IDX Unveils Uncompressed Wireless Camera Transmission

With new CAM-WAVE HD, no compression also means no signal delay

IDX, maker of battery systems and portable chargers, will show a new low-cost, high-definition version of its CAM-WAVE wireless transmission system at NAB next week that sends uncompressed signals up to 150 feet in line-of-sight shooting, or 100 feet through walls.

Unlike other wireless camera system systems that make use of MPEG-2 or wavelet compression to send signals further that 150 feet, the CW-5HD transmits wireless full-bandwidth uncompressed HD-SDI and SD-SDI images over short distance, with very little latency (they say less than 1 millisecond delay). It supports all ATSC HD video formats with two channels of embedded audio.

The idea was to keep the new HD wireless system small and lightweight, hence the elimination of an internal encoder like those found on other HD warless systems. No compression also means no signal delay, which also plagues other wireless systems. This allows productions to seamlessly intercut cameras using CAM-WAVE HD systems with other wired cameras and avoid lip-sync errors.

The system would seem to be ideal for motion-picture shoots where signal quality captured from an unusual location maybe inside a car) is of the utmost importance. It could also be used in breaking news events where using a cable would be problematic. Users can't send SDI signals generated with the CAM-WAVE HD system over a limited-bandwidth microwave system (today they use asynchronous serial interface signals), so news crews would then send the signal back to the ENG truck, where it would be compressed and sent back to the station for airing of live pictures from the scene. The resulting compressed images would still look better than if they were originally compressed, according to Tony Iwaqmoto, vice president of marketing at IDX. (The unit was developed in IDX's Japan facility.

Designed to operate in the 5.1-5.8 GHz frequencies (meaning no special FCC license is required), the CW-5HD system uses very little power (11w) while sending encrypted MIMO/OFDM signals and weighs 1.7 pounds, with no visible antennas. It will ship with an IDX V-mount, enabling a direct attachment to an IDX battery (with two-hour run time) for rear mounting on a camera. It can also be powered directly by DC.

CAM-WAVE HD system, which will be available in Q3 2008 and cost approximately $6,000 (transmitter and receiver), will be shown in prototype at NAB (booth C8032).

For more information, visit www.idx.tv.

IDX CAM-WAVE HD