JVC Handheld 4K game changer? Wow!

HyperMedia wrote on 1/10/2012, 3:16 PM

The game changer, depends on price. At a retail selling price of $4,995, WOW!!!!!!

JVC Launches Handheld 4K Camcorder at Consumer Electronics Show.

http://www.studiodaily.com/main/news/headlines/13621.html

10 January 2012 | Posted in: CES 2012 / News Blog
JVC Unveils World’s First Handheld 4K Camcorder

WAYNE, NJ (January 10, 2012) – JVC Professional Products Company, a division of JVC Americas Corp., today announced the GY-HMQ10, the world’s first handheld 4K camcorder, which captures, records, and plays video images at four times the resolution of high definition television. Powered by JVC’s Falconbrid large-scale integration (LSI) chip for high-speed signal processing and a 1/2-inch CMOS imager with 8.3 million active pixels, it delivers real-time 3840×2160 footage at 24p, 50p, or 60p.

“We’re witnessing the birth of what is destined to become a broad market for full 4K end-to-end production,” said Edgar Shane, general manager of engineering. “The GY-HMQ10 is a breakthrough product that opens up 4K imaging to users who previously wouldn’t have considered it.”

High resolution 4K still picture imaging has been around for several years in DSLR cameras. Motion video capture with these cameras has always been done at a lower video resolution because of lack of processing power. Likewise, high end digital motion picture cameras may capture 4K images, but often provide a raw data output to an external storage array for later processing—again due to lack of processing power in the camera. There just hasn’t been the ability to capture, process, display and record full 4K images in real time until now.

JVC’s exclusive Falconbrid LSI processing takes raw image data from the camera’s CMOS device and dematrixes (deBayers) it in real time. Unlike many high end 4K cameras, the GY-HMQ10 is able to output 4K images to a monitor or projection system in real time with virtually no latency. This capability opens up applications in cinematography, medical microscopy, telepresence, specialized observation / surveillance, and live wide-view event coverage.

Using MPEG-4 technology and a variable bit rate H.264 codec operating at up to 144 Mbps, the GY-HMQ10 records up to two hours of 4K video to economical SDHC or SDXC memory cards.

In addition to 4K imaging, the GY-HMQ10 also captures and records astonishing 1080i or 1080/60p full HD, with extraordinary detail provided by its 8.3 megapixel imager and superior lens. HD is recorded on a single memory card in a format compatible with most editing systems. This combination of superb 4K and HD imaging was requested by attendees of JVC’s 4K forums, conducted throughout North America last year, and is unique in the camera industry.

Another feature requested by forum attendees was the ability to crop an HD image from a 4K frame. This can be accomplished in post production, or in real time during camera playback. The “trimming” feature makes HD cropping easy using the camera’s touch panel LCD monitor.

Similar in size to JVC’s popular GY-HM150 ProHD camcorder, the GY-HMQ10 includes a build-in F2.8 10x zoom lens with optical image stabilizer, as well as a color viewfinder and 3.5-inch touch LCD monitor with a new, intuitive user interface. The GY-HMQ10 is built in a familiar, comfortable and lightweight form factor for hours of field production with minimum fatigue.

The GY-HMQ10 is equipped with manual level controls for audio, with audio metering in the LCD and viewfinder displays. A microphone holder and two balanced XLR connectors with phantom power are located on the handle. The camera is equipped with a built-in stereo mic for ambient sound pickup.

Other features include JVC’s patented Focus Assist, as well as manual and auto control of focus, iris, gain, shutter, gamma, color matrix, and white balance. Plus, the camera has the unusual capability of live 4K output via four HDMI terminals.

“Historically, JVC has been a leader in camcorder and display technology, and the GY-HMQ10 is our latest breakthrough,” added Shane. “It’s part of a larger move at JVC to bring 4K technology to a wide range of customers.” In September 2011, JVC introduced an affordable line of 4K projectors to the home theater market. The company’s high-end 4K projectors are widely used in commercial flight simulators and planetariums. “4K is the logical step beyond HD,” said Shane. “And JVC is uniquely positioned to lead the industry in this new direction.”

JVC’s innovative approach to professional 4K will be unveiled in a series of industry announcements beginning at CES and continuing throughout 2012.

At a retail selling price of $4,995, the GY-HMQ10 launches today, with market deliveries beginning in March, 2012.
http://newsroom.jvc.com/

Comments

[r]Evolution wrote on 1/12/2012, 4:10 AM

Beautiful Camera!

At a retail selling price of $4,995
Does that mean it will hit the streets at a lower price point?

4K is 4 times the size of 1920x1080
Does this mean we'll need 4 times the processing power to fully utilize/edit it?

4K 30/60p AVCHD
What would be the workflow for this?

...will also shoot 1920x1080
I think that's where I'd be as I don't think I have the power or need for 4K.

Laurence wrote on 1/12/2012, 7:27 AM

For me at least, the point of 4k isn't 4k delivery, it's being able to crop way into a video shot like you would with stils. It's being able to do things like shoot an interview waist up and zoom way into the face during personal points of an interview. It's being able to to do Ken Burns style pans and zooms at 1080p with moving pictures.

I'm already doing a little Ken Burns type stuff with video by shooting 1080p and delivering 720p, but shooting 4k would be much better.

Chienworks wrote on 1/12/2012, 9:01 AM

Just curious, but why is it called "4K" when the vertical resolution is only 2160? The Reds deliver the same resolution and are called "2K".

Tim L wrote on 1/12/2012, 11:30 AM

For Digital Film cameras (ie beyond HDTV stuff) the "K" resolution generally refers to the horizontal resolution of the imager because of the variety of shooting formats -- 16:9, academy, 2.39:1, 1.85:1, etc. -- from the same camera. (use full sensor width, but crop top and bottom as needed)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4K_resolution

The RED One is a 4K camera, but has a "2K" shooting mode where it uses only the center portion of the imager but can then use Super 16mm cine lenses.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_One#Sensor

(And I only know these things because I run to Wikipedia everytime I don't understand something...)

earthrisers wrote on 1/12/2012, 11:40 AM

And would everyone need a new (and new-technology) TV and "player" in order to play the resulting footage?

(I'm asking seriously -- not being sarcastic.)

Chienworks wrote on 1/12/2012, 11:47 AM

Reminds me of a share going around facebook last month ...

"Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after BluRay? I don't want to have to buy my whole collection all over again."

[r]Evolution wrote on 1/12/2012, 1:51 PM

I shoot 1080 30p/60p AVCHD but have to transcode to a more edit friendly codec before I can do anything with it. Not even 1layer will play smoothly before transcode and many of my edits require more than 1layer for compositing & such. The transcoded files are already 3-4 times larger than my captured AVCHD files so I can only imagine that after transcoding 4K AVCHD that the resulting file size and Data Rate would be HUGE. Seems like things would become even more processor intensive once you start Ken Burns'ing, adding FX, etc.

Sounds affordable, but:

- What's the processing power/computer specs required to fully utilize/edit 30/60p, 4K, AVCHD?

- What would be the workflow for 4K 30/60p AVCHD?

HyperMedia wrote on 1/12/2012, 6:33 PM

In addition to 4K imaging, the GY-HMQ10 also captures and records astonishing 1080i or 1080/60p full HD, with extraordinary detail provided by its 8.3 megapixel imager and superior lens. HD is recorded on a single memory card in a format compatible with most editing systems.

But the game changer is having the model with Interchangeable lens. And your wish is their command!

. This will be the game changer but it depends on price. I will start a new post about what this all means to video professionals, film students and SONY. I hate to say"this is really a game changer!

David Newman wrote on 1/12/2012, 8:13 PM

At CineForm, we are going to love this and similar cameras. A modern single processor Intel Sany Bridge i7 can play 4K 4:2:2 at full res 70+fps, using the CineForm codec. At CES Sony used a PC and a CineForm encoding of the new Spiderman trialer to show off their new $25K "home" 4K projector. So I expect the workflow will be a transcode then a simple edit just as you do for 1080p. 4K YUV CineForm would be around 40MB/s (24p), only double that of the JVC source data rate, yet vastly easier to work with. 40MB/s will play off today's laptop drives. For 60p playback you may need a RAID (100MB/s), but 60p should be for slowmotion anyway (so only 40MB/s required). While full 4K playback and presentation will still initially be rare, most editing with only decode to 2K or even 1K, which will be a fast as HD/SD are now.

Laurence wrote on 1/12/2012, 8:18 PM

What kind of hard disk speed to you need to do this David? Will USB 3 drives work?

HyperMedia wrote on 1/12/2012, 9:09 PM

That's sound good David!!!! I can't wait to see the first images from these cameras.:)

David Newman wrote on 1/12/2012, 9:18 PM

USB 3 should work fine, nothing better than SATA or eSATA connected though.

Hulk wrote on 1/12/2012, 11:43 PM

Yup, four times the pixels means four times the processing power required for the same level of preview/rendering performance as 1080p. Two steps forward, one step back.

As one poster remarked the ability to have some headroom for cropping and other processing down to 1080p seems like the big advantage here until displays that can do 4k are widespread. And I have a feeling that's gonna be looong time. There were a lot people that took a lot of convincing to see the benefit from SD to HD. We're getting to the point of decreasing gains as the 2nd 4x increase in resolution, 1080p to 4k, isn't as noticeable as the first 4x increase in resolution, which was 480 lines to 1080 lines.

Even with a 80" screen in order to resolve pixels with normal 20/20 vision you have to be closer than about 10' from the screen. And that's pretty close. Even with a 52" screen you'd need to be closer than 7' to resolve pixels at 1080p.

It's gonna be a hard sell. First of all the quality of the 4k video stream is definitely going to have be "all there" and you're going to have to be viewing on a really good display to see a noticeable difference at actual viewing distances. Now if you move up and pixel peep that's a different story. But that's not how most people view.

Anyway, I'm all for the advancement of technology but I just think this is gonna be a tough one for most people for quite a while.

Chienworks wrote on 1/13/2012, 6:22 AM

Heck, i still do almost all my viewing at 480. Yes, i can see the difference 1080 makes if i look at the pixels, but honestly, it doesn't make a difference with my viewing pleasure. I don't enjoy the movie any more because of it. And then when i go back to watching the movie instead of the pixels, i don't notice the difference anymore.

As the saying goes, "Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after BluRay?"

HyperMedia wrote on 1/13/2012, 7:01 AM

I agreed with Chienworks"

For me at least, it's being able to crop way into a video shot like you would with stills or zoom in on green screen. Creating better crane camera moves with After Effects. Being able to do things like shoot an interview waist up and zoom way into the face during personal points of an interview into their eye for a transition. I having the video image be crystal clear, It's being able to do Ken Burns style pans and zooms at 4K to 1080p with moving pictures.

Computer formats

QFHD (3840x2160)

Quad Full High Definition (QFHD), at 3840 x 2160 pixels, doubles the 1080p high-definition television standard in both the vertical and horizontal dimensions. However, it has often been debated if this resolution should be classified as 4K since it is fewer than 4000 pixels horizontally.

Quad Full High Definition (QFHD) (3840x2160)

1080p
(1920x1080)

1080p
(1920x1080)

1080p
(1920x1080)

1080p
(1920x1080)

farss wrote on 1/13/2012, 7:40 AM

1/2-inch CMOS imager

Not that I want to burst anyone's balloon but that alone should ring some serious alarm bells.
Sony's 4K F65 uses an 8K Super35 sensor and the big question now is where in the world to get a lens that can resolve 4K...at any price. Sony did address this in their presentation, such a lens really doesn't exist however by putting a high dynamic range 4K sensor / system behind a very good 2K lens and recording 4K the improvement in MTF does provide a better image. When Sony said "good 2K lens" they were talking about prime lenses costing 10x the price of the JVC camera.

Bob.

Jay Gladwell wrote on 1/13/2012, 9:22 AM

Agreed, Bob. When I read the OP, the first thought that went through my mind was, "4K on a 1/2-inch sensor? That sounds like an oxymoron."

Hulk wrote on 1/13/2012, 9:30 AM

Well I suppose you can get 4k out of it if there is enough light. Once you start to open up the lens in low light conditions you'll be quickly fighting soft corners and/or noise issues, which will quickly overwhelm any apparent resolution increase.

I really wish camera manufacturers would stop trying to sell us more resolution (I mean both still cameras and video) and work on giving us more latitude.

As for 4k I bet with an upgrade in electronics to handle the additional data load that any decent dSLR with a good lens can do real 4k video.

HyperMedia wrote on 1/13/2012, 11:10 AM

No burst is here. They have also included model with Interchangeable lens. And your wish is their command!

megabit wrote on 1/14/2012, 3:13 AM

I also agree with Bob, and like him - don't want to rain on the early enthusiasts'' parade, but am very skeptical about editing...

I've had to do with 4k material for the first time recently (one of the 10-camera music project has been RED). Of course I was delivering to DVD (BD at the max), so I did some pan&scan withing the 4k frames... But man, was it a lengthy rendering!

For some reason, the R3D clips prevent Vegas from using parallel processing; not only didn't my GTX 580 GPU work at all, but even the CPU seemed to only be using a single thread... Have no idea how the AVCHD 4k clips would be treated, but don't expect full frame previews and fast renders!

True - the R3D clips are RAW video, so I guess they need to be de-Bayered on the fly - but still...

Piotr

farss wrote on 1/14/2012, 4:21 AM

"True - the R3D clips are RAW video, so I guess they need to be de-Bayered on the fly - but still..."

R3D files are compressed RAW, so first they have to be decompressed, then debayered, then all the white balance, black balance, LUT stuff etc calculated. 4K AVCHD should be pretty easy compared to that.

Bob.

HyperMedia wrote on 1/14/2012, 11:21 AM

I agreed with all. JVC and SCS must realize this. I do expect JVC and SCS will come up with solution just like AVC and DSLR video were problems, as more demand arises. I do recall HD was a major problem in the infant stage. On the other hand Vegas Pro is a short form program. Sony needs to promote it like. My main focus would be local 30 sec.commercials, documentary and music videos. 2K to HD 1080p. If you are trying to edit a feature on Vegas, I don't think it's the right tool, but you can.

However, if JVC 4K camera becomes a hot product hardware will follow. I can predict JVC would come out with hardware solution to compliment the 4K workflow.
At this price point...you would get college filmmakers buying this camera.

larry-peter wrote on 1/14/2012, 12:25 PM

Obviously the increased resolution is going to influence many, but because I'm one of those depth-of-field freaks, it's going in the wrong direction for me.

Bob is right in that even if you go with high-end prime lenses, the lens is going to be the limiting factor in image quality if JVC's sensors truly have this resolution. And any pan/scan without additional processing is probably going to accentuate those limitations. I personally would never use the ability to pan/scan because what little decrease in depth of field you're achieving by moving to a 1/2" sensor is going to be removed by the crop factor added when you zoom into a shot. A medium-wide shot that is reframed to a close up is going to appear unrealistically flat, with a much deeper depth of field than would be expected with such framing.

And consider that even if other lens mounts are made available for high-end primes, the crop factor of a 1/2" sensor would mean that to achieve the angle of view of a 24mm lens on full frame 35mm, would require approximately a 4.8mm lens. I don't know how you would achieve ultra-wide looks without making compromises in lens quality - probably going back to typical video zoom lenses unless you go to 35mm DOF adapters. And who would want to put ground glass or image inverters in front of such a high resolution sensor?

These comments only apply to my personal preferences and workflow. This is probably going to be a big seller and loved by a lot of users. But for me, give me a big image sensor and decent lenses, and I'll be thrilled in staying with 1080P until end-viewers demand more.

Larry

MUTTLEY wrote on 1/14/2012, 12:36 PM

I think it's obvious that 4k is the new buzzword and a term that manufacturers are eager to push something to market with but it'll amaze me if most of what we see coming out in the next year with a 4k label will truly deliver. That said I'm sure I'll see people out there boasting that they now have 4k implying that their gear is just as good as a RED to those who don't know any better when it simply won't be. Just making the recorded image bigger is only half the battle so if all the camera is doing is blowing up a not so great source image than whats the point? In theory I could blow up any of my 1080p footage in Vegas to 4k and "whoot!" I've got 4k!

It may be a capable camera and fit some peoples needs but simply slapping 4k in the name is not reason enough for me to get excited, personally it only rasies red flags. JVC may prove me wrong but at the moment its my impression that this is more media hype than anything. Come to think of it JVC has yet to put out a camera yet that I was tempted to buy. Nothing against them, just an afterthought. When it comes to cameras I'm pretty much an agnostic and willing to jump ship to whatever I think is going to give me the most bang for my buck and produce the best footage within whatever budget I might have at the time.

- Ray
Underground Planet