LAS VEGAS, NV (April 17, 2004) – Here at NAB 2005, Panasonic Broadcast introduces a cost-effective shoulder-mount AJ-SPC700 camcorder, tailor-made for a gamut of electronic newsgathering assignments. Since becoming available last spring, Panasonic’s DVCPRO P2 products have offered the extensive benefits of solid-state memory recording and IT integration, and have elevated digital video acquisition to a new level of speed and cost efficiency.

By eliminating all moving parts from the camera recording path, Panasonic has ensured the AJ-SPC700 is extremely reliable and resistant to environmental hazards, such as the shock, vibration, cold, heat and humidity that threaten camcorders based on mechanical recording transports. AJ-SPC700 images are stored on a P2 card using MXF file format to ensure IT compatibility for file transfer.

The AJ-SPC700 combines a high-performance 2/3” 520,000-pixel, IT 3-CCD camera with 60 fields interlace recording in 25Mbps DVCPRO/DV and 50Mbps 4:2:2 DVCPRO50 format on a P2 card. Switchable between 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios, the camcorder delivers broadcast-level performance, with low smear, 750-line resolution, an S/N ratio of 63dB, a high sensitivity of F11 at 2000 lux, and minimum illumination of 0.5 lux (at +36dB). With its newly-developed DSP, the AJ-SPC700 has a very low power consumption of about 20 watts, which minimizes the number of batteries needed for field work. It is equipped with an advanced 12-axis matrix color correction system, and a news gamma curve specially optimized for the demands of field news acquisition. The news gamma curve helps to preserve image quality by suppressing over-saturation in highlight areas during sudden changes in contrast.

The AJ-SPC700 features five P2 card slots, providing up to 160 minutes record capacity at DVCPRO and 80 minutes in DVCPRO50 with 8GB P2 cards. A sixth PC card slot is provided to accept a range of options, such as a MPEG-4 Proxy Video Encoder. Proxy video – in three quality choices -- may be recorded to P2 cards and SD Memory cards, and subsequently viewed on a journalist’s PC or personal digital assistant (PDA).

Its superb audio performance supports two audio input channels which will be recorded onto four audio channels of 48kHz/16-bit PCM audio in DVCPRO50, DVCPRO and DV. The AJ-SPC700 comes equipped with a USB 2.0 interface for file transfers, and users can add an IEEE-1394 interface (optional AJ-YAD800G board) for a real-time stream and for connection to laptop computers running a range of popular NLE applications, thereby providing a self-contained field editing solution.

The AJ-SPC700 starts recording from the moment it’s switched on, so users can feel confident that they won’t miss an important shot. Its hot swap function assures non-stop recording, because it allows a user to replace any P2 card (except the one being recorded on) on the fly.

Regarding its flexibility in the IT domain, the AJ-SPC700 offers many innovative functions:

• Three recording modes – Continuous, pre-record or loop-record assure a news crew has less chance of missing an important event, and eliminate waiting for tape scanners or optical media to spin-up prior to recording.
  
• Voice Memo - A built-in memo microphone permits the addition of metadata audio description to clip metadata with specified time code link.
  
• Shot marker indication on clips of video.
  
• Thumbnail clip display and selection – the built-in color 3.5” LCD monitor provides easy review of video clip thumbnails and the creation of an in-camera storyboard.
  

The camcorder is highly customizable with features like four user scene files, three user setup buttons, and camera setup memory (up to eight camera setups can be saved to a SD Memory card).

Other valuable features of the AJ-SPC700 include: Auto Tracking White Balance, electronic shutter speeds (1/100 to 1/2000 sec.) with Synchro-Scan capability (1/60.3 to 1/249.7 sec.), 4-position (ND + CC) optical filter, zebra pattern display, and built-in SMPTE time code generator/reader.

Input/outputs include composite (in/out), Genlock (in), monitor (out), two XLR audio (in), one 3-pin XLR audio (out), two Microphone line (in), DC (in/out), ECU (in) two stereo headphone mini-jacks (out), plus UniSlot wireless Microphone (in).

The AJ-SPC70 will be available in September at a Suggested List Price of $12,995.

Panasonic also offers the shoulder-mount AJ-SPX800 2/3” DVCPRO P2 camcorder, which includes 24fps and 30fps progressive recording as well as 60 fields interlace recording.

Panasonic’s DVCPRO P2 series products are fully compatible with DVCPRO, the industry’s standard for digital newsgathering, and provide a seamless migration path to DVCPRO HD. DVCPRO P2 offers nonlinear acquisition and instant access to material, high-speed file transfer, laptop field editing without requirement for proxy videos, and compatibility with off-the-shelf data storage drives for low-cost archiving, while eliminating traditional digitizing and ingesting operations. The core DVCPRO P2 products eliminate transports and mechanisms, resulting in a significant maintenance cost-savings because of the absence of any moving parts that can break down or wear out from repetitive use. P2 cards can be re-used almost indefinitely, since a card can be re-written a minimum of 100,000 times without performance degradation and its ultra-reliable connector will last for a minimum of 30,000 insertion and removal cycles. Moreover, DVCPRO P2 products are resistant to environmental stresses such as shock and vibration. For more information, visit www.panasonic.com/p2.

About Panasonic Broadcast

Panasonic Broadcast & Television Systems Co. is a leading supplier of broadcast, professional video and resentation products and systems. Panasonic Broadcast is a unit company of Panasonic Corporation of North America. The company is the North American headquarters of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (NYSE: MC) of Japan, and the hub of its U.S. marketing, sales, service and R&D operations For more information on Panasonic Broadcast products, access the company’s web site at www.panasonic.com/broadcast.