It’s Showtime: Getting Ready for 2022 NAB (Part One)

By Mark Foley, Technology Editor, ProductionHUB

It seems like it's been forever since we had the chance to get on the NAB Show floor and honestly, I'm so ready! The people I've talked to are MORE than excited with the prospect of seeing new gear and catching up with industry friends both old and new. If you know us, then you know we'll be there to provide tons of coverage, including our very own ProductionHUB Awards of Excellence.

Speaking from personal experience, nothing can replace being there the first day they open the Las Vegas Convention Doors. I am expecting a lot from this year's show so let’s dive right in.

This year you can expect a new, reconfigured exhibition space, North, Central, West Halls, which allows attendees to have a better show experience in the form of a better foot traffic pattern to get you from point A to B, with less wear and tear on your feet.

The manufacturers I spoke with are eager to show 2022 NAB attendees lots of additions—from new cameras like the SONY Venice 2, new lenses, new lighting, and plenty of AI and HDR updates to keep you and your crew busy. Here are just a few examples.

Marshall Electronics

Booth # C1307

Marshall Electronics will introduce the CV730-BHN High-Bandwidth NDI® PTZ Camera at the 2022 NAB Show This new 4K robotic PTZ camera contains traditional outputs including two simultaneous SDI (BNC) outputs with genlockable 12GSDI and 3GSDI, as well as HDMI and USB3.0 options at the ready. CV730-BHN also features the ultra-fast and lossless High Bandwidth NDI streaming ability commonly known as Full-NDI, while offering the newly released NDI|HX3 that can deliver similar low-latency and superior quality video performance in slightly less bandwidth network infrastructure.

LiveU

Booth # N1019

LiveU is returning to NAB 2022 with a booth featuring live workflow demonstrations, stage presentations, and fireside chats. The buzz around the booth will focus on “Moving LiveU to the Cloud” – the company’s approach to going beyond its game-changing backpack technology and showcasing its cloud-based solutions for seamless live production workflows.

LiveU Center Stage will feature daily product presentations, workflow demonstrations, and fireside chats in front of a live audience. Guests from Verizon, Syracuse University, Take One Productions, NewTek, Avid, Grabyo, and BlackBird will stop by to talk about the topics shaping the industry including cloud production, 5G, sports production, workplace efficiencies, and remote production.

Kinefinity

Booth #C8235

Kinefinity has announced the MAVO Edge 6K, a new full-frame cinema camera capable of shooting at 6K 75fps or 4K 150fps. Equipped with a 6K full-frame 3:2 CMOS imaging sensor, the new camera utilizes Kinefinity's advanced high-performance computing platform from the MAVO Edge 8K. The MAVO Edge 6K features a dual native ISO (800/5120) sensor that yields excellent highlight performance at various sensitivity settings, combined with an internal motorized full-spectrum e-ND filter with a range from 0.6 to 2.4 for precise control of exposure.

Vislink

Booth # C7508

Vislink will be showcasing its latest solutions for automated, AI-driven remote production for live news and sports. Vislink’s chief AI offerings include IQ Sports Producer, a live sports production and streaming solution that provides high-quality, economical video coverage for both professional and grass-roots sports, and vPilot, an AI-driven studio content production system that creates professional productions without a camera operator or director team.

LEADER/PHABRIX

Booth # C6118

Leader Instruments Corporation will host its first two-company joint demonstration since its acquisition of PHABRIX. The key theme of the exhibit is Making Your SDI/IP Transition Smooth, including new technologies to ensure an effective advance from serial digital to IP, HD to 4K UHD and beyond in with both standard dynamic range and HDR.

The NAB booth will comprise both a Leader Zone and a PHABRIX zone.

In the Leader Zone:

The LV5600 waveform monitor and LV7600 rasterizer remove the stress of live production. Simultaneous monitoring of SDI, IP and NMOS IP sources is available in multi screen mode whether displayed via the integral monitor on the LV5600 or the rasterizer output from the LV7600.

The LV5350 SDI waveform monitor and LV7300 rasterizer are designed for use by camera crews, colorists, editors and support technicians working in the SDI domain.

In the PHABRIX Zone:

New EUHD formats option available on QxL, provides support for analysis and generation of UHD/4K YCbCr/RGB 444 formats in the range 47.95P – 60P.

New PCAP flexible 25G full line rate 4GB programmable PCAP capture tool for QxL (10G line rate and 1GB PCAP for Qx), available as a PCAP license. The tool provides a flexible range of options for capturing live IP traffic on either a single or dual media interfaces while in 2110 mode.

Moving On

There will be a lot more to cover in the days ahead, and our schedule is getting pretty full already with pre NAB press conferences and product announcements. But before we wrap up I wanted to share a short conversation I had with industry veteran Tim Smith, Chief Creative Officer, Band Pro/ Angenieux Americas.

Tim and I go way back, and he always has an interesting take on our industry. Check it out.

Mark Foley: What is BandPro talking about at the show?

Tim Smith: At this NAB 2022, (Booth C8232) Band Pro will feature the complete line of Angenieux Lenses from the newest ultra-compact full frame lens to their exciting line of cinema primes. We are particularly excited to feature the latest Internal Optical Pallets or “IOP," for the Optimo Primes featuring the unique ability to artfully craft an image by easily inserting a variety of filter elements in between the internal lens elements, achieving almost limitless looks and personalities. Band Pro is proud of its partnership with Angenieux and is the exclusive distributor for North and Latin America.

Mark Foley: What are your expectations (and hopes) for the show in regards to attendance as a whole?

Tim Smith: Well, that is a bit of a crystal ball question. At this NAB, the focus will be on the quality of the attendee and not so much on the number of attendees. A large number of our most important clients have told us they are planning on attending, so that motivated us to participate this year.

Mark Foley: As an industry professional, what kind of expectations do you have about the amount of new gear you will see?

Tim Smith: Some technology has been introduced virtually over the last 2 years, and NAB may be the first time to really get a hands-on demo, so in many ways a lot of products will be new to many of the attendees. This year is not really about what is being announced but what people can actually experience for the first time.

Mark Foley: What are some of your thoughts/opinions about the industry cautiously coming back to live events?

Tim Smith: I think live events are an absolute must for a creative industry. NAB is not just about showing a product line; it's about engaging with our end users. learning what they like and what they need in future products. Online is just not the place to really get a deep understanding of what the customer really needs to do their jobs.

Mark Foley: Any closing thoughts?

Tim Smith: I also think that there is a really a desire for the industry to start reconnecting. It's a creative industry that only functions with collaboration. TV and film people have a strong sense of family and NAB 2022 could take on the feel of a family reunion. I'm really looking forward to it.

Closing Shot

I think we are just getting started. Be on the lookout of our next NAB update as we get closer to the show and sure to catch all of the latest news on NABHUB. Can't wait to see everyone soon!