Professional Equipment

Sony Creates Its Own Surface Table: The Sony atracTable

by Sohrab Osati | May 3, 2010 | 2 comments

Well, I don’t think anybody saw this one coming. Sony has been working on its own version of the Microsoft Surface Table. The atracTable was originally developed by a company called Atracsys that Sony eventually came to buy. Using Sony’s own 35-inch HD Screens and Cameras, the atracTable is able to track your body’s movements and even determine your age, sex and emotional state (smiling, frowning, angry). This unit is meant for industrial use in coffee shops, restaurants and museums, but once the pricing is announced, I’m sure that those of us with a big enough bank account can also have one for their living room.

Anybody familiar with the Microsoft Surface Table will of course immediately think of Minority Report and maybe even Star Trek. I think that this is a fantastic direction for Sony to take their more professional and industrial lineup. Imagine them catering this device to dealerships; while you are there, you can explore their cars with different colors, features and side by side comparison. Not enough? In a restaurant’s lobby, you can browse their menu and see a layout of your table. You can drag the food and items you want to spots on the table, and when you get seated, there is already an order on cue for you. Again, I really hope Sony sees the potential gem they have in their hands and puts some weight behind this product. Look for it to be released in June.

[Via Pocket-Lint]

Hit the jump to look at the Sony atracTable in its prototype state.

Sony Counters RED Camera

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 19, 2010 | 7 comments

The RED Camera is something that has won the hearts and minds of independent film makers and local TV stations alike. This is a professional grade, 24fps, full 1080p camera. Sure it might not give the quality and features that professional studio cameras that Sony itself makes, but for the market that it targets, it offers everything and more at a price that has been very affordable compared to the alternative.

Now enters Sony, who showed off a prototype “entry level 35mm” camcorder at this years NAB. Sony has promised that the camera will be for everybody and will indeed be ready by this time next year. The things we currently don’t know about the camera are resolution, codec support, dynamic range, etc but just the announcement alone is noteworthy because of the quality everybody has come to expect from Sony camcorders in the professional world. Plus, for the target audience we mentioned, this presents another choice and competition is always a good thing (for the consumer, anyway).

Sony at the National Association of Broadcasters Trade Show

by Jenni Petot | Apr 12, 2010 | 3 comments

The National Association of Broadcasters Trade Show started yesterday at the Las Vegas Convention Center. More than 85,000 audio, video and motion picture professionals from around the world have gathered to see the latest tech innovations. This year, Sony’s theme is “Solutions to Believe In.” Their main exhibit highlights include:

3D Production
HD Live Production
Professional Services
Media Backbone
Broadcast & Professional Displays
HDCAM SR Productions
Recording Media & Pro Audio

From Sony’s Electronic Blog:

Alec Shapiro, senior vice president, Broadcast and Production Systems Division: Sony’s theme this year is “Solutions to Believe In.” Half of our exhibit here at NAB is dedicated to presenting Sony as a total solutions provider, for a variety of production workflows. In other words, we don’t just sell cameras. We offer products and services for every step of the production process, from capturing video, to editing, to archiving and distributing. Another main focus for NAB this year is 3D. We have a 3D production truck from All Mobile Video on the exhibit floor – the first 3D production truck built from scratch. (See below)

Find all the latest Sony news an information from NAB at www.sony.com/nab.

You can view Sony’s press conferences shortly after they end on Sony’s Video site.

Sony Introduces New HandyCam NXCAM with E-Mount system

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 3, 2010 | 6 comments

Although not to be released until the first half of 2011, which means there is still room for potential tweaks, Sony has introduced their new Super 35mm equivalent CMOS HD camcorder. The camera is targeted for high-end digital cinema production that uses the “E-mount” lens system, specifically the NXCAM series. Currently, Sony’s own NEX-3, NEX-5 and HandyCam NEX-VG10 also utilize the E-mount lenses. This gives the user flexibility to interchange between different cameras while using the same lens. The NXCAM can record video in AVCHD 1080p ((60P/30P/24P or 50p/25p) or in MPEG-4 AVC/H.264. No word yet on pricing, but it’s not meant for the faint of heart, so don’t expect a small price tag.

Official Press Release

OLED Coming To Sony’s Pro HD Camcorders

by Sohrab Osati | Apr 24, 2008 | 7 comments

Those who are working in the broadcasting field are about to get a nice upgrade as Sony is bringing its OLED screens to the viewfinders of the new HDVF-EL100. The 11 inch, 960 x 540 pixel screen is designed to accept wide angles and deep contrast rations, in order to help operators achieve the accurate focusing thats required for HDTVs. Pro cameramen rejoice as having done 2nd AC work, its nice to look at something thats accurate and not have to rely on the control room or studio village.

[Via Sony]