Sony announced, today, a broadened and deepened lineup of 4K-capable equipment that will simplify the creation of a wide variety of 4K productions. In addition to a newly-developed open format XAVC recording format, Sony is also launching two new CineAlta™ cameras, the PMW-F55 and the PMW-F5, as well as a new 4K 30-inch LCD monitor, the PVM-X300. Further upgrades to the F65 as well as a 4K RAW recording interface unit for the NEX-FS700 with the AXS-R5 cameras have also been announced.
XAVC Recording Format
Sony’s new XAVC open format will make 4K/60P production accessible for consumers, while also serving the needs of professionals. XAVC has been designed to provide a future-proof codec that can meet the shifting requirements of the fast developing 4K content production and HD120P high frame rate shooting. Appropriate for a variety of content such as movies, commercials, TV dramas, documentaries and more, XAVC uses the MPEG4 AVC/H.264 compression codec, and supports HD as well as 4K.
Built with the principles of workflow efficiency, evolution and optimised image quality at its heart, Sony’s XAVC can support the following content formats:
- 4K (4096 x 2160 and 3840 x 2160), HD and proxy resolution
- MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 video compression
- 12, 10 and 8 bit colour depth
- Up to 60fps
- MXF wrapping format can be used
- 4:4:4, 4:2:2, 4:2:0 colour sampling
And, since has been developed as an open format (providing a license program for other manufacturers in the broadcast and production industry to develop their own high quality and high frame rate products), there are 14 manufacturers already planning their own Sony XAVC format and workflow:
- Non Linear Editors : Adobe® CS6 with Rovi Total Code Plug-in installed, Avid, Final Cut Pro X, Grass Valley, Quantel, Rovi, and Sony Vegas Pro 12
- On-set dailies : Assimilate, Codex, Colorfront, FilmLight, MTI, and YoYotta
- Colour Grading : Assimilate, FilmLight, and Quantel
- Software codec : Rovi
- Codec board : Matrox
>> Read about Sony’s Large Sensor Camera Family Expansion