Three 1/2"-type Exmor CMOS Sensors

The PMW-320K is equipped with three newly developed 1/2"-type Exmor CMOS sensors, each with an effective pixel count of 1920 (H) x 1080 (V). These deliver superior picture performance with full-HD resolution. This 1/2"-type image sensor allows the camcorder to provide an excellent sensitivity of F10 in 60Hz mode (F11 in 50Hz), a remarkable signal-to-noise ratio of 54dB, and a high horizontal resolution of 1000 TV lines (in 1920 x 1080/59.94i mode). In addition, the large sensors can capture images with a shallower depth of field, giving users more freedom of creative expression.

What's more, the Exmor CMOS sensor's unique design deploys an A/D converter to each column of pixels, resulting in a much lower clock speed than conventional CMOS sensors. This makes it possible to greatly reduce power consumption of the camcorder.

1920 x 1080 HD Recording Using the "MPEG-2 Long GOP" Codec

The PMW-320K records 1920 x 1080 full HD images using the "MPEG-2 Long GOP" codec, which conforms to the MPEG-2 MP@HL compression standard. "MPEG-2 Long GOP" is a mature codec--also adopted by the XDCAM HD and HDV 1080i series of products--which enables users to record stunning HD video and audio with highly efficient, reliable data compression.

Selectable Recording Modes Including DVCAM Recording

The PMW-320K offers a choice of bit rates--either 35Mbs (HQ mode) or 25Mbs (SP mode)--depending on the desired picture quality and recording time. The HQ mode supports 1920 x 1080, 1440 x 1080 and 1280 x 720 resolutions. The 1440 x 1080 mode is new to the PMW-320K, ensuring native integration of XDCAM EX footage into an XDCAM HD Professional Disc workflow. By supporting 1440 x 1080, 35Mbs recording, material can be utilized with no transcode, just a rewrap to MXF for NLE and archiving.

The SP mode supports 1440 x 1080 resolution at 25Mbs, which provides compatibility with HDV 1080i products. Footage recorded in this SP mode can be seamlessly integrated into HDV-compatible editing systems by transferring the stream from the camcorder via the i.LINK (HDV) interface.

The PMW-320K also supports 25Mbs DVCAM recording in either PAL or NTSC modes, again providing seamless integration into existing DVCAM workflows, offering ultimate flexibility worldwide.

Robust Nonlinear Recording Media, "SxS PRO" & "SxS-1"

The XDCAM EX series adopts high-speed SxS PRO and SxS-1 memory cards for its recording media, developed specifically for professional content creation applications with a number of key features:

 

• Compatible with ExpressCard/34 interface slot which is common on modern Windows PCs and Macs
• Uses PCI Express interface and achieves an extremely high "read" speed of 800 Mbs*
• Large storage capacity: SBP-16 (16 GB) and SBP-32 (32 GB) memory cards are available.
• Can record up to 140 minutes of HD video and audio (using one 32-GB memory card)
• Compact size: approx. 75 x 34 x 5 mm (excluding the projecting parts)--half the size of the older PC Card standard
• Low power consumption
• Highly reliable: can resist shocks (up to 1500 G) and vibrations (up to 15 G)
• Affordability: SxS-1 media (introduced in late 2009) provides users with a lower cost alternative to SxS PRO media that offers the same high performance, but with an estimated 5-year life span when recording at full capacity once per day. Users can check the card life on their PMW-320K camcorder and even see an alarm when the data rewriting limit is reached.
• SDHC and Memory Stick media can now be used with MEAD Adaptors.