Optional AVC-Intra (H.264 Compliant) Codec Saves Bandwidth and Storage Costs
LAS VEGAS, NV (April 23, 2006) – Here at NAB, Panasonic introduces the AJ-HPC2000, a shoulder-mount, multi-format 2/3” P2 HD camcorder. The highly-sensitive AJ-HPC2000 records in 720p, 1080i, 480i or 576i and brings the wide-reaching benefits of ultra-reliable solid-state acquisition and production-quality high definition video to broadcasters and video professionals. DVCPRO HD P2 offers independent frame (intra-frame) encoding, 4:2:2 color sampling, and less compression, making HD content easier and faster to edit and more able to stand up to image compositing versus long GOP MPEG-2 systems. In addition, DVCPRO HD is backwards compatible with existing DVCPRO50, DVCPRO and DV-based workflow systems.
Panasonic also announced it will offer an optional professional AVC-Intra (H.264 Compliant) codec for the AJ-HPC2000 in addition to their its supported DVCPRO HD codec. AVC-Intra (H.264 Compliant) codec offers significantly better compression than older MPEG-2 codecs and can provide DVCPRO HD 100 Mbps quality at ½ the bandwidth. This bandwidth savings, without the compromises of long GOP compression, will offer advantages in storage and distribution as well as twice the recording time on a P2 card as DVCPRO HD.
The new AJ-HPC2000 is equipped with a native HD progressive 2/3” 3-CCD system and 14-bit A/D processing, offering exceptional dynamic range and low light recording. The 2/3” CCD imager allows the use of widely-available professional quality lenses and accessories. The camcorder offers the high sensitivity of F10 at 2000 lux, and can capture images at a minimum illumination of 0.032 lux (at +62dB).
The highly-reliable AJ-HPC2000 features five P2 card slots and each P2 card is hot swappable for continuous recording. Fully populated with 8 GB P2 cards, the AJ-HPC2000 will record for up to 40 minutes without swapping cards. Other recording modes include loop record and pre-record. An additional card slot is provided for optional accessories such as a Proxy Video Encoder. An SD card slot is also included for recording and replicating setup information useful in multi-camera productions.
The camcorder offers immediate playback from the thumbnail clips displayed on the built-in color LCD monitor, with the option of adding a shot marker to each clip. Extensive signal connectivity and control capability comes standard with the camera, including IEEE 1394 (AVC), and USB 2.0 interfaces, HD/SD-SDI, genlock, time code and composite video. Four channels of uncompressed audio are supported with XLRs, stereo front mic, and Unislot wireless mic connections.
The AJ-HPC2000 includes a pre-record function (up to seven seconds in DVCPRO HD), which means it can start recording from the moment it’s switched on, so users can feel confident that they won’t miss an important shot, as well as loop recording. Its P2 card hot swap function provides the option of unlimited recording time, because it allows a user to replace any card (except the one being recorded on) on the fly.
P2 HD products offer Panasonic’s P2 solid-state memory recording without the moving parts of other tape, hard disk, and optical disc based systems. This insures the highest reliability, especially in challenging conditions of extreme temperature range, shock, and vibration. These new P2 HD products offer a significant reduction in maintenance costs, longer useful product life, and immediate access to recorded video (no need to digitize, ingest or create proxy video files) and metadata. And by utilizing a standard PCMCIA interface and computer file structure, P2 DVCPRO HD and AVC-Intra (H.264 Compliant) acquisition fits easily into any standard IT infrastructure.
The AJ-HPC2000 will be available first quarter 2007 at a suggest list price of $27,000.
About Panasonic Broadcast
Panasonic Broadcast & Television Systems Co. is a leading supplier of broadcast and professional video 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.