The NAB Show has long been the world’s largest gathering of innovators and
vendors that drive the media and entertainment industry. Every year one thinks: “it
just can’t get better than this…’ well NAB 2015 has come and gone and shown us all
that it can!
With a million square feet of exhibition space to explore and over 1 700 stands to
visit, the NAB Show 2015 has provided the broadcast and media industries with
fresh perspectives on innovation and cutting edge technologies.
The annual conference and expo has become a favorite for many African visitors
eager to get a sneak preview of the next-generation technologies displayed through
the many interactive exhibits, live demonstrations and technology-focused
pavilions.
From creation to consumption, across multiple platforms and countless nationalities,
the NAB Show is home to the solutions that transcend traditional broadcasting and
embrace content delivery to new screens in new ways. This year saw a repeat of
the newly introduced SPROCKIT programme, showcasing a unique collection of 30
market-ready startup companies positioned to transform the media and
entertainment industry. The new Aerial Robotics and Drone Pavilion featured dozens
of aerial robotics companies with a fly-it-yourself demonstration area and daily
training sessions.
The opening day was filled with a buzz of absolute frenzy that one can really only
understand if you have been there to witness it. Thousands of people scurried
around to get a glimpse of what’s new. You soon get an idea of what’s trending by
the queues forming in the labyrinth of isles linking the vast halls together. Is it
Sony, Panasonic or Blackmagic? New cameras perhaps or a cheap 4k monitor…umm
no, it’s a drone!
“A breakthrough in intelligent flight’
Yes a drone. Startup Company, 3D Robotics showcased SOLO, a quadcopter drone
that can only be described as “a breakthrough in intelligent flight’. Its unique
camera automation software allows the user to set the drone to follow a subject,
draw a path on the handheld controller screen that the drone will follow or set it in
orbit mode allowing the drone to circle in a set flight plan. The best thing is the
price – US$995 – and even better open platform, allowing full access to the
hardware and software. For an extra $400 you can get a three-axis gimbal – perfect
for the next item that caught my eye…
The mini-camera of the show
Blackmagic Design, the Australian company that took the indie film world by storm
a few years ago, has been making waves again and launched no less than four new
cameras. It’s the Blackmagic Design Micro Cinema Camera that really tickles my
fancy and I reckon it has to be the mini-camera of the show. Its Super 16 1080p
sensor with Global Shutter and MFT lens mount and ablility to record on SDHC and
SDXC is nearly the same as the Pocket Cinema Camera BUT it has so much more…
a magnesium alloy body which is just 0.3kg, meaning it could be used as an action
camera on drones, motorsports, and so on. Could this be a new upmarket
competitor to GoPro?
Wireless broadcast solution
Actually GoPro is next on my list anyway with their release of a very clever
wireless broadcast solution for live television, which attaches to their GoPro
cameras. The HEROCast™, is the smallest, lightest and most cost-efficient wireless
HD micro transmitter to hit the broadcast market. Developed with Vislink, the
HEROCast transmitter enables professional broadcasters to deliver engaging, live
content with immersive POV footage and unique perspectives that one expects from
GoPro.
A major innovation in onset audio
The name Sennheiser has become synonymous with audio. Their innovation has
always impressed me and the launch at NAB of their new Digital Wireless
Microphones AVX Series shows just how they follow trends and needs. AVX Wireless
Microphones work on the1.9Ghz frequency range. If there is any interruption on a
channel it jumps to another one automatically without any artifacts or interruptions.
The AVX receiver has its own XLR port so you can connect it directly to your
camcorder from the XLR port or, when you want to use with a DSLR cameras you
could connect it using the supplied XLR to 3.5mm converter – nice!
Innovation deluxe
Most filmmakers have used a Zoom H4N portable audio recorder in their
productions. Innovation deluxe – the only way to describe the introduction of
Zoom’s new gadget – the Q8. The Q8 is a very desirable 2K camera built around
Zoom’s great audio performance. The camera has interchangeable capsule
microphones for different purposes, (Shotgun, Condenser, Stereo) and it also has
two XLR inputs to connect your other microphones. So overall you could get four
tracks of clean audio recording. This “run and gun’ model makes for the perfect B-
roll camera with the advantage of being a great audio field recorder using reliable
technology.
Thunderbolt 2
Speaking technology, Intel had a number of new products in its booth from multiple
vendors to highlight the expanding number of Thunderbolt 2 products on the
market. Thunderbolt 2 is well suited to media professionals due to its flexible
nature and high bandwidth. The jump to Thunderbolt 2 actually didn’t increase
bandwidth, but it provides channel aggregation of the previously-separated 10Gbp/s
channels. This enables new capabilities, such as simultaneously transferring and
displaying 4K video. By far the most exciting had to be the 31MU97Z from LG
Electronics. The 31′ 4K display monitor sports two Thunderbolt 2 ports and pushes a
4096 x 2160 resolution (17:9) to the IPS panel. This display will definitely set you
back a few clams; LG isn’t commenting on the price list or availability as of yet.
SmallHD’s Sidefinder
Seeing is believing and sometimes the smallest of gadgets steal the show. SmallHD
launched Sidefinder, a versatile 2-in-1 fully featured HD viewfinder with a flip-out
1080p 5-inch display. The Sidefinder attachment itself has tons of features,
including an adjustable field of view and a mounting bracket that has mounting
options suitable for just about every rig out there including ARRI Rosette, 15mm
rod, and 1/4’20 mounts. Featuring incredible resolution for such a small device, it is
a must-buy for serious filmmakers.
Storage shake-up
Storage just keeps on improving both in technology and cost, my favourite this year
was the Pegasus2 R2+ from Promise Technology. It combines separate pods that
can operate individually via USB 3.0. You can also swap between the hard disk
drive pod, solid-state drive reader pod and compact flash/secure digital card reader
pods. The Pegasus2 R2+ is designed to bring data together from Thunderbolt-
connected devices, Windows computers and through USB 3.0. The hot swappable 2-
bay enclosure gives versatility or added protection by supporting RAID 0 and RAID
1. So when you need your video files stored or accessed, Pegasus2 R2+ can keep
mirrored copies with RAID 1 or speed up computer processing with RAID 0. When
you’re ready to leave your editing station, grab a Pod and you’ll be able to work
elsewhere with the CF/SD Reader. In storage terms and technology this is a real
shake up to watch out for.
Weapon of choice
Speaking of which, RED is used to shaking things up on the technology front. They
have been the most responsible party for making waves in digital cinema camera
technology since their inception in 2006. This year is no different and they continue
to deliver on their promised upgrades. From Epic, to Dragon and now Weapon, RED
is still leading camera design and technology. The Weapon is a full-frame 8K
camera built for the future. Japan is talking about covering their next Olympics in
8K, in a time when the most dominant economies are barely upgrading to 4K.
More than increased resolution the Weapon offers the ability to stabilise and offer
greater detail, even in the pixels you don’t see. The indie film world will
undoubtedly clamour over Weapon. The picture should be improved over Dragon
and if nothing else it ups the competition requirement and brings down barriers to
entry.
Final note
Finally, something that I was totally fascinated (actually the phrase is gob smacked)
with was a codec. London based V-Nova demonstrated a new video compression
technology called Perseus. Dubbed “the next-generation digital TV standard,’ Perseus
allows more efficient use of the spectrum to deliver SD, HD and 4K/Ultra HD by
tackling image compression differently than other algorithms by imitating some
aspect of the human visual system. Get it…no nor did I but trust me the test
transmission that they showed was great!
I am always hungry for learning more about new technology and how technology is
driving our industry. The 2015 NAB Show certainly allowed me to taste the future of
what’s being cooked up in the wonderful world of media and entertainment and just
looks like it’s going to get better and better! – Ian Dormer
