Sony premieres next generation SRMASTER technology

Sony is demonstrating the continued evolution of its HDCAM-SR technology into a file-based workflow. Among the innovative new products on display at NAB this week under the umbrella of the SRMASTER platform are: Sony’s SRMASTER Studio Deck, multiple SRMASTER portable field recorders, an SRMASTER Data Transfer Unit, the SRMASTER camcorder, as well as SRMemory media.

“The HDCAM SR format is well entrenched in the post production industry and is the de-facto standard for mastering, on-set recording and deliverables,” said Peter Sykes, Strategic Marketing Manager, Sony Professional, Sony Europe. “Sony is firmly committed to file-based production, and we are continuing to develop the SR workflow with the launch of these innovative products. This is the next generation of the format.”

Through SRMASTER, Sony is making the SR Codec available as a file for the first time. The same compression scheme that resides on the HDCAM-SR Digital tape is now available as data files for native post production workflows. This includes SR-Lite 220Mbps, the visually lossless SR-SQ 440Mbps, and SR-HQ 880Mbps.

Sony is also actively working with vendors to support the SR File, and the codec is already supported for direct to edit workflow with Apple Final Cut Pro, Avid, Blackmagic Davinci, FilmLight and others.

Sony is demonstrating its upgrade path to file-based production, as well as new SRMemory solid-state media; all designed to allow HDCAM-SR technology to meet the current and future needs of cinematic and television production.

“It’s part of a hybrid strategy to give professionals the best of both the tape and file-based worlds – while at the same time offering security, inter-operability, flexibility and scalability,” Sykes said. “SR has always been inherently file-based in nature; the incorporation of solid-state media simply enhances the format’s inherent file-based design and brings SR’s proven quality to an even wider audience. The same on-set recording and mastering standard can now be natively accessed as a file.”

The addition of new SRMemory solid state media will deliver rapid transfer rates of 5 Gbp/s sustained speeds, and storage capacity of 256MB, 512MB, and up to 1TB. The SRMemory solid state media is robust and extremely secure, with powerful data protection. It is therefore ideal media for future high-end production, with native acquisition capabilities for applications such as 3D 1080p and higher resolutions up to true 4K and beyond.