Sony Focuses on 3D

Sony is emphasising the importance of 3DTV to broadcast manufacturers with the arrival of new professional cameras and other production tools to enable 3D live production. According to Sony, it is now in the unique position of offering a complete end-to-end 3D production chain.

"Sony is committed to delivering 3D throughout the content value chain and today's news is yet another endorsement of that," commented Naomi Climer, vice president Sony Europe. "There are always barriers to entry with any new technology, these new product and solutions announcements help drive out many of the technical and cost issues that were stopping live 3D from becoming a reality."

First up, the new 2/3 inch HDC-P1 box style camera delivers the equivalent picture performance of the HDC-1500, but within a compact body, which is ideal for mounting on a 3D rig. It integrates into the current control system and provides a cost-effective solution for dual-camera acquisition.

Capturing a live event in 3D poses a number of creative challenges to successfully manage the 3D image and ensure viewers are not left feeling nauseous. In response to this, Sony Professional has developed the new '3D Processor Box'. While still only at the technology demonstration stage, the box can deliver camera pair alignment and correct for errors introduced in the rig, including image geometry and colour matching. It offers the stereographic engineers another option to manage alignment in addition to mechanical alignment rigs to enable the control of live 3D content capture.

Completing the 3D production chain for the company, the MVS-8000G vision mixer offers dual stream switching and can treat a 3D camera pair as a single source. For recording, the SRW-5800 is unique in the market, delivering direct dual stream recording, which is essential for 3D capture. At the entry-level, the SRW-5100 also provides this ability.

Lastly, the company is also showcasing two prototype 3D monitors, which deliver the final link in the production chain. Announcements on the availability of 3D monitors are expected in 2010.

Source: TVB Europe