Digital Video - September 2007 - (Page 10)

news additional fees for required artwork that filmmakers are required to pay. Currently, HD DVD suffers from a lack of defined studio support—Universal is the only major exclusive to the format, while the rest of Hollywood’s big boys publish in the rival Blu-ray Disc—so this latest move is an almost effortless way for the HD DVD camp to increase its catalog. The Sundance Channel said it would be using the program to offer its “Big Ideas for a Small Planet” eco-series. “Programs like this one from Amazon lower barriers to entry for independent artists and provide audiences with increased access to high-quality, high-definition content,” Sundance Channel programming head Christian Vesper said. Independent filmmakers can feel free to submit their work to the CustomFlix Web site from which Microsoft and Amazon will select the 1,000 best works for distribution. Afterwards, the discs will be sold on Amazon.com. —Neal Romanek Fact: HDTV in 30% of homes The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) predicts 16 million high-definition televisions will sell in 2007, bringing the total number of HDTVs sold in the U.S. to 52.5 million. Thirty percent of U.S. households now have an HDTV, likely rising to 36 percent by the end of this year. Among these HDTV households, CEA says, almost a third own more than one high-definition set. A study by the Arlington, Va.-based trade group found that 44 percent of HDTV owners receive HD programming. The main reasons consumers stated for not receiving the programming was that it was too expensive or they were not interested. Yet, while there is some confusion among HD owners as to whether they are receiving HD programming, the vast majority of owners understand what programming they receive and do not receive. (CEA maintains a website, www.AntennaWeb.org, that pro- GET IN GEAR THOUGH MODEST IN SCALE, CINE GEAR ’07 PACKED A TECH PUNCH. the Codex Portable can record from virtually every digital camera available today—including all HD cameras in video mode, plus data mode from cameras such as the ARRI D-20 and DALSA Origin. It can also record RED Digital Cinema’s RED ONE in 4K data mode, when it becomes available. Recording is made to hot-swappable, shock-mounted RAID disk packs that can hold up to three hours of continuous recording at the system’s highest quality. The compression method used is JPEG2000. The Codex Portable can deliver shots in all industry-standard formats, including DPX, BMP, BWAV, QuickTime, AVI and MXF files. It can even provide native-mode files that editing systems can use with no importing at all. Codex Digital expects to ship Codex Portable systems in late 2007. www.codexdigital.com Held on the grounds of the Wadsworth Theater in Los Angeles on June 22-23, the 2007 Cine Gear Expo offered a low-key look at the latest offerings from virtually every major player in the production hardware business. Here are a few items that caught our eye. DOGGICAM SYSTEMS An expert in lightweight camera mounting solutions, Doggicam unveiled the Mini Sparrow Head, a scaled-down version of the company’s Sparrow Head. Made of high-strength aluminum and weighing 16.5 lb. (without a camera), the Mini is capable of passing through a 14” vertical opening, offering digital repeatability with the Doggicam MoCap system and wireless control from 1/4 mile and further. The head comes with a low-profile Ubangie, operator’s station with hand wheels and joystick control, operator’s monitor, Preston FIZ lens control and AC power supply. www.doggicam.com Continued on page 12 CODEX DIGITAL Media recording systems specialist Codex Digital unveiled the Codex Portable, a high-resolution field recorder. Constructed from carbon fiber and with rubber-sealed connections, the Codex Portable is tough, weather-resistant, weighs only 9 lb. and powered by standard camera batteries. Features include two dual-link HD 4:4:4 inputs, Infiniband and Ethernet data-connections, 10Gbps optical I/O, timecode and control ports, eight channels of audio, HD and SD monitoring of all formats up to 4K, and MP4 wireless video output. Flexible I/O configurations mean 10 DV SEPTEMBER 2007 «« http://www.antennaweb.org http://Amazon.com http://www.codexdigital.com http://www.doggicam.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Digital Video - September 2007

Contents News AG-HPX500 HD Camcorder First Look: Color V8000HD 8" LCD Monitor Shoulder Mount System Instant Expert Close-Ups Fest Cercuit Q&A Flight Plan Cutter's Way Imagination in Action Motion Graphics Production Diary

Digital Video - September 2007

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.