Panasonic has announced the immediate availability of the AW-HE870N, a cost-effective, versatile 2/3″ HD/SD convertible camera that supports 1080i/720p/480i image acquisition.

Delivering affordable image capture for a wide range of applications and lighting conditions, the HE870 is compatible with most 2/3-inch motor drive zoom lenses, all current Panasonic Broadcast pan/tilts and controllers, and many third-party systems. The HE870 offers a simple upgrade path to HD for thousands of Panasonic SD camera customers.

The versatility, high video quality, and cost effectiveness of the HE870 makes it ideal for use in education, government, houses of worship, corporate, rental and staging, and other applications. The HE870 is the latest addition to Panasonic’s best-selling lineup of HD convertible cameras, which includes the native 1080i resolution AK-HC1800N and the high-performance AK-HC1500G.

The HE870’s new 38-bit digital signal processor (DSP) and 14-bit A/D converter deliver super-sharp images. The camera’s high sensitivity is measured at f11 at 2000 lux for superb video capture in varied lighting conditions. Panasonic’s advanced spatial-offset, image-processing technologies provide exceptional high definition imaging, and 12-axis color correction allows for precise control and matching of HD video.

The multi-format HE870 provides switchable HD/SD component output at 1080/59.94i, 720/59.94p, or 480/59.94i, along with SD composite output. The optional AW-HHD870 output card adds two distributed SDI outputs (HD/SD switchable) and a Zoom/Focus control port.

The HE870’s other features include: flesh tone noise suppression, shutter speeds ranging from 1/100 to 1/10000 second, a Syncro-Scan mode (61.19 Hz to 1466 Hz) to eliminate flicker when shooting a television or computer monitor, genlock, DC 12V operation, and a low power consumption of 18 watts.

The compact, 2.6-pound AW-HE870 is the same size as Panasonic’s popular AW-E860 SD camera and employs the same connectors and an upgraded version of the same remote control software.

The HE870 is also compatible with Panasonic’s comprehensive line of high performance pan-tilt systems, including the AW-RP655, AW-RP555, AW-RP400, AW-CB400 controllers, and the AW-H360, AW-PH400, AW-PH405 and AW-PH650 pan/tilt heads. The camera is compatible with Fujinon and Canon 2/3″ HD motor drive lenses, and with many other third party peripherals and systems from Telemetrics, Telescript, Telecast and others. Previously installed control systems may require a firmware upgrade to access all of the new camera’s features.

The AW-HE870 is available now at a suggested list price of $11,500. The optional AW-HHD870 HD/SD-SDI output card is available at a suggested list price of $1,995.

About Panasonic Broadcast

Panasonic Broadcast & Television Systems Co. is a leading supplier of broadcast and professional video products and systems. Panasonic Broadcast is a unit company of Panasonic Corporation of North
America. The company is the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation (NYSE Symbol: PC) the hub of Panasonic’s U.S. branding, marketing, sales, service and R&D