ARRI had their full camera line-up on display at IBC 2015 in Amsterdam including the 65mm digital cinema top dog ALEXA 65, the latest ALEXA Mini and upcoming ALEX A SXT cameras as well as the documentary oriented ARRI AMIRA. arri-amira-ef Slated for release later in September, the upcoming SUP 3.0 for the AMIRA, the camera will receive some really exciting new features including 4K UHD recording, MPEG2 HD 422 at 50Mb/s recording for full integration with broadcast workflows, in addition to Wi-Fi control from smart phones and tables. The key new feature of AMIRA SUP 3.0 is the ability to record MPEG-2 422P@HL at 50 Mbit/s in an MXF wrapper. This XDCAM-compatible MPEG-2 recording format allows television productions to take advantage of AMIRA's superior image quality and ergonomics, while utilizing a low-bandwidth codec that can easily be integrated into typical broadcast environments and workflows.
Recording MPEG-2 MXF with AMIRA ensures 100% compatibility with the format already used by many low budget or time-pressured television productions, for which a streamlined workflow through ingest, editing and post is vital. This cost-efficient format minimizes the number of memory cards needed on set, but also reduces post-production and archiving costs through reduced data rates and seamless integration with standard tools. In another exciting news from IBC 2015 from ARRI, SUP 3.0 will enable full support for the lower cost Lexar CFast 2.0 128GB and 256GB media cards, which we also supply. Having more alternatives for CFast 2.0 media is a great money saving option for customers as the media format is relatively new and still quite high priced.
In order to further ease the integration of AMIRA into fast-paced television production environments, a new audio accessory will be released. Taking the form of an extension to the back of the camera body, it will equip AMIRA with a slot for a portable audio tuner/receiver. This will allow signals to be received wirelessly from either the sound recordist's mixer or straight from radio microphones, accommodating the needs of ENG-style productions that capture audio directly in-camera, but value the most cable-free configuration possible.
Other features of SUP 3.0 will include a versatile camera remote control interface for multi-camera live or scripted productions; Super 16 mm lens support; an intervalometer function for time-lapse applications; and a host of general usability enhancements. Check out this video from IBC in which AMIRA product manager Markus Duerr explains the latest camera updates, including new codecs, improved audio options and an intervalometer function for time lapse sequences. Over here at Visual Impact we're very proud to be an official ARRI dealer and to be supplying the UK broadcast industry with the AMIRA, Alexa XT and new SXT, as well as the very successful ALEXA MINI. We've can also supply their PCA professional accessories range, in addition to all required accessories for the AMIRA and ALEXA cameras. For all your ARRI needs get in touch with our ARRI specialist at 0208 977 1222.