IBC Round Up

 







Well it was short and sweet but what a treat this year's IBC proved to be. Planet PC's sales and technical staff were given the enviable task of visiting our Dutch neighbours and checking out  everything on offer at what is surely one of the best events in the calendar of the broadcast world. It's safe to say we weren't disappointed!

 

Anyone who was lucky enough to visit the show this year will agree that to say we were spoilt for choice is an understatement. Read on for our pick of the best bits.

 

 

Sony Announce New Cameras and Portable Storage Range








Sony NEX-FS700R

At this year's IBC broadcast giants Sony showcased their new NEX-FS700R/NEX-FS700RH cameras which feature Sony's E-mount lens system along with the ability to record in 4K/2K when using the optional HXR-IFR5 interface unit and AX-R5 recorder. The NEX-FS700RH includes a motorised zoom lens and both cameras have the ability to record up to 10x slow motion in full HD thanks to the Exmor Super35 CMOS sensor. Both cameras also feature 1080p progressive output allowing which allows user to capture uncompressed footage along with built in ND filters and hybrid recording capabilities. For more information check out the link to the Sony website below:

 

http://www.sony.co.uk/pro/press/pr-sony-ibc-nex-fs700R

 

Sony's New Portable Drives: Built to Last

 

Sony also announced a first for the company in the form of their portable range of SSD/HDD drives. Available from this month the PSZ-SA25 SSD drive and PSZ-HA50/PSZ-HA1T HDD drives are compatible with a range of existing Sony equipment and all feature USB 3.0 and Firewire interfaces. Not only that they're built to last and are dust proof, splash proof and drop proof!

 

 

 

 

Blackmagic Cinema Camera Rig

Tilta Showcase Impressive Range of Rigs





We stopped by the Tilta stand where we were very impressed with their camera stabilisation systems. Not only do Tilta produce fantastic rigs for higher end cameras such as the Sony F5 and Red Epic, they also produce some great looking rigs for the Blackmagic cameras so it seemed only fair we stop by and have a look.

 

The very nature of the Blackmagic cameras mean some sort of rig is pretty much essential. If you happen to own one or are considering purchasing a Cinema Camera any time soon then we'd highly recommend getting acquainted with what Tilta do because they certainly do it well.  We were particularly impressed with how solid the rigs were and liked little touches such as the addition of wooden handles on the Cinema Camera rig which were not only comfortable but made a nice change from the standard metal/rubber feel which tends to be standard on rigs.



 

Pocket Cinema Camera Rig

We were also lucky enough to be given a look at Tilta's upcoming rig for the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera. The model we saw was only a prototype with the finished article due to be available in the next month or so but if the prototype was anything to go by then this will be a great addition to Tilta's range. Unlike some of the other rigs we've seen this one completely surrounds the camera and is almost like a cross between a cheese plate and a DSLR cage. This is great because not only does it feel sturdy, it's also comfortable to hold thanks to the wooden handle/grip and the abundance of holes/screw threads mean it's possible to add whatever monitors, mics and other accessories you need!

 

 

Live Production with Vidigo

 

It was hard not to notice the Vidigo stand this year but aside from the eye-catching colour scheme and bright red trousers Vidigo stood out because of their excellent live production software.

 

We we're treated to a demo of Vidigo's Live production system and loved how intuitive everything felt - even for those of us who had previously never used it. With up to twelve camera inputs, Vidigo Live supports real-time chroma keying, macros & scripting and features a graphics engine which supports Adobe Flash graphics. Vidigo also supports touch screens which we thought was a really nice feature and one which we could see being really useful in a live environment when the pressure's on.  Visit www.http://www.vidigo.tv/ for more information.

 

 

 

SanDisk Announce World's Fastest Memory Card



The World's Fastest Memory Card

Media storage pioneers SanDisk announced the world's fastest memory card in the form of the Extreme Pro CFast 2.0. With the ability to read data at a rate of 450MB/s and write it at 350MB/s these 120GB cards can transfer a 100GB file in around four minutes. As the first card of it's kind to utilise the CFast 2.0 specification SanDisk's Extreme Pro is aimed at high end cinematographers working in higher resolution formats such as 4k. Visit http://www.sandisk.com/ for more information!

 

 

 

NewTek Announce New Tricaster Models

Live production gurus NewTek have just announced the arrival of not one but three new Tricaster models along with an upgrade to their Virtual Set Editor software.

As a NewTek Elite Partner with Tricaster certified staff this is exciting news and we couldn't wait to check out all the new features over at IBC. We headed over to Amsterdam to see what all the fuss was about and it's fair to say that yet again NewTek didn't disappoint.

The new models include the Tricaster 860, Tricaster 460 and Tricaster 410 and are all packed with a variety of innovative features to enable you to get the most out of your live productions.

We managed to squeeze around the NewTek stand to take a closer look:

The new Tricasters at a Glance:

The new Tricaster 860 is a 24 channel system with 8 Mix Effects and now includes support for holographic sets and robotic camera support for up to 8 PTZ cameras. Featuring  8 HD-SDI inputs, IsoCorder technology, 5 animation buffers and a range of monitoring/playback options.

Tricaster 410

The Tricaster 460 and 410 also feature support for PTZ cameras along with NewTek's impressive holographic/panoramic virtual set capabilities. Gone are the Virtual Inputs which have now been replaced with multi-channel "Mix Effects" and all NewTek's Pro models now feature up to eight configurable interactive hotspots, SDI inputs and built in social media publishing capabilities  which make it possible to share direct to Facebook, YouTube and Twitter - functionality only previously possible with the Tricaster 8000.

We we're especially impressed with the TC410 and really liked the fact that it provides so much professional functionality such as yet comes in at an RRP of only £8,499.00 (ex vat) -  great value for money when you consider The TC455 was nearly £6k more expensive!

Virtual Set Editor 2.5

As if NewTek haven't spoilt us enough they've also upgraded their already excellent Virtual Set Editor software to version 2.5. The newest version now features the ability to generate 3D holographic sets from panoramic images shot using nothing more than a smartphone. This may sound impressive but it's hard to understand just how innovative this feature is until you see it in person which is exactly what we did at IBC. To say the NewTek stand was busy is probably an understatement and with technology like their's it's easy to see why. This new feature makes it possible to produce a unique set from scratch in minutes and is a great addition to what was already a fantastic piece of software. VSE 2.0 also includes the animation store creator meaning the ability to create specialist transitions and custom branding is now easier than ever before.

What about the older Tricasters?

Nobody likes getting left behind and there's nothing worse than investing in expensive kit only for an upgraded version to be released weeks later. Fortunately NewTek realise this which is why they're providing the option owners of previous Tricaster models to trade-up to the next level.

If you purchased a Tricaster 455 of Tricaster 855 you can upgrade your system for the fantastic price of just£1,399.00 (ex vat).*

*Please note: This is a special offer price valid until 25/10/13 after which the upgrade price will increase to £2,199.00 (ex vat).

Considering Upgrading?

We'd love to talk Tricasters with you so why not give our sales team a call (all of which are certified NewTek operators) on 01274 713416 or email us at sales@planetdv.net and we'll be happy to discuss your options. 

Did we mention our hand built custom flight cases?

Life on the road can be hard for your production equipment so when you're out and about it makes sense to protect what is ultimately a big investment. That's why here at Planet PC we specialise in the design and construction of custom  flight cases for the full range of Tricasters. All our cases are built to order and designed to make life as easy as possible when transporting your Tricaster. 

Custom TC455 Flight Case

Counting down to IBC with Planet PC

It's that time of year again when one of the biggest events in the broadcast industry is just around the corner and here at Planet PC we know we're not alone when we say we're more than a little bit excited about the prospect of heading over to IBC and seeing what's on offer this year. We know not everyone has the time or the money to make it over to Vegas for NAB so for anyone based in Europe it's fair to say that IBC is just as (if not more) important to many who have it pencilled in their diaries well in advance.

With just over five days to go until the main event along with the fact that there's so much to see in such a small amount of time it's fair to say that IBC has been a hot topic of discussion amongst us all of us here at Planet.

We asked Sales Manager Matthew Hastings what he's looking forward to at this year's event:
       

"My visit to last year’s IBC was a bit of a whirlwind visit with the arrival of a new baby so this year I look forward to actually being able to see some new products. No doubt we'll be inundated with 4K and RAW and we have already heard the exciting news about the new professional range of Tricaster’s from NewTek. Blackmagic Design will inevitably be adding to their already impressive portfolio of products but there's also a few other items I'm keen to see which may have gone under the radar. JVC have announced two new 47 and 42 inch professional monitors that are very attractively priced with list prices at £870.00 and £690.00 (ex. VAT) respectively. Editshare have quite a few announcements and I'm keen to see the new features in Flow 3, their production asset management solution. They've also announced AirFlow which is a new web browser-based application to allow users to access their Flow database and media on the go. Finally Datavideo have announced an update to the popular DVK-200 to a new HD version the DVK-300HD. IBC is a huge show and it is a guarantee that at some point I will get lost and without doubt there will be a few more items that will catch my eye."

For anyone who is going to be experiencing IBC for the first time Matt's advice is to plan your visit well in advance. "As one of the biggest exhibitions IBC is host to pretty much everything broadcast related and it's easy to get distracted".

Wise words indeed from an IBC veteran. We also caught up with Chris in Technical Sales who's going to be visiting IBC for the first time this year:

"As a first time visitor to IBC I'm looking forward to seeing what's on offer not only from manufacturers who we already know and love but also from those who we're not as familiar with. We launched our new website around this time last year and ever since we've been updating it and adding new products daily which we will continue to do. IBC is an excellent opportunity to discover new products and manufacturers and I'm looking forward to feeding back to our web team who I know are also excited about this year's event and everything it has to offer. As Matt mentioned previously we've already had recent updates from the likes of NewTek who never fail to impress and we are in no doubt that there are many more announcements still to come from all the big names. In terms of the big names I know Blackmagic have been very secretive in the past so it will be good to see what they have in the pipeline but I'm also looking forward to seeing what Adobe have on the cards. I anticipate that once we arrive one of the biggest challenges we'll face at IBC will be seeing as much as possible in the time we have which is why we've been attempting to plan in advance in order to make sure we get the most out of it. No doubt one of us will get distracted at some point!"

Speaking of distractions, we interrupted Planet PC's Broadcast Technician Pawel Bybel who had the following to say when we asked him to take a break from the workshop to give us his thoughts on this year's event:

"I'm also visiting for the first time this year and personally I’m really looking forward to seeing the new range of products from NewTek and Blackmagic Design. I have a lot of experience working in live production  and am always interested to see how new technology is advancing. I cannot wait to finally have a play with Blackmagic's 4K Cinema Camera and am also looking forward to catching up with my old friends from Vidigo. It's been a while since I've used Vidigo's Live system and I’m really interested in what improvements and new features are present in the latest version. What is more, it will be a great opportunity to meet our business partners and suppliers in person and introduce myself. Finally, I hope there will be some time to walk around the city and enjoy Amsterdam!" 

If like us you're lucky enough to be paying IBC a visit then maybe we'll see you there (if not there's always next year). In the meantime why not get in touch via Twitter or Facebook and tell us what you're looking forward to seeing over in Amsterdam (strictly IBC related of course!) Alternatively if there's a particular product or manufacturer you think we should look out for when we're over there let us know and we'll keep our eyes peeled.