Ikegami's Hiroshi Akiyama Says 2024 Was Historic for Tech Innovation

Ikegami's Hiroshi Akiyama Says 2024 Was Historic for Tech Innovation New cameras, slimline OCP, IP extension unit, new video monitors expand portfolio By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director

Tuesday, November 26, 2024 - 9:40 am

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Ikegami reports an accelerating migration to high-efficiency IP and mixed-format UHD/HD content creation throughout 2024. Product developments announced during the year include two new cameras, a slimline OCP, an IP extension unit, and two new video monitors.

2024 has proved one of the most prolific years in Ikegami's history from the viewpoint of technology innovation, says Hiroshi Akiyama, , deputy managing director, Sales & Marketing Division, Ikegami Tsushinki. Never before have we seen such a big expansion of our broadcast-media product portfolio. From an ease-of-purchase viewpoint, Ikegami continues to favor the license-key way of letting customers integrate optional new tools as or when required to support higher resolution, high dynamic range, wide color gamut, and high-frame-rate production, as well as enabling efficient progress from SDI to SDI/IP hybrid or Full IP connectivity. Our customers also appreciate the ease with which they can transition between Ikegami cameras, thanks to the unified menu structure, especially within the UNICAM family, and the compatibility of accessories.

Ikegami sees the move to mixed-format HD/UHD and IP-based production as driving sales.

The Ikegami UHL-X40 is a two-piece box-style UHD camera with a head measuring just 120 x 128 x 112 mm and weighing only 1.1 kg. It is designed for applications requiring an inconspicuous camera with uncompromised UHD HDR performance. The head is powered locally, consuming just 23 Ww at 12 VDC, and connects with the compact CCU via up to 10 km of duplex single-mode fiber carrying uncompressed sensor data. Included with the camera-head-to-CCU-processor fiber link is a 1G Ethernet trunk for external data, such as pan/tilt/zoom control. The UHL-X40 incorporates three high-quality UHD sensors with a global-shutter-pixel architecture.Ikegami's HDK-X500 HD portable camera system is a new entry-level model within the UNICAM XE camera family. It can be configured easily for pedestal-mounted studio operation, tripod-based sports coverage, and shoulder-mounted outdoor production. Three latest-generation 2/3-in. CMOS sensors with a global-shutter architecture enable the camera to capture natural images even in challenging situations. HDR video can be produced by using the pre-installed HLG optoelectronic transfer function conforming to ITU-R BT.2100.

The OCP-500 operation-control panel has a slim panel width while maintaining full control capability. Five OCP-500 units can be accommodated in the same desktop footprint as four OCP-300 camera controllers. Vertical depth is 82 mm. An integral joystick allows simultaneous rotary adjustment of camera-pedestal settings and front-to-back control of the iris. Among other control elements are 10 function-specific pushbuttons, assignable pushbuttons, and a color LCD display panel. Assignable-control settings and related data can be stored on a USB stick.

Ikegami's IPX-100 IP extension unit is a compact bridge between conventional broadcast and the wider world of SMPTE ST 2110 infrastructure. Compatible with cameras in the UNICAM XE and UNICAM HD series, it replaces the conventional base station or CCU for dedicated IP applications. An integral signal generator enables system configuration before cameras or other sources are connected. Cameras are connected to and powered by the IPX-100 via SMPTE-hybrid fiber cable with up to 3.5- km cable extension. The IPX-100 can optionally output JPEG-XS IP signal streaming data at selectable rates of 1/6 to 1/32.

Building on the features and performance of its HLM-2460W predecessor, the Ikegami HLM-2460WA 24-in. video monitor reproduces more accurate dynamics of the source images, thanks to a 1920 1200-native-pixel IPS LCD panel with 1,800:1 contrast ratio and 400-nits peak brightness. It is designed for use in broadcast environments, such as edit suites, where a computer-friendly WUXGA display resolution is preferred and for integration into monitor walls.

The HLM-1860WR is a mains- or battery-powered 1920x 1080-pixel native HD multiformat monitor with a larger, 18.5- in. IPS LCD panel than its HLM-1760WR predecessor, within the same 19-in. rack-width 7RU-high housing. The display has a 1,000:1 contrast ratio and 500-nits peak brightness, allowing it to reproduce clear images even in outdoor environments. Among features shared with the HLM-2460WA are user-definable reference marker lines or boxes, which can be created easily using a USB mouse, plus eight channels of SDI-embedded audio metering and seamless tally integration.

Sales highlights during 2024 include the delivery of 27 UHK-X700 4K-UHD portable camera systems to a major Iberian public-service television network. Ikegami UHK-X700 cameras were acknowledged by the network's operational and technical team as offering the highest quality at the most competitive price of the various solutions evaluated, says Michael Laetzsch, manager, Broadcast & Professional Video Division, Ikegami Europe.

Media organizations around the world recognize the need to ensure future-proof flexibility in terms of production workflow, adds Gisbert Hochguertel, product specialist, Ikegami Europe.

Ten HDK-99 camera systems were chosen by Advanced Digital Media Co. a major supplier of broadcast-quality media-production systems and services in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Each system comprises an HDK-99 camera head, FA-97A fiber interface, BSX-100H base station, VFL-P700A viewfinder, and OCP-300 operation-control unit. The system forms part of ADMC's transi

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