I-Movix >> Extreme Live Slow-Motion

Slow motion cameras

Another significant hole in the HD OB arsenal has been the lack of a slow-motion camera capable of matching the speed of existing SD devices. Sony's HDC-3300 HD Super Slo Motion does just that and received its first practical outing at the Ryder Cup last fall. CTV and Telegenic used camera captured close-ups and reaction shots of the crowd and players rather than just swing and shot analysis.

The technical trade-off with ultra motion cameras is speed versus image quality. As the frame rate increases, available light to produce picture clarity decreases. Products from ARRI and new Belgium firm i-Movix attempt to push those boundaries.

The i-Movix SprintCam captures 1080i HD images at up to 5000fps. At 1000fps, it can cache 30 seconds.

Marketing and developing technology deployed initially in the Tornado high-speed unit (developed with Japan's NAC Image Technology), ARRI has continued to revise its Hi-Motion device for sports broadcasting. The preproduction unit was first used last year by Sky Sports when it covered the Premiership Football matches. Recording at 300fps, the new unit now provides 22 seconds of storage (double that of a year ago) available for immediate playback at six or 12 times slowdown live-to-air, with no processing delay. It also features operational improvements in remote control and record replay as a result of customer feedback. It was recently deployed for coverage of UEFA's U-21 Championship, cricket internationals (through Sky Sports and OB firm CTV) and motor racing, including several Formula One Grand Prix.

At NAB2007, i-Movix introduced the SprintCam. It can record 1080i HD images up to 5000fps. Photron APX RS cameras fitted with Fujinon Digipower broadcast lenses record to a server using i-Movix software algorithms. The SprintCam is tailored to fit any OB or venue network and designed to integrate within the EVS server and playout systems — now the de facto standard for live sports production. At 1000fps, it can cache 30 seconds, an improvement on the memory and speed of rival technology. The unit has already been active at several PGA golf tournaments, including the French Open, coverage of the Belgian division one football (soccer) league and Red Bull X-Fighter freestyle motocross events. The Photron features a single 10-bit CMOS sensor with Bayer system color.

Source : Broadcastengineering.com