Infocomm 2008 kicked off its 3-day conference last Wednesday (June 18, 2008) with a bang. Held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, I had the opportunity to fly in for their opening day to see what the latest trends are and get a first-hand look at new products in action. Arriving at the LVCC, the size of the convention was overwhelming to say the least and that was before thousands of people flocked to the doors after the ribbon cutting ceremony.
Divided into two different rooms and occupying more than 1,050,000 m2. ft., there were at least 950 exhibitors showcasing their latest and greatest AV and electronic products to a floor of at least 15,000 people in attendance. This number does not include the large number of meeting rooms used for various technology seminars and workshops, as well as keynote speaker presentations.
Although several different products were on display, one of the main buzzwords of the conference was “Telepresence.” “Telepresence” is defined as “a set of technologies that allow a person to feel as if they are present, give the appearance of being present, or have an effect at a location other than their actual location.” (Wikipedia 2008) In a nutshell, the term “Telepresence” is an up-to-date term that appears to be replacing “Video Conferencing” as technology continues to advance. With telepresence, the person who is not in the office appears almost in 3D, making it appear as if they are actually present when they are not. Video conferencing is less technical and the people on the other end are included in video form.
Strolling through the “Telepresence Pavilion,” VC’s two most popular new systems came courtesy of Polycom and Sony. While Polycom telepresence systems were on display in abundance, the Sony EVI-HD1 and BRC series of cameras were also on display as the latest and greatest HD cameras available for video conferencing/telepresence applications.
SONY EVI-HD1
Building on the huge success of the EVI-D70 and EVI-D100, Sony’s first high-definition EVI robotic camera was designed for video conferencing, distance education, houses of worship and corporate training. This single chip-based pan/tilt/zoom camera features multi-format capabilities for outputting high definition and standard definition video so users can easily migrate from standard definition to HD.
The new EVI-HD1 model uses a 1080i CMOS sensor that offers exceptional high definition resolution in 720p, 1080i or 1080p. The camera can be used with compatible third-party codecs and systems, due to its ability to output standard definition (YC and composite), high definition analog component (Y, Pub, Pr), or digital HD-SDI video. For companies equipping conference rooms with 16:9 widescreen displays, the EVI-HD1 camera outputs 16:9 images in 480i or HD formats. The camera also incorporates a 10x optical zoom lens with a 70-degree horizontal field of view and is equipped with high-speed, high-torque direct drive motors that enable smooth, fast and quiet pan/tilt operations, making the camera makes it ideal for conference rooms. and courts.
The camera’s pan/tilt/zoom controls can be operated with a supplied easy-to-use IR Remote Commander® unit or via the RS-232C (VISCA(TM) protocol) interface with a number of commercially available controllers. The EVI-HD1 can also be controlled from an optional RM-BR300 remote control unit. The ergonomically designed joystick and feature-rich control panel of the RM-BR300 provide excellent operability in various remote video recording applications.
BRC SERIES
Sony’s BRC series consists of three revolutionary pan/tilt/zoom (PTZ) color video cameras, each designed especially for remote video recording applications. Both the BRC-H700 and BRC-300 have already met with great success around the world, meeting users’ needs for high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) applications, respectively.
With a host of useful features and excellent image quality, the BRC Series is ideal for a variety of remote video recording applications such as houses of worship, auditoriums, university hospitals, corporate boardrooms and sporting events, trade shows and concerts. . Also, it is a great choice for broadcast applications such as recording TV shows or as a weather camera. Since the BRC series consists of three cameras, each with specific benefits, users can choose the most suitable solution for their specific application needs.
Sony’s high-definition BRC-H700 offers high image quality and high sensitivity with three 1/3-type HD CCDs and a resolution of 1,120,000 total pixels. It is ideal for users who demand extremely clear HD images with great detail, and due to its high sensitivity, it can be used in recording environments without ideal lighting. In addition, it has the widest angle of view of the BRC series, allowing users to capture wide areas of a scene, such as concert audiences or auditoriums.
Sony’s standard definition BRC-300 incorporates three 1/4.7-type Advanced HADTM CCD sensors with a total of 1,070,000 pixels. It is an ideal camera for cost-effective SD applications, and can capture images in both 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios, the latter offering a wider angle of view. Additionally, the BRC-300 is the smallest camera in the BRC series, making it ideal in environments that require the camera to be placed discreetly.
Sony also recently introduced the new HD/SD BRC-Z700, equipped with three 1/4-type HD ClearVid CMOS sensors. This camera is compatible with both HD and SD, enabling versatile operations and allowing users to easily migrate from SD to HD image quality. In addition, the BRC-Z700 incorporates a newly designed smooth PTZ mechanism for precise camera control.
On display at the Sony booth last week, the BRC-H700 and BRC-Z700 gave visitors an inside look at why these two cameras are fast becoming the true leaders in the world of telepresence/video conferencing. High Definition:
- The BRC-H700 and BRC-Z700 have sixteen presets each (BRC-300 has six presets) to which Pan/Tilt/Zoom preset positions and other parameters can be assigned. These presets can be recalled at the touch of a button to easily capture video from pre-specified areas. They can also be controlled from the supplied IR Remote Commander(TM) unit or the optional RM-BR300 remote control unit. The ergonomically designed joystick and feature-rich control panel of the RM-BR300 provide excellent operability in various remote video recording applications.
- Users can transmit uncompressed digital data, including external sync and camera control signals, via an optical multiplex unit such as the BRU-H700 and BRU-300. With a single cable connection between the camera and the HD Optical Multiplex Unit, the system is extremely easy to install.
- flexibility
- Third party switches and multiplexers work very well with BRC cameras.
- Sierra Video Systems and AMX switchers and multiplexers were on display at the show and work very well with BRC cameras.
- Sony adapter cards are available or third party adapter cards can be used to accommodate the video user interface
- Users can run fiber cables up to:
- 500 meters in length for the BRC-300 and
- 1000 meters in length for both the BRC-H700 and the BRC-Z700.
With all that Sony’s BRC series of industrial cameras has to offer, not only for HD video conferencing/telepresence, but also for a plethora of other applications, an increasing number of people are beginning to integrate these cameras into their office setups. current videoconference. Sony’s new HD cameras are changing the dynamics of video conferencing due to the dramatically improved image quality seen when going from standard definition to high definition.
Another reason to consider switching to a Sony HD camera is the imminent mandatory switch from analog to digital broadcasting in 2009. Because of this change in technology, it may be beneficial for users to start looking at their current technologies early enough to Assess where they are. they need/want to be in conjunction with what they have to do to get there. Screens are rapidly moving towards HD capability, which could leave analog users in a bind if they don’t do the same with compatible equipment. Whether buying an analog to digital converter box or replacing the company’s analog gear with HD, the fact is that technology is advancing and those who sit up and take notice will be the ones to triumph over the competition.
