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The Sony PXW-FS5 and PXW-Z150 camcorders will receive HDR capabilities via a software update this July. For the FS5 software update v4.0, HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma) will be supported, in addition to S-Log3. The HLG2 mode can be set-up quickly through the option of the newly added picture profile -- the BT.2020 colour space can be selected as soon as the HLG mode is activated. HLG mode will also be supported in the PXW-Z150 software update v2.0.

This update is for all Blackmagic Web Presenter customers, and includes a USB software application that is used for updating the Blackmagic Web Presenter hardware. This software update improves audio level consistency across all audio inputs and improves overall video quality, contrast, and color of your captured video. Download here.

What's new in Blackmagic Web Presenter 1.1

• Add USB software updater application.
• Improve audio level consistency across all audio inputs.
• Fix intermittent audio corruption during capture.
• Improve colours, contrast and overall quality of captured video.

Third Party Software Support

• Any HD USB webcam software
• Open Broadcaster Software
• Quicktime Player
• VLC
• Skype
• Google Hangouts

Press Release

Blackmagic Design announced an exciting new low price for its SmartView 4K and SmartView HD broadcast monitors. The SmartView 4K is the world’s first full resolution Ultra HD broadcast monitor with 12G-SDI inputs and has now been reduced in price to only 905 EUR ex. VAT, while the high definition SmartView HD is now only 725 EUR ex. VAT.

Both monitors are available from Blackmagic Design resellers worldwide.

The fast adoption and incredible excitement behind Ultra HD technology means that component costs have been drastically improved over the last few months and these reductions can now be passed on to customers. This has allowed Blackmagic Design to dramatically lower the price of the SmartView 4K from 1825 EUR to only 905 EUR ex. VAT.

SmartView 4K is a professional Ultra HD broadcast monitor with a native resolution of 3840 x 2160, an amazingly bright LCD screen with a wide viewing angle and advanced broadcast features such as 3D LUTs, adjustable on screen markers, H/V delay, blue only and more. SmartView 4K features multi rate 12G-SDI inputs that automatically switch between SD, HD and Ultra HD formats up to 2160p60. With 12G-SDI, SmartView 4K is an incredibly future proof design with unprecedented full resolution Ultra HD high frame rate support all built into the attractive thin rack mount design.

When monitoring SD, 720 HD or 1080 HD SDI sources, the built in Teranex processor uses advanced patented and proprietary PixelMotion™ algorithms to automatically de-interlace and scale video to the native Ultra HD resolution of the LCD. This means customers get visually transparent, artifact free scaling for the best possible quality and a fluid, smooth viewing experience.

The 6 rack unit size machined metal design of SmartView 4K features a built in control panel for access to advanced features such as built in 3D LUTs, H/V delay, blue only for checking hue and image noise and customizable frame markers. The machined metal design also has a metal internal chassis allowing VESA mounting points on the rear so the monitor can be rack mounted, or mounted on articulated arms similar to computer monitors. This allows installation in news rooms, walls and other non rack mount locations.

Blackmagic SmartView 4K can be controlled from the front panel or remotely via rear mounted Ethernet connection with loop output using the included Mac and Windows software. It also supports VESA mounting so customers can install it on articulated monitor arms, on walls or in equipment racks. When used on set, the dual 3D LUTs can be selected on and off with the push of a button, and the DC power input allows a V-Lock battery pack to be mounted on the rear of the monitor and plugged into the DC input.



Press Photography
Product photos of all Blackmagic Design products, are available at www.blackmagicdesign.com/press/images.

About Blackmagic Design
Blackmagic Design creates the world’s highest quality video editing products, digital film cameras, color correctors, video converters, video monitoring, routers, live production switchers, disk recorders, waveform monitors and real time film scanners for the feature film, post production and television broadcast industries. Blackmagic Design’s DeckLink capture cards launched a revolution in quality and affordability in post production, while the company’s Emmy™ award winning DaVinci color correction products have dominated the television and film industry since 1984. Blackmagic Design continues ground breaking innovations including 6G-SDI and 12G-SDI products and stereoscopic 3D and Ultra HD workflows. Founded by world leading post production editors and engineers, Blackmagic Design has offices in the USA, UK, Japan, Singapore and Australia. For more information, please go to www.blackmagicdesign.com.

Press Release

Blackmagic Design announced that HBC Flex has installed a Blackmagic Cintel Film Scanner to archive numerous films they have produced over their more than 50 years of filmmaking. HBC Flex, launched in 1955 as an affiliated company of Hokkaido Broadcasting Co. Ltd., has produced a number of 16mm short films, as well as TV news and TV programs. Such films include images from the Hokkaido Olympics in 1972, promotional films for various cities and towns throughout the Hokkaido area, as well as for corporations, events and constructions. The company has more than 1,000 film titles, many of which are stored currently only as negative film.

“We wanted to check films we have produced with ease and wanted to convert the films to high quality data. These were our long time wishes and challenge. We also knew that we had to reorganize our library for film and tapes,“ said Hiroki Tuchisaka, executive director of HBC Flex. “We use Cintel mainly for data transfer from the 16mm or 35mm negative films we have produced. This includes audio data conversion from audio negative. We also complete data conversion for film that our customers bring to us.”

Tsuchisaka continued, “When using Cintel Film Scanner, you can scan films in HD for 16mm films and 4K for 35 films, which means we can acquire a better quality image.”

The scanned image from the Cintel is checked via a 4K monitor and temporarily saved as RAW data into their 24TB storage. Then the data is sent to LTO, and the RAW data is graded upon request with DaVinci Resolve Studio and then converted to various video files.

“We also own positive films and our client sometimes bring positive films. The colors of those films are fading because they are old or they haven’t been stored properly, and some are scratched . Even though we had a telecine with a built in analog camera, and it was very difficult to extract certain colors from the image and fix it. Using DaVinci Resolve Studio, it is easy to fix individual colors, as well as handling color correction for the overall images. DaVinci Resolve Studio allows us to do a wide variety of color correction tasks. The basic functions of DaVinci Resolve Studio are so similar to other NLE software that it didn’t take too much time to learn basic operations.“



Press Photography
Product photos of all Blackmagic Design products, are available at www.blackmagicdesign.com/press/images.

About Blackmagic Design
Blackmagic Design creates the world’s highest quality video editing products, digital film cameras, color correctors, video converters, video monitoring, routers, live production switchers, disk recorders, waveform monitors and real time film scanners for the feature film, post production and television broadcast industries. Blackmagic Design’s DeckLink capture cards launched a revolution in quality and affordability in post production, while the company’s Emmy™ award winning DaVinci color correction products have dominated the television and film industry since 1984. Blackmagic Design continues ground breaking innovations including 6G-SDI and 12G-SDI products and stereoscopic 3D and Ultra HD workflows. Founded by world leading post production editors and engineers, Blackmagic Design has offices in the USA, UK, Japan, Singapore and Australia. For more information, please go to www.blackmagicdesign.com.

Sony has revealed that Hubert Napierała is the winner of its FS7 II Documentary competition for his entry ‘Mia the biker dog’. Hubert was chosen by acclaimed cinematographer Philip Bloom for his 60-second documentary about Michal and his dog Mia, who joins him on scenic motorbike ride through Poland. He has been awarded a brand new PXW- FS7M2K, the ultimate documentary filmmaking camera. The competition, announced back in January, was designed to bring creative documentary storytelling to the forefront of filmmaking.