PANELLISTS
22
April 2012 2018
It ’ s live ... and it ’ s in 4K / Ultra HD
ARRI launches large-format camera system
To unleash creative freedom for modern production requirements , ARRI has unveiled a complete large-format system based on a large-format 4K / Ultra HD ( UHD ) version of the Alexa sensor .
Comprising the Alexa LF camera , ARRI Signature Prime Lens , LPL lens mount and PL-to-LPL adaptor , the new system is also compatible with existing lenses , accessories and workflows , according to ARRI . Featuring a sensor slightly bigger than full frame , Alexa LF records native 4K / UHD , allowing filmmakers to explore a large-format aesthetic while retaining the sensor ’ s natural colourimetry , skin tones and suitability for high dynamic range and wide colour gamut . Accompanying the Alexa LF are 16 large-format ARRI Signature Prime lenses — ranging from 12mm-280mm — fitted with the ARRI LPL mount . A fast T-stop of T1.8 facilitates shallow depth of field and the “ smooth focus fall off ” gives subjects heightened presence in the frame .
Optimised for large-format sensors , the new LPL lens mount has a wider diameter and shorter flange focal depth , allowing the ARRI Signature Primes and all future largeformat lenses to be small and lightweight , with a fast T-stop and high-quality bokeh .
A PL-to-LPL adaptor also offers backward compatibility with all PL mount lenses , whether Super 35 or full frame .
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Camera Lenses
PANELLISTS
Dr Ahmad Zaki Mohd Salleh
Group GM , Engineering Media Prima
Phan Tien Dung
CTO Vietnam Digital Television
Mike Whittaker
Executive Vice-President and CTO , Asia-Pacific and the Middle East , Fox Networks Group Asia
There has been a marked uptake in the number of operators running 4K / Ultra HD ( UHD ) technology trials , and 4K / UHD is establishing itself as the production standard , says
Fintan Mc Kiernan , CEO , Ideal Systems ,
South-east Asia .
While the launch of 4K / Ultra HD ( UHD ) channels may currently be restricted to a handful of countries in Asia-Pacific , 4K / UHD is beginning to establish itself as a plausible production standard . Shawn Liew finds out more .
With many countries in Asia-Pacific yet to complete the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting , 4K / Ultra HD ( UHD ) may appear to be a luxury , rather than necessity , for many broadcasters in the region .
Not so , for Shanghai Media Tech , which earlier this year , chose Grass Valley to provide a total 4K / UHD IP solution for its outside broadcast ( OB ) and electronic field production ( EFP ) systems .
Somu Patil , vice-president , sales , Asia , Grass Valley , believes that there is “ significant interest ” in 4K / UHD in Asia-Pacific , particularly for live production requirements . He tells APB : “ Specifically in China , most of the recent large-scale projects have gone for 4K / UHD solutions . SMG , for instance , believes that any future sports production will be based on 4K / UHD .
“ Unlike in the past , when 4K / UHD production was only for specific events or games , and HD coverage was the general requirement , the approach has changed now .”
According to Patil , Grass Valley is now the leading 4K / UHD solution provider in China , with the company providing an end-to-end 4K / UHD solution that includes camera , switcher , router and infrastructure based on IP .
Moreover , interest has not been restricted to China , as he describes : “ Some of the recent projects we have completed in Singapore , Malaysia and India have either been 4K / UHD or 4K / UHD-enabled . Looking forward , we are expecting a rise in uptake of 4K / UHD and high dynamic range ( HDR ) in both sports and entertainment production .”
There has been a “ marked uptake ” in the number of operators running 4K / UHD technology trials , observes Fintan Mc Kiernan , CEO , Ideal Systems , South-east Asia .
Another IP 4K / UHD OB truck making its rounds in Asia-Pacific belongs to Chinese Internet company Tencent , and which was built by Ideal Systems in 2016 .
Mc Kiernan adds :“ 4K / UHD is establishing itself as the production standard , and this will gradually change existing workflows to slowly accommodate 4K / UHD further and further downstream from initial capture .
“ Facilities who are still working with HD today are aware that 4K / UHD is on the horizon and are starting to plan for 4K / UHD-ready infrastructure .”
And as the volume of 4K / UHD smart TV sets sold in markets such as Hong Kong and Singapore continues to increase , Mc Kiernan expects over-thetop ( OTT ) providers to widen their 4K / UHD offerings ; for traditional pay-TV operators , however , the expense of rolling out 4K / UHD set-top boxes may slow down 4K / UHD offerings , he adds .
As for live 4K / UHD production , Mc Kiernan advises : “ For 4K / UHD in live production , compression as early as possible in the content workflow chain will be the way to go . New compression algorithms reduce bandwidth by orders of magnitude — with little loss of quality .
“ In live production , environmental factors are a concern ; compressed 4K / UHD over IP is much more resilient than 4K / UHD over SDI on ganged coax . The losses introduced with inline compression are trivial and enable 4K / UHD production to be rolled out into existing 10G infrastructure .”
Mc Kiernan is also looking forward to the roll-out of 5G mobile services , which he believes will herald a new age in bonded cellular technology being able to cope easily with remote 4K / UHD acquisition . “ I think this will be a real game changer , especially if camera manufacturers start to put 5G modems into next-generation 4K / UHD cameras .”
For Grass Valley , the answer to live 4K / UHD production lies in IP . Patil explains : “ Bandwidth and distribution costs , and not so much of storage , have been major reasons for many of our customers to either delay the decision or scale down their 4K / UHD operations .”