“We were one of the first outside-broadcast vehicle suppliers in Europe to offer HD technology. Since 2002, we have gradually replaced our SD equipment with HD,” said Outside Broadcast managing director Timo Koch. He said the new cameras continued that expansion.
The Belgian company ordered ten camera systems from Cologne-based Wellen+Nöthen. Eight Sony HDC-1550 units join an existing fleet of 35, while two HDC-3300 cameras expand its super-slow-motion inventory from three to five systems.
The portable HDC-1550 uses an HD digital signal processor with 14-bit A/D converters. Its CCD sensor produces progressive 1080 images at up to 50 or 60 frames per second or interlaced 1080 at 50 or 60 fields per second. The camera transfers signals over triax cable.
The HDC-3300 captures 1920 × 1080 HD images at three times normal frame rate for super-slow-motion playback. It is based on the HDC-1500 multiformat camera and adds high-frame-rate acquisition.
Koch said the systems were selected for quality and reliability in outside-broadcast work, with super-slow motion particularly important for sports coverage. The cameras were required quickly for current projects and were also scheduled for use at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
