A Family of HDV Products for Professionals HVR-A1E PAL based
The new HVR-A1E HDV camcorder complements Sony's first entry into the professional HDV market, the HVR-Z1. Introduced last fall, more than 37,000 units of Sony HDV products have already been delivered to customers worldwide. The new HVR-A1U model now offers professional videographers another option for the capture and playback of HD images. The HVR-A1E offers many of the same features as the HVR-Z1, such as balanced audio, XLR inputs, SMPTE timecode and a Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar® T* Lens. However, its smaller footprint makes this camcorder ideal for applications where space is at a premium or extreme mobility is required. For example, potential applications may include mounting on a skydiver's helmet or placement on the hood of a racecar.

Sony's CMOS sensor produces natural and rich tones for both light and dark areas of an image. To achieve wide dynamic range, EIP technology employs an algorithm that separates image data into its texture patterns and brightness components.

CMOS-based technology helps eliminate the presence of smear, which is created by vertical bands of bright light stretching from the top to the bottom of an image's "bright areas" and occurs when something extremely bright like a pin-point light source is shot.

Sony has reduced the size of the transistors within an image's pixel matrix, allowing for a larger area of the photo-sensitive portion of the pixel and enabling more light to be taken in than with a conventional CMOS sensor. In addition, the Correlated Double Sampling circuits on the sensor achieve extremely low-noise image quality.

Sony's CMOS-based sensor circuitry runs at lower voltage and consumes less power than conventional CCD-based processors, resulting not only in longer battery life but also allowing for the use of smaller batteries so the camcorders can be smaller overall.

The HVR-A1E can record and playback HDV, DVCAM™ and DV content, with the ability to down-convert footage into standard definition. A wide-screen Hybrid LCD monitor is also included. Other key features include:

Professional Media Optimized for HDV Applications

Sony's highest-quality 6mm videotape, DigitalMaster, is the recommended professional media for HDV applications. These 63-minute cassettes (model PHDVM63DM) use Sony's AME (Advanced Metal Evaporated) II Technology and its unique dual-active magnetic layers.

By improving on an already successful product, the new AME II manufacturing process employs Hyper Evaticle IV magnetic grains, improved lubricants, and a refined Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) layer. DigitalMaster tape exhibits greater packing density of magnetic grains, higher retentivity, higher output and lower noise. The result is a more robust tape with 60% fewer dropouts and 90% fewer errors.