NAB 2002 Pick Hit Awards

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

This year, there was plenty new at NAB, including an entirely newexhibition hall, the Las Vegas Convention Center South Hall. Also newwas the ease with which attendees traveled the showfloors — afact that can only partly be attributed to the addition of the newexhibit space.

Indeed, attendance was down once again at NAB, held April 6-11 inLas Vegas. Although NAB has not yet released final attendance figures,early estimates have the total in the 92,000 to 95,000 range, asignificant drop from last year's total of 113,363, which was down fromthe previous year. Exhibitor attendance also dropped in 2002, fromabout 1,500 in 2001 to 1,286 this year.

Stacy Perrus, NAB media relations manager, says the drop-off can beattributed to the sluggish economy and the September 11 attacks on theUnited States, which have made some people wary of travel. Despite thedecrease in attendance, she says NAB 2002 was a success. “Giventhe economy and the attacks, it was clear that the people who spent themoney to travel to the show were there to do business,” Perrussays.

Among those there for business were the nine roaming judges chargedwith awarding the Video Systems NAB Pick Hit Awards, which honor14 innovative new products and tools on display.

NAB continues to be the video broadcast industry's primary stage fornew product introductions. It is from this fertile ground that wepresent our 14 NAB Pick Hits for 2002. Our judges (see “TheJudges,” page 95) were very diligent in adhering to our judgingcriteria (see “The Rules,” page 96), and in so doing haveunearthed 14 highly deserving products, each one of which could make asignificant impact on the professional lives of Video Systemsreaders. We offer our heartfelt thanks to each of the judges for a jobwell done.

And, of course, our congratulations to the 14 Pick Hit winners.

Our judges honored the Wacom Cintiq 18sx for its increasedresolution, which allows video artists to work in SXGA, drawingdirectly on the LCD monitor.

This product brilliantly combines all the best qualities of ahigh-resolution LCD monitor with the easy-to-use interface features ofa graphics tablet. It makes an ideal tool for the animator, specialeffects artist, and just about anyone who's ever wished they could justreach out and draw what they wanted right on their screen, bypassingthe awkwardness of a mouse or table-top tablet. With an18.1in.-diagonal LCD screen, the 18sx features a resolution of1280×1024. The jump in pixel count over that of the previousgeneration allows video artists to work in SXGA resolution. The Cintiq18sx is currently available for $3,500. (Vancouver, Wash.;800-922-6613; www.wacom.com)

Barco iQ G300

The G300 is the first desktop/installation projector to incorporatea seamless switcher/mixer and video tiling engine. It can dissolve,wipe, and perform other transitions between interlaced andprogressive-scan sources, and also offers multi-window display withlayers. The unit features 3500ANSI lumens of brightness, threeactive-matrix 1.3in.-diagonal LCD panels with Micro Lens Arrays, and aresolution of 1024×768 pixels. The projector's suggested listprice is $14,000. (Kennesaw, Ga.; 770-218-3208; www.presentations.barco.com)

This new product offers an impressive combination of speed andincredible compositing power, as well as the highest available imagequality (10bit, 4:4:4:4 video, DVE featuring bi-cubic interpolation,Quantel's award-winning 8bit rounding algorithms, etc.), and low costfor its class (complete turnkey for $60,000). No previous product hasdone so well on all three parameters. The software features editing andcompositing tools that will be familiar to experiencededitors/compositors. Not only will the software allow you to play anyfour uncompressed video tracks paired with an alpha track in realtime— a feature called Visual Voicing that works similarly to mutebuttons on an audio mixer — but the system offers an advancedrecursive video processing scheme named Intelligent LayeringArchitecture that offers surprisingly fast rendering capabilities. Theheart of the system is a remarkable three-PCI boardset called theGenesisEngine, which features seven powerful ASIC processors.(Marlboro, Mass.; 508-460-1600; www.media100.com)

Aurora Multimedia TVP-1000

Aurora Multimedia is the first company to develop a do-it-allplug-in card for Pioneer's PDP-503 and PDP-433 plasma monitors. TheTVP-1000 is a combination NTSC OTA/cable-ready tuner and videoscaler/mixer that allows overlays, PiP, PaP, and PoP display ofinterlaced and progressive-scan signal sources — all for lessthan $1,000. The unit is compatible with 1080i, 720p, 480p, VGA, SVGA,and XGA input resolutions. Adaptive 4H comb filtering with Y/Cprocessing produces high-quality images with image enhancement andnoise suppression. The TVP-1000 sells for $969, and is currentlyavailable. (Jamesburg, N.J.; 732-656-9026; www.auroramultimedia.com)

It just keeps getting better and better for DV shooters in thesub-$3,500 price range. With a 12bit processor linked to three 1/3in.CCDs, JVC's new Streamcorder introduces a whole new point of view tothe DV revolution. Outputting MPEG-4 to the Web, the GY-DV300 offersshooters an elegant and low-cost solution — and a versatility wecould only dream about not long ago. When used with the KA-DV300UMPEG-4 adapter, the DV300U can record video to tape and/or compressvideo using MPEG-4 (320×240 pixels at 15fps). The Streamcorder iscurrently shipping, with a street price of $3,495 without the MPEG-4adapter, and $4,294 with. (Wayne, N.J.; 973-315-5000; www.jvc.com/pro)

VBrick's encoders/decoders have been wowing people for the last yearwith their ability to send DVD-quality video over broadband networks.With the introduction of VBStar, that same DVD-quality video can besent to anyone regardless of the bandwidth of their network connection.VBStar basically adds a 60GB hard disk to any VBrick encoder/decoderproduct. Capable of storing 30 to 50 hours of high-quality video, thehard disk makes it possible for any VBStar owner to receive video thatcan be stored and viewed on demand. The VBStar has the ability to storeand forward simultaneously, making it possible to record video whilealso streaming it out to any other VBStar anywhere in the world at thesame time. With the introduction of VBStar, web-based distribution ofhigh-quality video just got a lot more practical. The cost to add aVBStar hard drive to any VBrick product is $1,995. (Wallingford, Conn.;203-265-0044; www.vbrick.com)

Sony eVTR

Sony has raised the bar for signal distribution of its Anycastconcept. Once the eVTR board is installed in the Sony IMX MPEG digitalVTR, it becomes an Ethernet device, complete with a selectable IPaddress. Video and audio are distributed as files via gigabit LAN, WAN,or the Internet, eliminating the requirement for discrete audio andvideo, or for FireWire signal distribution. The eVTR concept alsoprovides for remote control of VTRs, allowing a technical director inSydney to roll tape on a VTR in London. The BKMW-E2000 networkinterface board, which is the power behind the eVTR concept, will beavailable later this year, but a price has not yet been set. (ParkRidge, N.J.; 800-686-SONY; www.sony.com/professional)

This camera is truly a revolution in a box. For DV filmmakerslooking to mimic the look and feel of film, there is no other cameraremotely close to this sub-$5,000 wonder that can also shoot standard30fps interlace NTSC. This 4.4lb. miniDV camcorder is equipped withthree 1/3in., 410,000-pixel CCDs that enable it to capture images using24fps or 30fps progressive scan. To record progressive video that canbe played back on NTSC monitors, the DVX100 adds pulldown in the samemanner as when film is telecined to tape. An interesting aside to theunderstandable hoopla surrounding this camera is the format's inherentbenefit to filmmakers outputting to DVD. Encoding 24p reduces the bitrequirements for a feature on disc by 20% — a substantial savingslong appreciated by Hollywood studios. The DVX1000 will be available inSeptember at a suggested list price of approximately $3,495. (LosAngeles; 323-436-3660; www.panasonic.com)

QPaintbox is a Windows-based paint and graphics compositing softwareapplication with all the tools and features — including thefamous user interface — of the industry-vanguard QuantelPaintbox. This software offers remarkable performance even on a laptop.Feature highlights include: resolution coexistence; a digital rostrumcamera; new template tools; compatibility with a wide range of graphicsand video formats, including AAF compliance; and workgroup networking.And this is just one product in a family of exciting Generation Qproducts introduced by Quantel at NAB. Others include thehigh-performance gQ graphics flagship, the new eQ postproductionfinishing system, QEffects software, QEdit software, and a variety ofnews-editing software products. QPaintbox software costs $12,000 for asingle license, and is expected to ship in June. (Newbury, England; +44635 81 5804; www.quantel.com)

This Hitachi docking DVD recorder offers quite an innovation forvideo recording. Unlike dedicated DVD camcorders, the C-D1X can mountto a number of cameras from several manufacturers, allowing the videoprofessional the freedom to select the camera quality and style needed,while still maintaining the high quality of DVD recording. Weighingless than 3lbs., the unit delivers CD-quality recordings and can recordup to one hour of full-motion MPEG-2 video. It offers both DVD-R andDVD-RAM format compatibility and features a loop recording feature,enabling camera operators in the field to continuously record withoutfear of running out of storage space. The C-D1X is priced at $6,000 andscheduled to ship in Q4. (Woodbury, N.Y.; 516-682-4429; www.hdal.com)

Kino Flo ParaBeam

No one thought a fluorescent fixture could pack the punch of an HMI— until now. A deceptively simple-looking four-tube instrument,the ParaBeam utilizes a custom-molded parabolic mirror array to achievea near-blinding beacon of balanced light. For shooters looking for alow-cost alternative to expensive HMI units, the ParaBeam may be theperfect choice. It comes in two sizes: the ParaBeam 400 (four 55Wlamps/$1,500), and the ParaBeam 200 (two 55W lamps/$1,150). Both modelsare currently shipping, but are on back order until October. (SunValley, Calif.; 818-767-6528; www.kinoflo.com) For more on fluorescent lightingapplications, see page 27 of this issue.

For editors and compositors working in DV's highly compressed colorspace, effective keying has always been something of an oxymoron. Withthis new plug-in from Ultimatte, color noise can be significantlyreduced, and DV shooters and producers for the first time can attemptintricate keying effects in the 4:1:1 color space. In many cases, thismay obviate the need for producers to move up to a higher-end, moreexpensive format such as DigiBeta or D-9. The plug-in, which featuresresolution-independent image processing, will work with a number ofcompositing and editing programs, including those from Adobe, Avid,Apple, and Discreet. It is scheduled to ship by the end of June.Pricing is $1,495 for a full license, $495 for a render-only license,and $495 for an upgrade license. (Chatsworth, Calif.; 818-993-8007; www.ultimatte.com)

The need for this pocket DV drive is obvious — everyone wantsto record straight to disc with no upload time so they can beginediting immediately. It's an idea that's been talked about for years— Avid's CamCutter is an example, as was the Ikegami/AvidEditcam. But with the DSR-DU1, it's an idea whose time has finallycome. Primarily introduced for use with DVCAM and DV camcorders, theunit provides up to three hours of DV format recording. Through an IEEE1394 connection, the output of the camcorder's camera is simultaneouslyrecorded to both the hard drive of the DSR-DU1 and the camcorder's tapecassette. Detached from the camcorder, the unit can be used for fieldoffline logging or EDL creation, as a player for making dubs, or as asource feeder machine for 1394 interface-equipped nonlinear editors.(Park Ridge, N.J.; 800-686-SONY; www.sony.com/professional)

Sonic Solutions DVD Producer

Sonic's DVD Producer is a repositioning of the company's existingDVD Fusion product, and as such is not a groundbreaking Pick Hit.However, it is Sonic's first professionally oriented product to includeSonic's OpenDVD feature (interestingly, the feature is already in theconsumer-oriented MyDVD), allowing professional users to re-open andre-edit finished and even burned DVD projects. By expanding DVD from astatic medium to a dynamic one, Sonic gives video professionals newoptions for collaboration, review and approval, delivery, anddistribution — all in the convenient disc format that we've cometo know at home. And that's a change from the esoteric authoringstation formerly hidden in a backroom suite. (Novato, Calif.;415-893-8000; www.sonic.com)

Bob Bergfeld
President, Presentation Systems Design, Valley Park, Mo.

Barry Braverman
Los Angeles-based director of photography

Tom Patrick McAuliffe
Owner, Reel Communications, San Leandro, Calif.

Steve Mullen
Owner, Digital Video Consulting, New York

Dan Ochiva
Senior technology editor, Video Systems

Steve Porter
Online editor, Video Systems

Peter Putman
Owner, ROAM Consulting, Doylestown, Pa.

Jeff Sauer
Director, Desktop Video Group, Cambridge, Mass.

Bob Turner
NLE system consultant, Scituate, Mass.

Video Systems Pick Hit judges operate anonymously. Each yearthey look for new products that meet the following criteria:

• Products must be new, and not shown at a previous NABconvention.

  In some cases, distinguishing a new product from a modified, olderone is difficult. For Pick Hits purposes, a new product is one with anew model number or designation.

• Products must have some positive impact on the intended user'severyday work.

  Judges are asked to search for equipment to be used on a regularbasis. Products should provide new solutions to common problems.

• Products must offer substantial improvement over previoustechnology.

  Unique circuit architecture need not apply. Some new approach orapplication must be involved in the product's design.

• The prices of the products must be within reach of theirintended users.

  Products must be appropriate for use in a wide range offacilities.

• The products must be available for purchase within the calendaryear 2002.

  Equipment must be on display (literally) on the showfloor andcurrently (or imminently) in production. Of course, we must take theexhibitor's word on availability dates in some cases, but we confirmintended ship dates in all cases. Products demonstrated in privateshowings do not qualify.