Dubai: Camera manufacturers are providing a new value to a diverse range of customers by utilising the high volume of information made possible by 4K or ultra-high resolution.
4K cameras boast a pixel format of 3840 x 2160 pixels, four times that of the current 1920x1080p Full HD (high definition) and have great clarity and depth.
4K has been in the market for around 10 years and many blockbuster films from 2004 were originally filmed in 4K.
The competition among camera manufacturers is getting fierce as the Mena market for media and broadcast industry is expected to be worth more than $2 billion by 2015.
Capturing live events
Even though most of the TV channels we watch are still not 100 per cent in high definition, manufacturers have already launched a set of 4K digital cinema and wider video production workflows to capture live events.
“4K content is [the] main issue. Our job is to provide a simple and efficient system for broadcasters at an affordable price,” said Shuji Okada, general manager of marketing at Sony Professional Solutions MEA.
He said sports events recorded in 4K are expected to gain more traction than entertainment. Live production is “more challenging for broadcasters” as there is no recording involved.
“Programme producers are demanding their contents to be produced in 4K. There are couple of reasons for that, one is the increase in quality overall while the other is subscription satellite services are producing their contents on 4K and aims to beam it when 4K TVs become affordable,” said Paul Atkinson, European pro video product specialist at Canon Europe.
He said the main challenge is to provide the equipment to users at an affordable price.
Both Okada and Atikson are not sure when 4K content will be broadcast directly to home.
Sony, Canon and Panasonic are showcasing their 4K cameras at their respective stands at Cabsat.
“We have the products and what we are trying to do at the stand is to educate the market about the benefits,” Okada said.
He said that the region is still testing the 4K content. In the US and UK, some of the broadcasters are gearing up for 4K channels.
The movie – After Earth – was filmed with the Sony F65 4K digital camera.
Satellite operator Eutelsat is showcasing an ultra HD channel on Hot Bird in partnership with Samsung at its stand.
Okada said that the 4K live cameras are around 30 per cent more expensive than HD production cameras.
“Satellite capacity is another issue for the industry when 4K content gets broadcasted. Present satellite capacity cannot accommodate all the channels on 4K. The 4K content need to be compressed at a certain percentage and that is another issue for the industry to find a standard,” he said.
