Dreamtime Holdings, NASA’s Multimedia Partner, Selects Panasonic 720p for Ground, in Orbit HD Production
Dreamtime Holdings Inc. (Moffett Field, CA), which last year struck a groundbreaking agreement with NASA to provide HDTV production and post-production
services to the space agency, has purchased Panasonic’s AJ-HDC27A
30fps/60fps dual frame rate progressive scan (720p) DVCPRO HD
camcorder and AJ-HD150 DVCPRO HD studio VTR to support this
multi-faceted assignment.
Dreamtime Holdings has an agreement to provide HD production
services both at NASA’s several ground centers and in orbit. Last
week, the AJ-HDC27A was deployed to record the launch of STS98 from
the Kennedy Space Center, FL; the space shuttle is carrying the
Destiny Lab Module for a hook-up with the international space station
next week. The company will also utilize HDTV equipment to assist NASA
in digitizing significant portions of the space agency’s image
archive, one of the largest of its types in the world.
“We anticipate that this purchase represents the first of a very
large investment we’ll make in Panasonic 720p equipment,” said Ben
Young Mason, Dreamtime Holdings’ Senior Vice-President, Media. “We
chose the DVCPRO HD models based on NASA’s Digital Television (DTV)
Working Group’s stipulation of 720p as its format of choice, as well
as complete tests that ascertained that the equipment is
broadcast-standard, and equal to or better than anything else on the
market.”
“The small size of the AJ-HDC27A camcorder was a plus,” he
continued. “Most impressive, though, throughout our review process was
the extraordinarily fine support from Panasonic’s sales and technical
staff, who consistently went the extra mile for us.”
Frank Sameshima, Senior Vice President, Panasonic Broadcast, said
“NASA is renowned as a leader in emerging technologies, and
Dreamtime’s selection of 720p DVCPRO HD format illustrates the
tremendous capabilities of progressive scan HD as a documentary and
image analysis tool.”
Mr. Young Mason added, “Together with NASA, we regard HDTV, with
its dramatically improved resolution, as an extraordinary new resource
that will ultimately yield much more information for such utilizations
as observation from space and the analysis of engineering events.”
Panasonic’s DVCPRO HD is a cost-effective high definition
recording format for demanding studio and field production
applications, while providing an effective path for broadcasting of
DTV and HDTV programming. DVCPRO HD is backwardly-compatible with all
DVCPRO50, DVCPRO, DVCAM and DV digital formats.
The AJ-HDC27A’s three 2/3“ CCDs feature 1280 x 720 effective pixel
resolution and an on-chip lens system, providing high sensitivity of
F10 at 2000 lux and excellent smear immunity. By recording on DVCPRO
HD’s high-density 1/4-inch tape, the AJ-HDC27A provides 46 minutes of
high-quality HD images with 720p effective scanning lines onto a
single compact cassette at a 100Mbps video recording rate.
The AJ-HD150 studio VTR delivers high-density 100Mbps recording in
1080i and 720p and breaks the boundaries of conventional VTR design
with its playback compatibility of all professional DV-based formats,
including DVCPRO Progressive, DVCPRO50, DVCPRO, DVCAM and DV.
Headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, Panasonic Broadcast & Television
Systems Co. is a leading supplier of broadcast, professional digital
video and presentation products and systems. Panasonic Broadcast is a
division company of Matsushita Electric Corporation of America, the
principal North America subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial
Co., Ltd., 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.
