8K ROI (Region of Interest) Live Video Production Camera Technology

8K ROI is specialized live production camera system that brings you a revolutionary workflow enhancement for shooting sports events, concerts, and on studio sets. ROI stands for "Region of Interest." The concept is simple, take one 8K image canvas, and crop up to four separate HD video outputs from it and feed them as four independent sources to your switcher.

Panasonic has developed a new 8K ROI (Region of Interest) multi-camera system, changing the landscape of broadcast production by allowing up to four different HD images to be produced from a single 8K camera.

The system improves operational efficiency, by allowing four separate crops from an 8K image canvas, reducing operating costs on a multitude of potential production applications.

Featuring automated picture correction technology, the camera system also ensures that any distorted images are corrected and cropped with a natural, cut out, Full HD image from within the main 8K image.

Camera views can be controlled directly or be driven in response to moves made by a master camera view. In this mode an operator controls one master camera view which is linked to further sub-cameras; responses are pre-programmed during set up. After set up is complete, a single operator can control multiple cameras from the 8K ROI view. This system can be expanded to multiple linked 8K ROI cameras, so a single master camera operator can drive multiple views from multiple camera positions, driving six or more shots for a cost-effective single operator, multi-camera production.

Multiple 8K Multi-Purpose Camera units (maximum of 8 units) can be connected and operated as one integrated system. By setting one crop area in the main frame and linking it to other crop areas, pan, tilt and zoom on the multiple crop images operate in link with the panning, tilting and zooming on the main frame. This allows improving operational efficiency in multi-camera/multi-angle recording or broadcasting.

This function automatically corrects, in real time, wide-angle distortion of images cropped from the image periphery away from the center image. This results in natural-looking videos as if the camera images were individually panned or tilted.

The 8K ROI live production camera system is ready to be taken on the road. The cameras incredible industrial design has been optimized for quick installs, varying on-site conditions, and the hazards of the road.

The full 8K ROI camera system can be configured from the following options / components:

8K Camera Head

• AK-SHB800GJ (LC connector model)
• AK-SHB800PSJ (ST connector model)

Image Processing Unit

• AK-SHU800EJ (LC connector model)
• AK-SHU800PSJ (ST connector model)

Framing Control Software Key

• AK-SFC101

Remote Operation Panel

• AK-HRP1000 / AK-HRP1005

The system is able to reduce operational costs dramatically on many common events, making it well suited to sports broadcasting, staging and studio applications. In addition, it helps increase revenue within live events because less space is required to house cameras within venues.

The new 8K ROI camera system is developed to bring an automated workflow to your live production. All “regions of interest” can be configured to move simultaneously as you make adjustments to your primary crop window. This allows you to keep focused on the action by reducing the need for re-framing each individual region during the live production.

“By changing from multiple cameras to Panasonic’s newly launched 8K region of interest camera, production companies are able to significantly reduce costs without impacting on the immersive experience they are looking to create,” said Michael Bergeron, Product Manager of Studio Camera Systems at Panasonic. “To date, 8K has been reserved for only niche usage. These developments bring it down to earth, to a level that can benefit the entire industry.”

SVG News: NFL Pro Bowl: ESPN Further Experiments With 8K Technology

To stay ahead of the technological curve, ESPN is researching potential regular-season applications of 8K equipment. Although it’s only one camera, it packs a punch that can possibly enhance games on a more regular basis.

“The idea is to have four pan-and-scans in this one 8K frame, so we’ll be doing varying levels of electronic zoom and tracking the ball manually,” says Carter. “We’re looking at the technology to see the actual physics of the lens. It’s great to have the image in high resolution, but is it sharp and in focus? We just want to test the viability and feasibility of using a single camera for multiple camera feeds.”

If you'd like to give this system a try on your premises or to get more information for a future install, please reach out to us to schedule a demo. You can also see the system in action at most of the industry events we are involved in. Be sure to look at our events calendar for our upcoming schedule or reach out to one of our business development managers.