The 'J-SERIES Enhancements'

SONY ENHANCES J-SERIES OF COMPACT VIDEOTAPE PLAYERS WITH i.LINK IEEE-1394 INTERFACE AN TIME CODE

We now have our answer, there is a J3 replacement. Sony has added Firewire and time code outputs to bring the standard definition machine in to line with the HD version.

The wide spread use of 'Firewire' ported cheap offline non-linear editors have been held back by the need to connect in the worlds most popular half inch tape formats. The new J-30 series machines bridge this gap by integrating i-Link connectivity using the industry standard 6pin IEEE-1394 connection, allowing Half-Inch SD Betacam Material to Be Converted to DV Signals and Transferred to Compatible DV Machines.

Since its introduction in 2001, the J series machines have found considerable success with producers and journalists as the desk top player of choice for viewing, logging and feeding material in to non-linear systems.

The series' IEEE-1394 connectivity now enables professional users to migrate easily to a DV environment, allowing half-inch SD Betacam® series materials, even 20-year-old archives, to be converted to a 25 Mbps DV signal and transferred to a compatible DV device via a single digital interface cable.

The new i.Link-equipped models include the J-10, J-10 SDI, J-30, J-30 SDI decks and of course the J-H3.

The J-Series compact players can be easily switched between 525/60 and 625/50 playback modes, enabling world wide operation. The J-10 and J-10 SDI models can play back Betacam SX®, Betacam SP®, and Betacam tape recordings. The J-30 and J-30 SDI models add playback capability for MPEG IMX® and Digital Betacam recordings.

During cassette loading, each format is automatically identified for playback, so no menu settings or switching is necessary. Based on the DVW-250 portable deck and despite their compact size, the J Series Compact Players can play large-size as well as small-size cassettes.

J-Series compact players offer a choice of either analogue component output or SDI output depending on application requirements. While the J-10 and J-30 offer one set of analogue component outputs (BNC x 3) as standard, the J-10 SDI and J-30 SDI offer two SDI outputs (BNC x 2) - including one with superimposition capability. Also, one time code output is provided on the J-10 SDI and J-30 SDI models.

Two channels of analogue audio output are available either through the XLR connectors or RCA pin jacks located on the rear panel of the players. A headphone jack is also provided on the front panel. Access to audio channels can be selected from channels 1/2, 3/4, 5/6(IMX), 7/8(IMX) and cue track (Digital Betacam). Audio is automatically muted for off-speed playback and non-data playback.

i-Link audio is menu selectable with either 2 channel (48k) or 4 channel (32k) modes and selection of any of the above available tracks. For more demanding audio needs, there is fully embedded digital audio on the SDI outputs allowing all channel playback when using third party de-embedders.

Also suited to presentation and demonstration applications, the J Series players incorporate an infrared remote controller, which allows basic operations to be controlled wirelessly. This feature comes in handy for connection to conventional TV monitors, as well as data projectors with composite video or S-video input capability.

For exhibition and demonstration work, a new auto-repeat playback function allows the J-Series compact players to repeatedly play back a portion of a recording designated by setting the in and out points.

The J-30 SDI model can read Unique Material Identifier (UMID), a type of metadata approved as a SMPTE standard (SMPTE-330M) on MPEG IMX and Digital Betacam tapes, and output this data through the SDI interface. The UMID consists of a globally unique number and a material number, used for the identification of recorded material.

The J-Series compact players can scan tapes with Shot Marks and automatically detect their position. After scanning, a list of all marks can be displayed on a video monitor, allowing easy cueing to any mark.

The players measure 307mm wide, 100mm high and 397mm deep in size and weigh 8.1kilogrammes. They are now available, please contact our sales or hire departments.

The J-SERIES is available for Rental and Sales. Please call Sales or Rentals for enquiries.

Visuals Group Technical Department.