Full-Service INNOVATOR

From 4K to Content, Sony Electronics Has Exhibitors Covered

GARY JOHNS

DIANNE LAGUARDIA

by Andreas Fuchs

o be perfectly honest with you, its busy, says Gary Johns, senior VP of Sony Electronics Digital Cinema Solutions group, about the current deployment status of over 4,000 4K systems worldwide. The nicely matched-up numbers are indeed a milestone worth celebrating at ShowEast. Here in the U.S. alone, we are doing over 350 installations a month now, Johns continues. Actually, our schedule will take us over 400 per month within the next few months. Currently, we have 11 U.S. customers signed up for Sonys VPF program, representing 1,062 screens, details senior marketing manager Dianne LaGuardia, and another 50 or so with 23 exhibitors directly. It is a well-known fact that the largest partners, thus far representing locations, are Regal Cinemas and AMC Theatres. But Sony is also working with many other national and regional chains, including Hollywood, Muvico and Landmark theatres, as well as individual players like Alamo Drafthouse, Cinemagic, Camera Cinemas, Lincoln Square Cinemas and the legendary Prytania in New Orleans to implement 4K projection technology and other Sony solutions. (For a full list of 4K locations worldwide, go to http://bit.ly/ fji1110sonyb.) Globally, the market doesnt have much of a consistency yet, LaGuardia explains. There are many deals and lots of deployments happening, of course. We have been doing it for a while longer in the U.S. Other countries have been deploying as well, just not as consistently yet. Based on the information she has seen from the other countries, by end of December, worldwide screens will be closer to 6,000. Woo-hoo! she exclaims. Given deployment and demand, does Sony

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experience any kind of backlog when it comes to production and delivery? After all, it took a while to get 4K technology going. The issue for us wasnt that it took us a while, Johns corrects, we needed the commitment to ramp up first. Once we had that commitment, we already had the plans in place and were actually able to ramp up pretty quickly. We use solid production techniques, so that can increase with the number of sales. We are nowhere near our production capacity at this point. Early on, however, everybody was saying, There is no way Sony can do this level of production. The fact is that Sony is a premier manufacturer of electronic equipment. For over 50 years, weve been making millions and millions of items. So we have a pretty good handle on how to manage production and production capacity. (For more information, see Bill Meads special on-site report about Sonys manufacturing facilities on the preceding pages.) Speaking of those capabilities, Sonys dcinema business is not just about projectors, but includes all the components necessary, which Johns says make up an integrated system of Sony projectors, media block, server and software. Clients like it a lot to have a one-stop shop. If they need to talk about any of the equipment elements, they only have one call to make One of the key methods of our system is that it was designed to work together. We are not just a projector manufacturer or just a server manufacturer. We make both and designed them to work together. This said, we are open and are, in fact, doing some things with Doremi right now. For Johns, it is all about really looking to provide a full range of services to theatres. In addition to the d-cinema systems, we also offer LED panel signage of varied sizes, be it for box office, lobby or concessions. Sony doesnt just sell but also offers a full range of services with the products. We can install them, monitor them through our network operating center, make repairs if necessary. Again, its a turnkey approach to digital signage, or we can offer only the parts. For example, AMC and Regal buy the bulk of their signage from us. If you walk into most of their theatres, you will see Sony displays. Sony Digital Cinema also offers solutions for what to put on display. Content is very much a growing part of the digital hub that Sony is creating for cinemas, Johns assures. We want to be able to provide to the industry a wide range of products and services. Content is one of those. We have done successful testing so far with gaming on the big screen and concerts that were recorded nearlive to understand what the market looks like and how to go about it. We are now formulat-

ing our plan how to go forward with content that also includes talking to people about opera and sports as well. Whereas The Hot Ticket is a part of Sony Pictures Releasing (www.thehotticket. net) and obviously a great concept, the dcinema groups activities come under Sony Electronics. Our group works closely with Sony Pictures as well as Sony Music and our Gaming division to make sure that we are consistent in our approach, Johns insists. We are separate business units but are all talking about what might sense for us to collaborate on. Similarly, the hardware component of Sony Electronics provides further point of contact. The production and post-production group provides everything from high-end cameras and 3D systems to complete trucks for production companies. So we have a lot of exposure to everything from origination to display on the screen, and ultimately on out to the consumer. Sonys content business is definitely part of the plan and, from the d-cinema perspective, we want to offer to the exhibitors a wide range of content that generates additional revenue streams for them and for us. We are working on it right now. What else is on the horizon? 5K, 6K, or something brand-new? I dont know if I could take too much more, Johns laughs. No, seriously. At Sony, weve always got product in development. We have new technology that we are working on every day to constantly improve upon our offerings. We are looking at ways, for instance, that will reduce overall cost of operation in the theatre and increase any one of the parameters that exhibitors care about, including ease of operation and brightness. Though, frankly, I dont know what else weve got left to improve upon. On the subject of new technology, Johns graciously agrees to comment on the latest laser projection initiative by The Eastman Kodak Company. Everybody is looking at laser as one of the potential technologies to increase brightness and reduce operating cost. Sony certainly is. Not having seen the Kodak demonstration, he would not comment on the presentation per se, but Im not surprised to see that Kodak or anybody else is working on laser projection. We know who all the different groups are and certainly try to keep up with whats going on. To put the development in perspective, Sonys been in the laser business for many years, he confirms. This past March, Sony Corp. announced our own laser modules to be used for driving digital projection. We use laser in so many ways throughout the corporation. One of the great things with that is that we get to share technology among groups.

Component/OEM
Communication Color Video Cameras
EVI-D70 & EVI-D70P EVI-D70/W & EVI-D70P/W

FEATURES

Sony's New Pan/Tilt/Zoom Remote Camera Captures Every Scene
Sony continues to add choice and flexibility to its industry-leading pan/tilt/zoom camera lineup with the introduction of the Sony EVI-D70, EVI-D70P, EVI-D70/W and EVI-D70P/W color video cameras. These four EVI models combine a high-quality color video camera with the flexibility of remote pan/tilt/zoom operation, all in a compact easy-to-use package. In addition, this powerful P/T/Z camera now is available in two housing colors; select either a black (EVI-D70 and EVI-D70P) or white (EVID70/W and EVI-D70P/W) housing to best suit your application. Incorporating an 18x optical zoom lens, these cameras allow a user to zoom in on a small or distant object with exceptional clarity. Compared to their predecessor, the EVID30/D31, these cameras offer a wider pan/tilt range, and a faster pan/tilt mechanism. Above all, these cameras are ceiling mountable - a first for Sony's popular EVI cameras. These EVI models are also equipped with a variety of convenient features such as an Auto ICR function, Alarm function and RS-232C/422 serial control, making them ideal for any remote-shooting applications such as distance learning, places of worship, courtrooms, event venues, concert halls, and more.
216x Zoom Ratio (18x Optical, 12x Digital) Wide-Range, High-Speed Pan/Tilt Pan angle: -170 to +170 (max. pan speed: 100/s) Tilt angle: -30 to +90 (max. tilt speed: 90/s) Superb Picture Quality With EXview HAD CCDTM Minimum illumination: 1 lx Horizontal resolution: 470 TV lines (EVI-D70 and EVI-D70/W) 460 TV lines (EVI-D70P and EVI-D70P/W) Ceiling-Mount or Desktop Installation RS-232C or RS-422 Serial Control (VISCATM Command) Auto ICR Function Alarm Function Auto Power-Off/Night Power-Off Function Daisy Chain Capability (Up to seven cameras) Six-Position Preset Multi-Function IR Remote Commander Unit EVI-D30/D31 Emulation Mode 37mm Mount for Optional Wide Conversion Lens

EVI-D70/W EVI-D70

Superb Picture Quality with EXview HAD CCD
The adoption of Sony EXview HAD CCD technology improves basic camera performance. For example, these cameras offer superb sensitivity of 1 lx (typical), and a low smear level and D-range. (see Fig. 1)

IR sensitivity

RS-232C or RS-422 Serial Control (VISCA Command)
All camera settings and pan/tilt/zoom functions can be controlled remotely via a PC. With the RS-232C connection, maximum cable length can be extended to 15 m (50 feet), while the RS-422 connection extends this further to 1200 m (4000 feet).
EVI-D70/D70P (1 lx) EVI-D70/W / EVI-D70P/W
Conventional Cameras (3 lx)
Auto ICR (IR Cut filter Removal) Function Fig. 2
The Auto ICR function automatically switches the settings to attach or remove the IR Cut filter for increased sensitivity. With a set level of darkness, the IR Cut filter is automatically disabled (ICR ON), and the infrared sensitivity is increased. With a set level of brightness, the filter is automatically enabled (ICR OFF). The ICR automatically engages depending on the ambient light, allowing the cameras to be effective both in day and night environments.
EVI-D70/D70P EVI-D70/W / EVI-D70P/W

Conventional Cameras

Fig. 1 Comparison: IR Sensitivity and Smear
When auto slow shutter is on
IRIS OPEN -> GAIN MAX -> ICR ON -> Slow shutter mode
Slow shutter MAX AGC MAX IRIS OPEN

ICR ON

Alarm Function and AE Spot Setting
These cameras provide an alarm function that can detect changes within a user-designated area of an image.* When a change in AF, AE or both is detected, these cameras output an alarm trigger signal to the external equipment via the VISCA protocol. In combination with the Spot AE function, these cameras also detect changes in the luminance level, and they output an alarm signal. The detecting area can be applied to any of 16 vertical and 16 horizontal blocks. (see Fig. 3) *Using any of the pan/tilt/zoom functions will disable the

alarm.

ICR ON IRIS

Adjustable

SHUTTER ICR OFF ON adjustable Bright

Slow shutter

Fig. 2 Auto ICR

Spot AE area

Rear Panel

Fig. 3 AE Spot Setting

SPECIFICATIONS
Signal system Image sensor Number of effective pixels (H x V) Horizontal resolution Lens Horizontal angle of view Minimum object distance Minimum illumination Auto exposure Shutter speed Gain White balance S/N ratio Pan/tilt Position preset Picture effect Video output Control terminal Power requirement Power consumption Operating temperature Storage temperature Dimensions (W x H x D) Weight Body color Supplied accessories Optional accessories EVI-D70 & EVI-D70/W NTSC 1/4-type EXview HAD CCD 768 x TV lines (wide end) 752 x TV lines (wide end) 18x zoom, f=4.1 mm (wide) to 73.8 mm (tele), F1.4 to F3.0 2.7 (tele end) to 48 (wide end) 10 mm (wide end), 800 mm (tele end) 1 lx (F1.4) Auto/Manual/Priority AE, Exposure compensation, Back-light compensation 1 to 1/10,000 s Auto/Manual (-3 to +28 dB, 2 dB steps) Auto/ATW/Indoor/Outdoor/One push/Manual More than 50 dB Pan: 170 (Max. speed: 100/s), Tilt: -30 to +90 (Max. speed: 90/s) 6 positions Neg. Art, Black & White VBS, Y/C RS-232C (8-pin mini DIN) control (VISCA)/RS-422 (9-pin) control (VISCA), baud rate: 9.6 Kb/s, 38.4 Kb/s DC 10.8 to 13.2 V 12 W 32 to 40 F (0 to 40 C) -4 to +140 F (-20 to +60 C) 5 1/4 x 5 3/4 x 5 3/4 inches (132 x 144 x 144 mm) 2 lb 2 oz (950 g) Black, White AC adaptor, IR remote commander unit, Ceiling bracket, Operating instructions RM-BR300 remote controller with joystick* EVI-D70P & EVI-D70P/W PAL

*Not all functions are supported. See www.sony.com/videocameras for additional information.

DIMENSIONS

PAN/TILT RANGE

144 (5 3/4)

(5 1/4) 144 (5 3/4)

30 Tripod screw

Unit: mm (inches)
Sony Electronics Inc. 1 Sony Drive Park Ridge, NJ 07656 www.sony.com/videocameras
IS-1174-A MK10053V2IW04FEB
2004 Sony Corporation. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Design, features, and specifications are subject to change without notice. All non-metric weights and measurements are approximate. Sony, EXview HAD CCD, VISCA and Remote Commander are trademarks of Sony Corporation.

Printed in USA (4/04)