Audio Video News

Looking ahead to the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which will be a major event in the development of an 8K ecosystem, Sharp has introduced of the world’s first 8K camcorder.

Developed in collaboration with 8K image specialist Astrodesign and aimed at broadcasters, the 8C-B60A professional camcorder captures 10-bit 8K (7680 x 4320) video at 60 frames per second (fps). It will sell for $77,600 when it becomes available in December.

From the press release Sharp issued in Japan:

Besides the ability to shoot images in high resolution 8K (60p), this camcorder is designed to offer ease of use in shooting and recording and to lessen the burden on the camera operator in the post-recording editing process. The 8C-B60A’s image pickup device is a large, Super 35-mm-equivalent CMOS image sensor with 33 million pixels. Compression utilizes a coding method that exerts minimal burden on the CPU, thus enabling efficient 8K (60p)-image editing and approximately 40 minutes of continuous recording (when using the bundled 2-TB SSD pack). Because it allows real-time output of 8K uncompressed images at the same time that recording is taking place, the 8C-B60A can be used for live transmissions as well.

With this professional-use camcorder as the entry point to the creation of 8K images, Sharp is striving to disseminate 8K image content in its aim of establishing an 8K ecosystem at the earliest possible date.

Japanese public broadcaster NHK will broadcast the 2020 Olympics in 8K and expects to offer full 8K service by 2020. “The Olympics and Paralympics are the best possible content for displaying the immediacy of 8K and also a splendid opportunity to show Japanese broadcasting technology and culture to the world,” chief engineer Yasuto Hamada said at the time of the announcement. “For the engineers, this is tremendously motivating.”

For detailed specs of Sharp’s 8C-B60A camcorder, visit sharp-world.com.