Archive notice: This article was originally published on December 8, 2008. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
The central service provider for police departments in Saxony, the Evidence Preservation, Documentation and Image Transmission unit, selected a Sony HDXchange system to organize, archive and process video material. Since mid-October, the central system has managed current and future footage in high-definition quality while archiving and processing more than twelve years of old standard-definition documentation.
Once the legacy archive has been transferred to HDXchange, all video recordings will be organized in a central system regardless of format. For ingest, the central station includes Sony PDW-F75, HVR-1500 and HVR-M15E studio recorders. Sony Vegas Pro 8 will also be used for future post-production, working closely with HDXchange to complete the unified workflow.
HD cameras have primarily been used for mobile operations since 2007. Their considerably higher resolution and level of detail provide genuine added value for police work. In addition to Sony HDR-FX7 and HDR-HC7 HDV cameras, the Dresden unit has the first PDW-F355 XDCAM HD camcorder with Professional Disc technology. Both new HD formats, together with old SD archive material on DVCAM tapes, converge in the new HDXchange system.
The Saxony State Police unit is responsible for the three administrative districts of Leipzig, Dresden and Chemnitz. Through mutual-assistance agreements between German states, however, its modern technology is also deployed nationwide. A special T5 van is available as an outside-broadcast vehicle to transport personnel and video equipment to each location. In addition to camcorders, it carries a studio recorder and a special 360° camera. The vehicle can also exchange footage with other emergency personnel over digital police radio.
The technology is used particularly at major events and mass gatherings such as state visits and music festivals. Modern video technology helps police commanders maintain an optimal overview—for example, when monitoring emergency routes for ambulances and fire departments. These services are also extremely important during disasters such as floods or major accidents. Video technology also makes it easier to reconstruct crimes and document police actions. At the same time, the more informative footage produced by HD technology is becoming increasingly important in evaluations by courts and committees.
As an innovative complete solution for a tapeless, networked production environment, HDXchange is attractive not only for conventional broadcast applications but also for authorities, institutions and universities that work extensively with video and need to manage and archive it. As the “little brother” of Sony’s large SONAPS production environment and a versatile editing, storage and content-management system, HDXchange offers a fast and efficient workflow from acquisition to broadcast. The powerful, scalable platform is based on recognized open industry standards and optimized to support multiple clients. It is a highly format-friendly workflow solution supporting numerous Sony SD and HD formats as well as various third-party formats.
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