Viper FilmStream CameraNAB2002, April 7, 2002

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Viper FilmStream CameraSummary and Contents

1. Multi-format, multi-frame rate, dual aspect ratio

2. Attractive ergonomics

3. Top-Performance Full-res RGB or YUV Video

4. FilmStream Concept

5. FilmStream Applications

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The THOMSON HD-DPM+ sensor

1920

43209.2 Million pixel CCD(including overscan)

5m

1.25m

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HD-DPM+ 9.2 million pixel CCD sensors

Line n

Line n+1

Line n+2

Line n

Line n+1

1080p 720p

5m

1.25m

1920

4320

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1920

1440

lines

line n-2line n-2

line n-1line n-1

line nline n

line n+1line n+1

line n-3line n-3

Aspect Ratio switching widescreen

Combining 3 vertical pixels

4320 / 3 = 1440 lines

1920x1080p24 in aspect ratio 2.37:1 by combining 3 vertical

pixels and using the centre 1080 lines

1080

lines

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Slow Motion by shooting with 720P60

time

60 frames/second 24 frames/second

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Multi-format, dual aspect ratio

• 1920 x 1080p at 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97 and 30 fps (output formats are psf) and 23.98 fps, with internal 3:2 pull-down

available as 1080i59.94

• 1920 x 1080i at 50, 59.94, 60 Hz

• 1280 x 720p at 50, 59.94, 60 fps and 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97 and 30 fps, with

internal frame repeats available as 59.94, 60, 50, 59.94 and 60 Hz respect.

• Dual aspect ratios: 16:9 or widescreen (2.37:1) in 1080p• All of this without format converters!

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2. Ergonomics

•Very Compact

•VTR Start also on the left side

• Instant viewfinder zoom

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3. Top-Performance Full-res RGB or YUV Video

•RGB 444 full resolution per color 1920 x 1080– Via dual-link HD-SDI– 10 bit per color– Also ideal for blue/green screen and video effects

• Including resizing

•YUV 422 via single link 1.5 Gbps HD-SDI– Simply connects to Voodoo, HD-D5, HD-CAM,

DVCPRO HD• Supported video formats varies per recorder type

•Extensive set of adjustable Video parameters– To create the picture you want

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So, what happens when you put theViper FilmStream Camera

in the

Mode?

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It changes completely!

It turns into a FilmStreamtm Camera

(Then, do not call it a video camera anymore)

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Introduction

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The Video way of shooting

•“Get the best possible result as soon as possible”

•Camera processing targeted to get to the best possible compromise for all kinds of scenes and scene lighting

•Many, many, tools have been invented– Gamma, knee (several parameters), matrix, gain,

white/black balance, contours (many parameters), black stretch,…..

•Most of these processing tools are irreversible

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Non-linear processes in bandwidth limited systems are irreversible(you need the higher order harmonics to reconstruct the original)

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

original

after gamma

best possiblereconstruction afterBW limitation

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Frequency spectraCONVENTIONAL VIDEO CAMERA

CCD signal after A/D

Spectrum after gamma

Spectrum after recording

Spectrum after de-gamma

FILMSTREAM CAMERA

CCD signal after A/D

Spectrum after log

Spectrum after recording

Spectrum after de-log

= distortion products

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The Film way of shooting

•A lot of time and effort is spent to get the right impression in the theatre.

•“The right impression” is not related to optimising mathematical video parameters, but related to the emotion that should be transferred by the picture in combination with the story

•During post production the final result is determined

•Large dynamic range and resolution of Film helps

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The FilmStream Concept

•The FilmStream Concept is based on transferring every detail the CCDs have to offer to post-production– Detail in resolution– Detail in color space

•The Camera processing is completely “non-destructive”– No irreversible processing steps that limit freedom in

post-production– For every color, the full dynamic range of the CCD is

transferred to known data values at the output of the camera

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From photons to bits

FilmStream R-value

red photon count

FilmStream G-value

green photon count

FilmStream B-value

blue photon count

0 0 0 0 0 01 NR1 1 NG1 1 NB1.. .. .. .. .. .... .. .. .. .. .... .. .. .. .. .... .. .. .. .. .... .. .. .. .. ..

1023 >=NMAX 1023 >=NMAX 1023 >=NMAX

R- CCD G-CCD B-CCD

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In practice this means that:

•The FilmStream concept uses Full-Resolution RGB, 1920 x 1080 pixels per color

•No further quantisation, compression or subsampling

•Extremely accurate and reproducible transfer characteristics (logarithmic) that are transparent to post production– “Light to bits”: transparent and reproducible

•The output of the Camera is streaming full-res,10 bit, RGB data using dual link HD-SDI as a carrier– This is called FilmStream

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R-CCD

G-CCD

B-CCD

pre-process

A/D

A/D

A/D

full-featured

signalprocessing

R-CCD

G-CCD

B-CCD

pre-condition

A/D

A/D

A/D

log conversion

(captureeverything)

Video flow

recorder player edit

recorder player

de-log

colorcorrect

pictureadjust

edit

FilmStream flow

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Log curve (close to Kodak’s Cineon curve)

0 1000 2000 3000 40000

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

yx

x

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Why a logarithmic curve?

1. Matches the human visual system perfectly– Eye is more sensitive in darker areas– Use the bits where you need them

2. Is going to be standardised– Or already in use as the Cineon transfer curve

3. Works quite well with the noise characteristics of CCDs

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A way to avoid quantisation artefacts

10 100 1 103

1 104

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

sensor_noisei

quant_noisei

i

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A better way of shooting

•On the set there is no time to tweak camera parameters– And it’s the wrong environment

•When your exposure is about right, you have captured the scene (just like film)– The viewfinder indicates when/where scene parts are

overexposed

•The camera operator can concentrate on framing, focusing, and setting the right exposure

• In post-production you have total freedom to change picture impression in any way you like

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NO adjustable video parameters!

•Changing settings only affects the viewing output– Acts like a Video assist tap– FilmStream output remains rock-solid

•No gain, blacks, and•No White balance!•No control panels

•Color filters can be used to influence the exposure of the CCDs: just like Film

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Block diagram (simplified, FilmStream mode)

R-CCD

G-CCD

B-CCD

pre-condition

A/D

A/D

A/D

log conversion

andmultiplex

full-featured

signalprocessing

signalcalibration

parallelto serial

conversion

simplifiedsignal

processing

inverselog

parallelto serial

conversion

RGB to YUV

conversion

FilmStream

HD-SDIviewingoutput

docking connector

Mode (FilmStream, RGB video, YUV video)

Like a video tap on a film camera

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From field to post

•To record FilmStream data we use a field recorder based on hard-disk technology– Cable from camera to field recorder

•Either the disks are transferred to post-production, or the data is copied to data tape

•Thomson’s Specter recognises the FilmStream transfer characteristics and immediately the material can be processed

• Like importing a DPX file with Cineon material

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Hard Disk Recording at the set by “director’s friend”

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director’s friend•Review material, and even do some color

correction experiments– Data will not be modified

•director’s friend has built-in Look Up Tables (LUT) to convertlog data to video for a viewing monitor

•HD-reel is a robust, universal, very high speed, transfermedium (also within post)

31FilmStream or RGB-video system diagram

HD-SDI viewing

CVBS

director’s frienddf-cineFScapture +

control desk

director’s friendHDreel

portable harddiskstorage

FilmStream/RGB/YUV

HD-SDI viewing, CVBS

Rec. Start

Tally return

Cam. Audio 1x

To post-production SDoff-line

recorder

AJA-HD10HD-SD

converter

Off-line tapeTo off-line editing

More audio

Time code

SDI

(Off-line copy from SDI or CVBS)

HDreel

Dual SCSI / Fiber Channel

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YUV-Video system diagram

Break-outbox

12 V. power

2nd HD-SDI

CVBS

VoodooHD-D5

HD-CAM

YUV Video (HD-SDI)

(Rec. Start)

(Tally return)

Cam. Audio 1x

To post-production SDoff-line

recorder

AJA-HD10MDHD-SD

converter

or

Off-line tapeTo off-line editing

More audio

Time code

On-line tapeSDI

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SD Masters

HD Masters

Film

Non Linear Editing

EDL

D CinemaDeliverable

Auto SelectScanning

SDTV Dailies

Data Master

2K Data

HD TapeHD (YUV) 24p

HDreel DVS HDStation RGB

FilmStream

or YUV/RGB

real-time

SCSI or Fiber Channel

non-real-time file transfer(under investigation)

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Overview, including recordersViper

FilmStream Camera (with Dir. Friend) Option 2 Option 3

On board recorder no yes yesLuminance resolution (H) 1920 1440 960Chroma resolution (H) 1920 480 480

ModeFilmStream,

RGB, YUV YUV YUVQuantisation 10 bit 8 bit 8 bit

Frame rate 24, 25, 30, 50, 60 24, 25, 30 several, max 60Format 1080 and 720 1080 720Aspect ratio 16/9 & 2.37/1 16/09 16/09

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Viper FilmStream CameraSummary

1. Multi-format, multi-frame rate, dual aspect ratio

2. Attractive ergonomics

3. Top-Performance Full-res RGB or YUV Video

4. Unique FilmStream Concept

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