NAB: ultra-HD set for centre stage

Barry Bassett Managing director, VMI

I’m expecting ultra-HD to be the central theme and anamorphic to be a term heard frequently.

Convergent Design is releasing a 7.7-inch OLED monitor for $1,295 (£852) that will display Raw from a number of cameras and apply LUTs to get it into a normal viewing area.

It will take a lot of the guesswork out of shooting with a specific grade in mind.

Cooke is releasing its own version of anamorphic lenses, based on the Cooke S4i. I understand they will be T1.9 and are a complete redesign, and are much more affordable than the Arri Master Prime anamorphics.

Peter Savage Managing director, Azule Finance

I’d be surprised if we saw another camera-heavy show. This year could mark the acceptance of 4K as a broadcast format; it’s a long way from becoming the de rigueur standard for all programming but NAB will see manufacturers making the case for 4K as a viable option beyond natural history, high-end drama, commercials and short films.

I’m expecting the Sony PMW-F55, Arri Alexa XT and Canon’s new cinema camera - rumoured to be between the C100 and C300 - releases to be high on people’s shopping lists, together with anything released by Red.

Paul Robson Managing director, Medialease

I’m keen to take a look at the new Nuage console, a Yamaha surface blended with the Steinberg Nuendo DAW software editor.

I’m also interested in the possibility of a new Avid audio desk, which I believe is being launched. I’d also like to see what kit’s available for post houses that are upgrading their storage systems to handle the data from all these 4K cameras.

Mike Thomas Sales director, TopTeks

I’d expect to see more affordable ways of seeing 4K, such as high-resolution small monitors or focus assist for focus pullers, as that’s what’s really lacking at the moment.

Sony and Panasonic have launched their new cameras, but I’ll be surprised if Sony doesn’t expand its XAVC format and introduce some new but familiar kit with the new codec.

With all this data, workflow and data handling are high on peoples’ agendas at the moment, and YoYotta is one to watch with its flexible, scaleable, affordable solutions.

Samantha Arlow Area sales manager, Fineline Media Finance

There’s a general consensus that there are no big game-changers expected this year, but it will be interesting to see if Arri or Canon launch any new camera developments in response to Sony’s extremely popular F55 - rumours are rife.

Managing increasingly large file sizes will be of interest to many, so GB Labs and Dot Hill are on my must-see list, along with EVS.

Mike Smith Managing director, Alias Hire

The launch of Sony’s F5 and Arri’s new products and additions have kept us all busy so far this year, and it’s going to be a tall order for the likes of Panasonic or Canon to release yet another camera in such a saturated camera market.

Glass is going to be a priority for a lot of people, but that hasn’t changed for decades.

Martin O’Donnell Director of sales, HHB Communications

Delegates will want to see Yamaha’s new Nuage integrated audio production system, which promises a new platform for post-production productivity by combining Yamaha control and interface hardware with the Steinberg Nuendo DAW software.

Loudness metering, monitoring and correction will be addressed by TC Electronic, NuGen Audio and Wohler. TC will be hosting the US debut of the DB6 loudness management solution, which handles everything from loudness metering and up/down conversion to loudness processing in one process.

Michael Byrne Technical consultant, WTS Broadcast

With the success of OLED monitoring in the industry, recent technical developments and growing interest in high-frame-rate and 4K video, we’re expecting some interesting announcements from the major monitor manufacturers.

TVU Networks will launch TVUPack Mini SE - the only mobile broadband-based video transmission system to offer status communication with the camera