras will begin in March 2012.

The new Hitachi HV-HD33 is designed for general observation where high sensitivity, low-noise, multi-standard signals, and low-user intervention operation are required. The HV-HD33 finds applications in a variety of environments, including: remote observation, in-studio use, point-of-view use, unmanned vehicles, robotic systems and industrial applications like factory automation, high-end monitoring and medical imaging. The HV-HD33 is Hitachi's most economical 3-MOS sensor, compact HDTV box camera. It uses a 1/3-inch C-mount lens. The camera has the distinct advantage of outputting SDI at multiple frame rates and TV signal standards. The user interface is menu-driven and functions are available for complete automated "dusk-to-dawn" operation without supervision. The sensor array is 1312(H) X 1032(V), SNR is 53dB and sensitivity is F8. A low power consumption of 8W and weight of 550 grams enables this camera to go where others with similar picture quality cannot.

For even more space- and price-constrained applications and budgets, the KP-HD20A offers excellent HDTV video from a single 2.1Mpixel, 1/3-inch color CMOS sensor. Full raster 1920(H) HD at 1080/ 59.94i, 50i and 1080/ 25p/ 30p can be transmitted through 100m of coax, making it an easy substitution for existing SD observation cameras. Full unattended imaging including contrast & backlight compensation make it ideal for inhospitable locations. Camera remote control is offered with both RS232C and RS485 protocols for easy integration into new or existing PTZF robotic systems.

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