24/03/2017
Sony expands HDR Production capabilities for its professional products
New enhancements include HD HDR Live for broadcasting and Instant HDR workflow to meet growing demand for HDR content
Asia Pacific, 24 March 2017 – Sony is expanding the High Dynamic Range (HDR) capabilities for many of its professional products, to meet the growing requirements in every production application for HDR content. The new enhancements deliver HD HDR Live broadcasting and Instant HDR workflow in products encompassing live camera system, servers, monitors and camcorders with software or firmware updates.
HDR amplifies realism of moving images, creating significantly more immersive viewing experience. The expansion of Sony’s HDR production capabilities offers a wide range of benefits, meeting the specific HDR production requirements of broadcasters, live event producers and online content creators.
HD HDR Live broadcasting
Sony offers a whole gamut of 4K HDR production solutions for movies and TV drama where reality and details are priorities. The SR Live for HDR workflow, a straightforward and efficient workflow for simultaneous production of 4K HDR and HD SDR, is also established for live broadcasting.
In July 2016, the International Telecommunication Union published ITU-R HDR-TV Recommendation, BT.2100-0. The HDR broadcast standard presents two options for producing HDR image – Perceptual Quantization (PQ) and Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG) – and paves the way towards a wider adoption of HDR broadcasting.
Alongside the momentum, Sony learns about the demand from numerous customers for HDR production in HD especially from regions where migration from HD to 4K still requires some time. Sony now delivers HD HDR solution for broadcasters in the areas of:
Workflow
SR Live for HDR can support HD HDR-based simultaneous production of HD HDR and HD SDR, similar to 4K HDR.
In the SR Live for HDR workflow, the camera’s output signal is converted (S-Log3, BT.2020, HD HDR) as an intermediate format for production processes.
Once the image has been produced, Sony’s HDR production converter unit, HDRC-4000, is required to convert it to an appropriate HDR-capable transmission format (standardized HLG or PQ). The HDRC-4000 utilizes original algorithms – including built-in AIR Matching (AIR refers to Artistic Intent Rendering) – to accurately reproduce the image quality and coloring determined during S-Log3 production, regardless of the transmission format used.
The SR Live for HDR production environment can include a multiplicity of subject types, devices, formats, and vendors. The system is capable of delivering high-quality content since images are produced using the S-Log3 format and converted into desired broadcast and other distribution formats.
Acquisition
The following system cameras will support S-Log3 and BT.2020 for SR Live for HDR. HD HDR capability will be added with firmware upgrade:
• HDC-4800 camera system1
• HDC-4300 camera system2
• HDC-P43 camera system3
Further, users can pair the HDC-2500 system camera with the HKCU-2040 4K/HDR processor board for 4K and HD HDR capability as well.
Recording and replay
The PWS-45004 4K live server supports HD S-Log3, HD HLG and 4K/HD PQ with software update v2.3.
Monitoring
The BVM-E171 5 TRIMASTER EL™ OLED master monitor will support HDR through a new HDR monitoring license, BVML-HE171. The license gives users an option to implement HDR according to their production needs and budget limits. Together with Sony’s BVM-X300 and PVM-X550, which are 4K and HDR-ready, Sony now offers more HD HDR monitoring options to customers such as OB vans where space is limited.
Instant HDR Workflow
With the expanding HDR needs, online video platforms or professional content creators working on live events are paying more attention to added-value of HDR. Such production requires quick delivery with no compromise on imaging expression and quality.
To meet the demand, Sony now offers HDR capability for entry-level handheld XDCAM camcorders. The PXW-FS56 and PXW-Z1507 will support HLG recording function8 for easy and instant file-based workflows while achieving HDR quality images. The workflow is incredibly simple and enables user to shoot, edit and view HDR contents in HLG without the need of color grading.
Camcorders
Sony’s PXW-FS5 and PXW-Z150 will also receive expanded HDR capabilities through software update. The FS5 will support HLG in addition to S-Log3. Users can quickly set-up HLG mode9, an option that is newly added on picture profile. Similarly, PXW-Z150 will also support HLG.
Viewing tool
Catalyst Browse is a cross-platform viewing and logging tool for all Sony Pro formats. The software which offers streamlined media management will now support HLG, allowing viewers to view HDR content easily.
Sony will continue to apply its deep expertise to enhance the HDR solutions for content production with innovative ideas and technology, to suit every budget and requirement.
1 Firmware upgrade will be available from 3rd quarter of 2017
2 Firmware upgrade will be available from 2nd quarter of 2017
3 Firmware upgrade will be available from 2nd quarter of 2017
4 Software update V2.3 will be available in June 2017
5 HDR monitoring license for BVM-E171 and software update 1.1 on BVM-E171 to support HD HDR capability will be available in August 2017
6 PXW-FS5 software update V4.0 will be available from 3rd quarter of 2017
7 PXW-Z150 software update V2.0 will be available from 3rd quarter of 2017
8 PXW-FS5, PXW-Z150 ; 4K: XAVC 4:2:0 8-bits, HD: XAVC 4:2:2 10-bits
9 PXW-FS5 and PXW-Z150: The BT.2020 colour space can be selected as soon as the HLG mode is activated