Hitachi Kokusai has enhanced its
CU-HD550 Camera Control Unit and its complimentary CA-HF550 camera adapter to collectively
lower the cost of entry for 1080p60 video production.
The new features are compatible with interlaced Z and SK-series Hitachi HDTV cameras
– unleashing their full capabilities when combined with Hitachi 1080p60-native camera
heads.
When used with an HDR-enabled Hitachi camera such as the award-winning SK-HD1800, new dual-workflow functionality in the CU-HD550 will enable parallel HDR/SDR acquisition with a single camera by providing separate video shading adjustments for HDR and SDR outputs. This allows producers to fine-tune each output path for optimal results, helping them to create superior-quality content for distribution to both modern and legacy display platforms without the significant cost and operational burden of separate cameras.
The new configuration of the CU-HD550 can
also facilitate smooth producers’ transition from HD to Ultra HD by
transforming natively-acquired 1080p video to 4K resolution and outputting the
result over a single-link 12G-SDI. The 4K output functionality supports
High Dynamic Range when used with an HDR-enabled camera, while the colour
matrix of the 12Gbps SDI output can be switched between ITU-Rec.709 and
BT.2020 colour spaces.
Emilio Aleman, engineering manager, Hitachi Kokusai Electric America, said: “While 4K adoption is growing, HD production continues to thrive, with many high-profile events being produced natively in 1080p60 with HDR."