In addition to the new AG-UX180, AG-UX90, and VariCam Pure cameras, Panasonic also announced a new firmware update v4.0 for the VariCam LT at IBC 2016. This adds the ability for RAW signal output via two 3G-SDI terminals to an external RAW recorder, at 4K or UHD 60p. RAW recording will be compatible with the Odyssey 7Q and 7Q+ from Convergent Design and the Atomos Shogun Inferno. The recorded CinemaDNG file is compatible with DaVinci Resolve 12.5.1 and newer, Drastic Media Reactor 5.04, and upcoming versions of major NLEs and grading systems.



A prototype 4K 360 degree real-time camera, designed for virtual reality viewing, was also showcased at IBC 2016. Featuring four cameras, synchronised to create a single 4K equi-rectangular image, the camera system has a camera head and a base unit with connecting cables. This enables real-time stitching and distribution of 360 degree images for a number of applications, such as stadiums or concerts. Panasonic also released launch details of the multi-purpose AK-UB300 camera, a 4K box camera equipped with a B4 mount aimed at sports, remote studios, live concerts and aerial shooting. It provides 4K output (3G x 4) and HD-SDI output simultaneously and is available from November 2016.



The final 4K innovation at the show was the new AU-XPD3 expressP2 drive, equipped with Thunderbolt 3 for high data transfer rates. Panasonic also introduced a new Full HD integrated outdoor camera. Set for release in Summer 2017, the camera features a water, dust and salt-air resistant shell and a wiper to ensure continued quality recording whatever the conditions. It also features a newly developed image stabilizer to capture clear video using vibration compensation.

DaVinci Resolve 12.5.2 update adds support for additional metadata that is embedded into RAW files from URSA Mini cameras running the new URSA Mini camera operating software. The new software gives URSA Mini customers a completely new “slate” that uses tap and swipe gestures along with predictive data entry and a dictionary of commonly used shooting terminology to make entering metadata faster than ever before. This means customers using URSA Mini with DaVinci Resolve 12.5.2 can now take advantage of this new metadata to organize footage, create smart bins, filter clips and more when editing and color correcting.

Customers that need to export QuickTime files from DaVinci Resolve will now be able to export color space tags with their files. Color space tags are used to identify the color space of a file such as SMPTE-C, Rec. 709, Rec. 2020 and others. This means files generated by DaVinci Resolve 12.5.2 will now include the correct color space metadata information for more consistent playback in other software applications.

DaVinci Resolve 12.5.2 also adds support for Fusion Connect for Linux. Fusion is Blackmagic Design's advanced visual effects, 3D compositing and motion graphics software for Mac OS X, Windows and Linux. Fusion Connect lets editors and colorists send a clip or a stack of clips from their timeline to Fusion. This creates a linked connection between Fusion and DaVinci Resolve so that when visual effects are added and rendered in Fusion, the results automatically show up in the DaVinci Resolve timeline. Fusion Connect also supports versioning, so artists can create different versions of a shot and view them in context of the entire program in the DaVinci Resolve timeline.

In addition, DaVinci Resolve 12.5.2 provides additional sorting and filtering options for both editors and colorists. For example, editors can now create smart bins for timelines based on their creation or modification date, colorists can filter their timeline based on clips that have OpenFX plug-ins applied and more. Power Windows have also been improved so that opacity is now retained when converting a circular window to a custom curve, and customers that use remote grading can now copy local grades to remote grades.

Press Release

Blackmagic Design announced its acquisition of Ultimatte, the worldwide leader in blue and green screen removal technology for the broadcast television, commercial and feature film industries.

Ultimatte is known worldwide for delivering broadcast quality compositing results that make virtual sets indistinguishable from real sets. Ultimatte creates realtime blue and green screen removal hardware that is used in broadcast studios around the world to seamlessly composite reporters, talk show hosts and more into virtual sets. Almost every newscaster and weather reporter stands in front of a green or blue screen while delivering the news and weather. For the past 40 years, Ultimatte has been the industry standard hardware or software responsible for keying these people in front of weather maps, stock charts, and other info graphics. In fact, many of these newscasters are using Ultimatte to place them into completely virtual sets.

Ultimatte uses advanced 4:4:4:4 image processing and provides enhanced matte controls that lets customers accurately separate the subject from the background. Customers also get matte correction features, indirect and direct lighting features, spill suppression tools, edge artifact controls and more, all in realtime.

Ultimatte was founded in 1976 and has won an Emmy for their realtime compositing technology, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, as well as an Oscar.

“Ultimatte’s realtime blue and green screen compositing solutions have been the standard for 40 years,” said Grant Petty, Blackmagic Design CEO. “Ultimatte has been used by virtually every major broadcast network in the world. We are thrilled to bring Ultimatte and Blackmagic Design together, and are excited about continuing to build innovative products for our customers!”



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 today announced Video Assist 2.2, a major new update for Blackmagic Video Assist 4K customers that dramatically improves DNxHD and DNxHR support, adds false color monitoring, expanded focus options and new screen rotation features. The Video Assist 2.2 update will be available for download from the Blackmagic Design website this week, free of charge for all Blackmagic Video Assist 4K customers.

Video Assist 2.2 Update will be demonstrated at IBC on the Blackmagic Design booth in Hall 7, Stand 7 H.20.

The new Video Assist 2.2 update lets customers save DNxHD and DNxHR files in MXF containers which improves compatibility with Avid systems running on Windows and removes dependencies on the .mov file format. In addition, customers can now choose between DNxHD 220, 145 and 45 bit rates, or between DNxHR HQ, SQ and LB formats when recording.

The Video Assist 2.2 update also adds false color monitoring exposure tools to the Blackmagic Video Assist 4K. False color exposure tools make it easier to properly set exposure in different parts of the image by highlighting specific color ranges of luminance with a solid color overlay. For example, green indicates neutral grey, while pink tones are good references for skin, which is typically one stop over neutral grey. Using false color helps camera operators keep exposure consistent from shot to shot.

In addition, Video Assist 2.2 update also expands the options for focus assist so customers can now choose whether they want to see red, green, blue, black, white or traditional focus peaking indicators. This makes it easier for customers to accurately adjust focus in a wider range of scenes and under a variety of different lighting conditions. Customers will now also have the ability to manually control the screen orientation and turn off the auto rotate feature which makes it easier for customers to use Blackmagic Video Assist 4K with handheld gimbals and other equipment designed to move the camera and rig simultaneously.



“Customers love the new Blackmagic Video Assist 4K and it has become an indispensable part of every filmmakers toolkit,” said Grant Petty, CEO, Blackmagic Design. “This new update is exciting because it gives customers more recording and file compatibility options than ever before, along with some incredible new monitoring tools that will help filmmakers properly expose their shots and focus them more quickly than ever before so they can shoot with confidence!”

Availability and Price
Blackmagic Video Assist 2.2 update will be available this week as a free download from the Blackmagic Design website.

Key Teranex AV Features:
Ultra low latency, as low as 67 milliseconds.
HDMI 2.0a, 12G-SDI in, out and loop through connections.
XLR connections for 2 channels of balanced analog and 4 channels of AES/EBU audio input.
Consumer HiFi connections for 2 channels of audio input from devices like laptops and iPods.
Optical fiber cage for adding optional SMPTE compatible fiber optic SDI modules.
Internal still store and live freeze modes.
Patented Teranex processing for extremely high quality up, down, cross and standards conversions.
Retains all ancillary data such as timecode and subtitles.
16 channels of frame accurate audio conversions and full audio channel remapping.
Classic Teranex front panel makes it extremely easy for Teranex customers to integrate and use.
Reference input for built in frame sync feature and reference output for sync generation.
Built-in video test pattern generation with audio test tones.
Gigabit Ethernet connectivity for remote control.
Built in power supply supports 110V to 240V AC.

Press Photography
Product photos of the Teranex AV, and all other 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 Teranex AV, a new broadcast quality standards converter designed specifically for AV professionals. Teranex AV features 12G-SDI and HDMI 2.0a inputs, outputs and loop through, along with AV specific features such as low latency, a still store, freeze frame, and HiFi audio inputs for professionals working on live, staged presentations and conferences. Teranex AV will be available in September for 1,525 EUR ex. VAT.

Teranex AV will be demonstrated at IBC 2016 on the Blackmagic Design booth in Hall 7, Stand 7 H.20.

The new Teranex AV features low latency that’s as low as 67 milliseconds, which means that customers can convert any HDMI or SDI video format instantaneously to a different format and output it for projection in sync with the live event. For example, customers using Teranex AV at a concert can project a close up of a virtuoso pianist as their fingers fly across the keys on a big screen projector in synchronization with the live performance.

In addition, customers get advanced HDMI 2.0a processing with input, loop through and output connections. This lets customers convert HDMI to SDI without any additional hardware. They can loop the HDMI signal out to a big screen projector while simultaneously converting it and and sending it to downstream equipment like decks and monitors.

For audio, Teranex AV also features 2 channel consumer HiFi connections, as well as XLR connections for 4 channels of AES/EBU or 2 channels of balanced analog audio. The consumer HiFi connections are critical for professional AV customers because they allow lapel microphones, laptop computers and other devices with consumer audio connections to be used with Teranex AV. Now customers can connect virtually any audio source to Teranex AV and use it to embed the audio with the video and output the signal in any format.

Teranex AV also features a still store that can capture a video frame in any format and hold it in memory, even when the power is cycled. Customers can preload corporate logos or graphics to display between presenters at conferences, or for outputting sponsor logos at concerts and events between acts. Plus, Teranex AV has built in resynchronization, so customers always get clean switches between the still store and live feeds for professional looking presentations.

There’s even a live freeze frame feature that temporarily holds any current frame on the screen until Teranex AV is switched to another video output, a black frame, or the still store. This is ideal for conferences and events where customers might need to hold a slide on screen while the presenter makes changes to their presentation in the background. The freeze frame and still store make it possible to always have something on screen at all times.

In addition to HDMI and 12G-SDI connections, Teranex AV also includes quad link 3G-SDI outputs, making it compatible with a wide range of older Ultra HD monitors and projectors that only support quad link SDI 1080 HD inputs. This also makes Teranex AV a great video wall processor because it can split Ultra HD into 4 HD screens, or it can scale regular HD up, split it and output it onto 4 large screens for a tiled video wall. That means customers can create massive multi-screen outdoor displays and digital signs that will amaze the crowd at live events!

Customers also get BNC input and output connections for generating or receiving reference signals. The built in ethernet connection allows for remote control, and an optical fiber cage is available for adding optional SMPTE fiber optic modules so customers can send video and audio over massive distances. Teranex AV even has rear brackets to protect cables and connectors from damage during portable, outside broadcast, or field work.

With Teranex AV, customers get 1089 up, down, cross and standards conversions for all formats up to 2160p60 in full 10-bit quality. Like all Teranex processors, Teranex AV features patented algorithms and powerful processing that give customers visually transparent conversions that are indistinguishable from the original. Conversions use optical quality scaling, have advanced de-interlacing, noise reduction, automatic 3:2 cadence detection, removal and insertion, and retain timecode, ancillary data, audio and more.

“Teranex AV brings Teranex’s legendary broadcast quality standards conversions to AV professionals for the first time ever,” said Grant Petty, CEO, Blackmagic Design. “This product is exciting because it has exactly the features customers need for working at live events and conferences. They get 1089 incredible SD, HD and Ultra HD conversions, along with incredible new features designed specifically for audiovisual professionals!”



Availability and Price
Teranex AV will be available in September for 1,525 EUR ex. VAT.

Key Teranex AV Features:
Ultra low latency, as low as 67 milliseconds.
HDMI 2.0a, 12G-SDI in, out and loop through connections.
XLR connections for 2 channels of balanced analog and 4 channels of AES/EBU audio input.
Consumer HiFi connections for 2 channels of audio input from devices like laptops and iPods.
Optical fiber cage for adding optional SMPTE compatible fiber optic SDI modules.
Internal still store and live freeze modes.
Patented Teranex processing for extremely high quality up, down, cross and standards conversions.
Retains all ancillary data such as timecode and subtitles.
16 channels of frame accurate audio conversions and full audio channel remapping.
Classic Teranex front panel makes it extremely easy for Teranex customers to integrate and use.
Reference input for built in frame sync feature and reference output for sync generation.
Built-in video test pattern generation with audio test tones.
Gigabit Ethernet connectivity for remote control.
Built in power supply supports 110V to 240V AC.

Press Photography
Product photos of the Teranex AV, and all other 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.