The Sapphire 4K Codec System, which is designed to enable 4K wireless cameras to be used on productions in exactly the same way as standard HD systems, is being showcased by Broadcast Wireless Systems (BWS).
Stuart Brown, managing director, BWS, said: “Although some 4K wireless systems have been available previously, the long latency inherent in such systems meant they were relegated for use on long-range aerial shots because they cannot be intercut with cabled cameras.
Sapphire changes all that with the ability to offer true 4K coverage rather than having to up-convert images from standard HD wireless cameras.”
Sapphire can encode UHD signals at up to 50/59 frame rate in 4:20/4:2:2 8-bit and 10-bit. Sapphire can also encode four simultaneous standard HD 1080p50/59 signals, which BWS explained was useful for wireless slo-mo, multi-camera and aerial downlink applications.
Its compact size enables it to be easily attached to a wide range of camera types, while low power consumption enables long battery run times and requires minimal cooling.
“We believe the price of Sapphire is extremely competitive given its powerful combination of features,” continued Brown. “Units can be purchased with a basic feature-set and upgraded via software in the future.”
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