Hitachi announces HDR capability across broadcast camera range

Hitachi Kokusai Electric America has confirmed the addition of High Dynamic Range (HDR) by adding this innovative, cutting edge imaging capability to its high-quality Ultra High Definition (UHD) 4K and HDTV broadcast cameras. As part of a special, limited-time promotion, any new Hitachi camera purchase made before September 30, 2016 will include the HDR feature at no additional charge.

Hitachi’s HDR-upgraded cameras will be unveiled at the upcoming Telemundo Cine Video Television Expo—an annual international video equipment trade show—taking place next week (June 28-July 1) at the Mexico City World Trade Center. Attendees will see demonstrations of select HDR-upgraded Hitachi cameras from the Z-Series, SK-Series and DK-Series product lines at two TelemundoCine Video Show booths run by Hitachi’s Mexican distribution partners, Escape Audio Video and Comtelsat.

“We’re excited to offer High Dynamic Range capability on our UHD and HDTV broadcast cameras, and we’re confident that TV viewers will appreciate the increased contrast, richer color and dynamic lighting of the video it captures,” said Sean Moran, COO, Hitachi Kokusai.

“With the way we’ve designed and implemented HDR in our cameras, broadcasters and other video professionals will be able to produce significantly superior HDR imagery without having to upgrade their existing infrastructure or transmission systems,” Moran added. “HDR—which will be part of the emerging ATSC 3.0 standard—produces brighter, crisper, more luminous imagery, including UHD 4K video, resulting in a more immersive and engaging viewer experience.”

At the high end of the product line, HDR has been added to the Hitachi Kokusai’s SK-UHD4000 UHD studio/field camera. With its industry standard B4 2/3-inch bayonet mount and 2/3-inch sensors, operators can still make use of their existing HDTV lenses. The camera delivers the depth of field and high sensitivity needed for traditional TV studio and sports production with UHD quality.

HDR has also been added to the Hitachi Kokusai’s Z-HD6000 HDTV studio/field production camera system, which captures 1920×1080 resolution video. This native 2K camera utilizes 2.6 megapixels and 2/3-inch MOS sensors and offers F12 standard sensitivity with >60 dB of video headroom and real-time lens aberration correction (RLAC).

At the Telemundo Cine Video Television Expo, Escape Audio Video will be show several Hitachi Kokusai cameras at Booth C-6, upgraded with the HDR feature, including the Z-HD5000 and SK-HD1000, as part of its product demos. The Z-HD5000 HDTV studio/field production camera has long-been a popular acquisition tool due to its high price performance. With 2/3-inch IT-CCDs, this lightweight unit offers high-resolution imagery and low noise.