Sony generalizes HDR in its professional products

New enhancements include live HD HDR for broadcast television and an immediate HDR workflow to meet the growing demand for high dynamic range content.

Sony is expanding the HDR capabilities of many of its professional products to meet the increasing requirements for HDR content across all production genres. The new enhancements deliver live HDR TV broadcasts and an immediate HDR workflow on products ranging from live camera systems and servers, to monitors and camcorders, via software or firmware updates.

High Dynamic Range (HDR) brings greater realism to moving images and creates a significantly more realistic viewing experience. Broadcasters, live event producers and online content creators have specific HDR production requirements, and Sony's expanded HDR production capabilities provide them with numerous and varied benefits.

Live HDR broadcast

Sony already offers a complete range of 4K HDR production systems for films, television series and live broadcasts. In it, Sony has established its workflow Live SR for HDR, a powerful system for the simultaneous production of 4K HDR and HD DEG.

In July 2016, the International Telecommunication Union published the ITU-R HDR-TV Recommendation, BT.2100-0. This standard presents two options for HDR image production: Perceptual Quantization (PQ) and Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG), which open the doors to more widespread adoption of HDR broadcasting.

At the same time, many customers are also considering producing high-definition (HD) content in HDR, especially since migration from HD to 4K Ultra HD may still take some time.

Workflow

Live SR for HDR supports simultaneous production based on HD HDR and high-definition HD SDR using the same method as for 4K HDR. In the Live SR for HDR workflow, the camera output signal is converted to S-Log3, BT.2020, HD HDR as an intermediate format for production processes.

Once the image is produced, the Sony HDRC-4000 HDR Production Conversion Unit converts it to a suitable HDR-capable broadcast format, such as the standardized HLG or PQ. The HDRC-4000 uses original algorithms, including built-in AIR (Artistic Intent Rendering) Matching, to faithfully reproduce the image quality and color determined during S-Log3 production, regardless of the transmission format used.

The production environment Live SR for HDR includes a wide variety of subject types, devices, formats and providers. The system is capable of providing extremely high quality content, as images are produced using the S-Log3 format, and converted to the desired distribution or broadcast format.

Catchment

In terms of capture, the following system cameras will all support S-Log3 and BT.2020 for Live SR for HDR and will include HD HDR capability via a firmware update: HDC-4800, HDC-4300 and HDC-P43.

For the HDC-2500, the HKCU-2040 4K HDR processor card provides both 4K and HD HDR capability from the image sensor.

Sony's PXW-FS5 and PXW-Z150 will also include additional HDR capabilities via a software update. The FS5 will support HLG in addition to S-Log3. HLG[2] mode can be quickly configured using the newly added picture profile option. HLG mode will also be supported on the PXW-Z150.

On the other hand, the PWS-4500 4K Live Server supports S-Log3, HD HLG and 4K/HD PQ through a software update to version 2.3.

As for the BVM-E171 HD OLED reference monitor, it will be compatible with HDR through a new HDR monitoring license: the BVML-HE171. This license provides users with an option for HDR implementation tailored to their production and budget needs. Sony's BVM-X300 and PVM-X550 monitors already support HDR and support any resolution up to 4K. Additionally, the addition of HDR to the BVM-E171 brings HDR monitoring capabilities to new users, including mobile units with limited space.

Immediate HDR Workflow

As the need for HDR content continues to increase, online video platforms and professionals producing business or event content are paying more attention to the added value of HDR. They need to deliver content quickly, without compromising image expression or content quality. To respond to this demand, Sony now offers HDR capability in its entry-level PXW-FS5 and PXW-Z150 handheld XDCAM camcorders. Both feature HLG recording to facilitate file-based workflows while providing HDR image quality. This simple workflow enables recording, editing and viewing of HDR content without the need for additional color grading.

Visualization tool

Catalyst Browse, Sony's recording and viewing tool that offers optimized media management, now also supports HLG, allowing viewers to easily view HDR content.

Sony continues to improve the HDR product and solution for all types of production through innovative ideas and technologies, together with its extensive experience in the sector.