Blackmagic Design showcases groundbreaking 3D video hardware during NAB Las Vegas

Blackmagic Design made a number of product announcements during The NAB Show, which is currently happening at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

One of their major product launches is the Pocket UltraScope, the world’s first portable USB 3.0 notebook PC-based waveform monitor with 6 independent powerful real time scopes including parade, waveform, vector, histogram, audio and picture.

Pocket UltraScope is a small pod with a 3 Gb/s SDI input that connects to any USB 3.0 computer for professional waveform monitoring. When running on a notebook or desktop PC with a 1920 x 1080 display, Pocket UltraScope allows simultaneous display of 6 waveform views including: RGB/YUV parade display, composite waveform, vector, histogram, 8 channel audio meters, stereo audio scope and picture view. When used with smaller screens, Pocket UltraScope allows a smaller 2 view window to be selected.

Pocket UltraScope automatically detects the input video format, and switches between SD, HD and 3 Gb/s 1080p SDI formats. Blackmagic UltraScope is technically accurate, which is perfect for master monitoring and quality control tasks.

When running on-set, behind racks, or in other difficult locations, Pocket UltraScope is the ideal solution for portable waveform monitoring, because it easily plugs into notebook computers and powers from the notebook computer battery via the USB 3.0 connection. Pocket UltraScope is small and accurate, and makes a perfect portable solution for post production and broadcast facilities.

Blackmagic Design’s Pocket UltraScope will be available in early May 2010.

Another product is the world’s first 3D television-ready HDLink Pro 3D, a new model of the popular HDLink Pro family of monitoring converters that allows regular and 3D stereoscopic SDI monitoring using low cost DisplayPort displays and HDMI 1.4 SDI monitoring.

HDLink Pro 3D is being demonstrated the NAB Show at the Blackmagic Design booth.

HDLink Pro 3D supports both interleaved/side by side or dual stream 3D inputs via the two SDI inputs, and supports 3D on compatible computer monitors and 3D HDMI televisions. If customers are using HDMI televisions they only need a DisplayPort to HDMI adapter to allow connection to a HDMI television.

HDLink Pro 3D supports HDMI 1.4 as well as older HDMI 1.3 based televisions. HDMI 1.3 televisions require customers to select the interleave format for 3D display, while the new HDMI 1.4 standard means HDLink Pro 3D will automatically set the 3D mode in any HDMI 1.4 capable television and allows 3D video for both left and right eyes to be sent to the television in full resolution.

HDLink Pro 3D also includes features such as 17 point lookup tables, 6 channel audio monitoring out, and support for 30 inch DVI and DisplayPort displays which allows real time 2K pixel for pixel monitoring. HDLink Pro 3D is ideal for regular HD monitoring using normal 24 inch computer monitors!

HDLink Pro 3D’s powerful 17 point 3D lookup tables allow any feature film stock to be simulated so editors can always see the correct color of the final film output. Popular 3D lookup tables can be loaded for various film stocks, and HDLink Pro DisplayPort is compatible with third party software products for generating lookup tables. HDLink Utility software on Windows and Mac OS X allows full control for adjusting tables and generating custom “looks” for download into HDLink Pro.

When editing with complex 5.1 surround sound audio tracks, HDLink Pro 3D includes 6 separate channels of consumer level audio output which can be connected to a wide range of HiFi equipment for low cost audio monitoring.

HDLink Pro 3D will be available later this month.

The cutting-edge manufacturer also announced the Smart Videohub, a professional, easy to use routing switcher for creative editors, designers and artists in small facilities.

The 16 x 16 routing switcher has been designed to be incredibly easy to use, so creative staff such as editors, designers and digital artists can install and use without requiring any technical knowledge.

Smart Videohub is a professional 1 rack unit routing switcher with advanced features such as 3 Gb/s SDI, auto switching SD, HD and 3 Gb/s SDI, as well as full SDI re-clocking. Smart Videohub includes attractive crystal look buttons on the front, with 16 buttons for destinations and 16 buttons for sources. All the customer needs to do to change routing is press a destination and then select a source. Because the control panel is built into the front panel, Smart Videohub only needs power to work and no other setup is required.

Smart Videohub’s control buttons are designed for high reliability and the front panel can be removed to allow labeling of buttons. All buttons are illuminated by brilliant white LEDs and when used in dark rooms, all buttons can be backlit so button labels can be clearly seen.

Smart Videohub includes control interfaces for USB, direct ethernet and RS-422 serial. Ethernet control allows direct connection to the computer network and is fully compatible with Blackmagic Design‘s wide range of software control panels and the new Videohub Smart Control hardware control panel. This means customers can simply use the front panel control, but then as they expand, they can add software control to computers on their network, and Videohub Smart Control panels throughout their facility as well.

Find out more about Blackmagic Design’s product line at www.blackmagic-design.com.

Find out more about The NAB Show at www.nabshow.com.