At NAB 2012, Panasonic laid the foundations for the future, signalling upcoming improvements to HD codecs, recording formats and more flexible hardware. It announced a range of new products and upgrades consistent with this forward-thinking vision.

The shape of next-generation broadcast production was underlined by the announcement of a new broadcast P2 camera, a new recording system and a new monitor, all of which are AVC Ultra-ready and emphasise the importance of customer experience. Panasonic also showed its support for existing products and users with a range of future-proofing updates to current cameras.

The HPX600 is a native 10-bit 4:2:2 HD P2 camcorder with 2/3” sensors. Being highly portable (3kg) and with very low power consumption, it is the ideal camera for fast-moving news, sports and documentary production. Its codec future-proofing that will make it a great companion for years to come as the industry adopts new formats, whether to extend shooting times, optimise image quality and take advantage of increased processing power in post production.

Available as an update in 2013, the AVC-Ultra codec will deliver a number of features to cameras such as the HPX600. New features that are likely to include 200Mbs recording, 1080 50P support, the highly efficient AVC LongG and AVC Proxy.

The HPX600 will also support the new recording format – microP2. With an SD card formfactor to enhance cost-efficiencies in media pricing, microP2 will support all P2 frame rates, formats and codecs, as well as Panasonic’s newest compression platform: the AVC-Intra200 mode. The simultaneous introduction in 2013 of a microP2 Card Adaptor assures that the new series of 64GB and 32GB microP2 cards will operate in the current P2 hardware. The adaptor can also house fast SD cards to capture video at up-to 50Mbs. The increased capacity, higher speeds and lower costs will be welcomed by users worldwide.

BT-LH2170, a 10-bit 21.5 inch LCD monitor, has a 1920 x 1080 high contrast screen with excellent colour reproduction. It is 3D ready and is fully loaded with connectors for every production scenario, including HDMI, 3G-SDI, HD/SD-SDI, Digital and analogue DVI-I (Single Link), composite and GPI inputs, as well as RS-232C and RS-485. With its rugged build and extensive functionality, it will be equally viable in the 2D and 3D post production studios, broadcast centres, motion graphics departments and on location. The BT-LH2170 will be available in the winter 2012 with a suggested RRP under €4000 excluding VAT.

Panasonic has enabled 1080/60p and 1080/50p HD recording formats (PS mode (maximum 28Mbps)). It has also substituted the 2.39:1 aspect ratio marking for the current 2.35 marker - valuable for narrative and documentary shooters, as it is a standard aspect ratio for presenting films in cinemas. The AG-SFU100 software update is available from May at a suggested RRP of €200 excluding VAT.

Improved focusing functionality in the HPX250 camera includes expanded focus assist and “turbo-speed” one-push auto-focus function.  Existing owners can upgrade their cameras from May at no cost. At the same time, Panasonic has launched the HPX255, a handheld camera that shares all of the latest features of the HPX250 but adds compatibility with the  remote extension control unit, the AG-EC4, for studio integration.

Improved focusing functionality in both the AG-AC160 and AG-AC130 cameras includes expanded focus assist and “turbo-speed” one-push auto-focus function. The AC160 also incorporates acquisition in the 1080/60p and 1080/50p HD recording formats (PS mode). Existing owners can upgrade their cameras from May at the cost of €280. From May, the AC160a and AC130a models will be available with the upgrades pre-installed.