SECAUCUS, NJ (February 14, 2003) – Offering video professionals the ultimate in acquisition flexibility, Panasonic announced today availability and pricing for its new standard definition DVCPRO camcorder, the AJ-SDX900.

The flexibility of the AJ-SDX900 is expressed in its operator-controllable selection of EFP-quality 4:2:2 sampled DVCPRO50 or classic 4:1:1 sampled DVCPRO recording, and native 16:9 wide-screen or conventional 4:3 aspect ratios. The AJ-SDX900 is also the first broadcast-grade standard definition camcorder to offer film-like 24 frames per second progressive scan (480/24p) acquisition, in addition to 30 frames per second progressive (480/30p) and 60-fields-per-second interlace scan (480/60i) capture. The AJ-SDX900 combines the “look and feel” of electronic film, while maintaining the economic necessity of low-cost NTSC compatible news and high-performance 525 line field production modes.

“The broadcast market has been waiting for an ultra-flexible, feature-packed Betacam™ replacement capable of shooting 60-field interlace for news and industrial video, plus 24-frame progressive, for advertising and cinema applications,” said Stuart English, Vice President, Panasonic Broadcast & Television Systems Co. “The AJ-SDX900 is that camera system.”

The AJ-SDX900 is an innovative component of Panasonic’s electronic field production strategy, unveiled at NAB 2002, offering 24p acquisition capabilities at all price points in the marketplace. The new camera complements the existing AJ-HDC27F VariCam™ and AG-DVX100 DV Cinema mini-DV cameras and the recently-introduced DVCPRO50-capable AJ-SD930 series IEEE-1394 supported studio VTRs, creating a highly affordable, yet high-quality production system spanning all market levels.

The AJ-SDX900 features three newly-developed 2/3“ 520,000-pixel IT CCDs with progressive-scanning capability that providing a high sensitivity of F13 at 2000 lux, 65dB signal-to-noise ratio and low-light shooting down to 0.09 lux (+48dB). Advanced 12-bit A/D DSP signal processing circuits provide improved picture quality, color expression and luma gradation, while a 12-axis matrix color correction allows very specific colors to be adjusted without affecting overall color tone.

The exceptionally-refined camera is equipped with a super gain function with a maximum gain of 48 dB, and a new time-accumulate digital super gain allowing an additional gain of +20 dB (at 6 fps) that permits ultra-high sensitive shooting (as low as 0.01 lux) for night-time acquisition.

The AJ-SDX900 offers a maximum record time of 33 minutes in DVCPRO50 and 66 minutes in DVCPRO, and four 48kHz/16-bit digital audio channels in 50Mbps DVCPRO50. At just 15 pounds fully equipped, the unit is lightweight, well-balanced and offers perfectly positioned switches. It also provides one-touch camera status report, interval REC for time-lapse recording, and an electronic shutter (speeds from 1/100 to 1/2000 sec), plus synchro-scan capability (1/60.8 to 1/250 sec.)

Other key functions include: two four-position optical filters; built-in four-user scene files; a marker selector function (for displaying a 4:3 marker); multi-functional zebra pattern/display adjustment; SD memory card for storage of operational settings; three user-customizable function buttons; low power consumption of 24 watts; quick response standby mode; built-in time code generator/reader and genlock; and phantom power supply (48V phantom mic).

The camera offers an optional prerecording board that permits the camera to catch spontaneous scenes a shooter might otherwise miss. In standby mode, the prerecording function continually stores 15 seconds (pre-settable) in memory of the current video and audio entering the camera’s lens.

Other optional accessories include Unislot™ wireless receiver, GPS unit, SDI output, low-cost remote control system, easy-to-operate camera remote, and digital triax transmission system. This system allows remote camera set-up and operation, and can rely non-compressed 10-bit, 4:2:2 images over a distance of up to five hundred meters.

Panasonic Broadcast & Television Systems Co. is a leading supplier of broadcast, professional video and presentation products and systems. Panasonic Broadcast is a unit company of Matsushita Electric Corporation of America, the principal North America subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (NYSE: MC), one of the world's leading producers of electronic and electric products for consumer, business and industrial use. For more information on Panasonic Broadcast products, access the company’s web site at www.panasonic.com/broadcast

Unislot is a trademark of Ikegami Tsusinski Co. Ltd.

Betacam is a trademark of Sony.

If you would like more information or would like to talk with a salesperson please contact the office nearest you or email sales@vmivideo.com with your request (please include the article name, and your contact information).