PANASONIC SETS NEW STANDARD AT IBC WITH AVC ULTRA

IBC, Amsterdam, Netherlands (September 9th, 2011) -- At this year’s IBC, Panasonic Europe is focusing on advances to its AVC Ultra family of flexible codec and workflow solutions as part of its integrated vision for broadcasting. By highlighting user benefits of this enlarged and enhanced range of codecs for professional content production, Panasonic will show how AVC Ultra offers the potential to help shape the industry’s future and why it represents a new benchmark standard that will change professional expectations of workflow technology.

AVC Ultra, the collective name given to Panasonic’s group of professional AVC based codecs, represents a single workflow destination for professional users working at many levels in the production cycle. As a unified, seamless group of codecs based on the H.264 standard, AVC Ultra offers enhanced flexibility for both high-end and mainstream production through its support for a wide range of data-rates from low to high quality. AVC Ultra can be used as a solution for all kinds of production techniques from usable quality at data rates of 800kbps right up to 12bit depth delivering master quality content. This makes AVC Ultra a good choice for professional applications including filming in 3D.

The AVC Intra 100 and 50 is enhancing up to 1080p by maintaining existing workflows and infrastructure. Ideal for where quality consciousness sits alongside the need for a flexible, cost-efficient house format. Intra capability is expanding up to 4:4:4, 12 bit, Master quality with a range of up to 4K resolution. The advantage is visually lossless, file based mastering means flexibility and sustainability, and far smaller file size than with currently available technologies.

In this IBC, we announce extending to the cost conscious segment where speed and flexibility are required with AVC Long Gop which is twice efficiency of current MPEG2-GOP. AVC Ultra is covering a full range of industry applications while also delivering an improved workflow experience ranging from 400M at one end to 800k at the other. AVC Ultra is an entirely unified codec family based on H.264. The AVCU family also includes an AVC Proxy codec designed specifically for quick breaking news applications and fast off-line editing.

Christian Sokcevic, Panasonic’s Director of Professional AV Europe, said: “At Panasonic, we see a clear need for a group of workflow solutions that redefine traditional boundaries and which therefore provide possibilities for users to work in new ways. The AVC Ultra family has an important role to play in building out our integrated vision for the broadcast industry. It will be a driver for increased transparency in content creation, the elimination of formatting barriers and the benchmark standard for a more seamless approach to production that embraces the concept of a media-less environment.”

The latest enhancements to the codec line-up mean that the AVC Ultra family can ensure consistent results for a full range of industry applications while also delivering an improved workflow experience. The AVC Ultra family also includes an AVC Proxy codec designed specifically for quick breaking news applications and fast off-line editing.

“As a responsible manufacturer, we have been considering how we can contribute towards the growth of the broadcast industry as a whole,” continued Sokcevic. “Conscious of end user needs, we understand it’s not just about creating amazing products, we also need to inspire users to create passionate work which in turn will help grow the industry. AVC Ultra is a great example of how we are pushing the boundaries of broadcasting to encourage this future innovation.”

With its largest stand at IBC to date, Panasonic is showcasing its cutting-edge workflow, metadata management and archiving solutions designed to streamline the recording and production process from capture to delivery.