PANAVISION INTRODUCES LIGHTWEIGHT SOLID STATE RECORDER FOR THE GENESIS CAMERA SYSTEM

World’s smallest and highest capacity uncompressed solid state recorder is capable of recording industry standard single or dual link SMPTE 292M and SMPTE 372M HDSDI data streams

October 11, 2007—Woodland Hills, Calif. —Panavision today introduced the Panavision SSR‐1, a next‐generation lightweight solid state recorder capable of docking to the Panavision Genesis® Digital Camera System or Sony’s F23.
 

With an SSR‐1 recorder either top‐ or rear‐mounted, the Genesis camera can now also be used as easily as the lightest‐weight professional camera for handheld shooting situations, Steadicam® production or shots inside a car.  A Genesis camera with the SSR‐ 1 weighs just 21.5 lbs.

The announcement was made by Bob Beitcher, Panavision President and CEO.
 

Weighing under six pounds, Panavision’s SSR‐1 provides the same recording  functions as the tape‐based Sony SRW‐1 recorder commonly used with the Genesis system but with a seven pound weight savings.  Both devices can record 1080P 4:4:4 or 4:2:2 at the customary fixed speeds formats, including 23.98P, 25P and 29.97P fps along with variable speeds capability.

The SSR‐1, however, brings all of the advantages of solid‐state recording to Genesis and F23 users, including instant access to all recorded takes (no tape cueing or shuttling is required), and no required pre‐roll . The SSR‐1 consumes less power than its tape counterpart, providing roughly 40 percent more operational time than the SRW‐1 without changing batteries.

Of primary importance to today’s movement to seamless production and post‐ production workflow, the SSR‐1 records in industry standard uncompressed single or double link HDSDI form, allowing seamless transfer to HDCAM SR.

A small lightweight companion docking station, the SSRD  provides HDSDI and audio outputs for footage recorded on the SSR‐1.  The SSRD can be used for record/playback on the set or in a post‐production setting.
 

“Our new SSR‐1 recorder is one more critical piece of a new generation of production tools that Panavision is developing for the global entertainment community,” said Beitcher.  “We selected solid state technology rather than hard drive because it is more reliable, lighter and quieter, and consumes less power.  With the options of an SSR‐1 or an SRW‐1, our customers will have significantly additional flexibility in their use of Genesis and the F23.

“The introduction of the SSR‐1 continues the innovation and attention to customer needs that have been the Panavision tradition for more than 50 years.  We’re pleased to make it available to our community.”

The SSR‐1 solid state digital recorder features the following specifications:

• Uncompressed 4:4:4 (SMPTE 372M) or 4:2:2 (SMPTE 292M) recording
• 20‐minute capacity in 23.98 fps 4:4:4 SP mode
• 40‐minute capacity in 23.98 fps 4:2:2 LP mode
• Variable speeds from 1‐30