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"The trend is to build smaller, better and more cost-effective HD equipment," said John Rhodes, product-line manager for system cameras and switchers at Panasonic Broadcast. "The HS50 takes up only half a rack and can fit inside a computer case, but still provides four HD/SD-SDI inputs and a MultiViewer."

Despite its size and low cost, the switcher also can deliver 10-bit 4:2:2 HD or SD live switching. It supports a variety of high- or standard-definition formats.

The switcher could be particularly useful for broadcasters or producers in creating a live mix of a two- or three-camera shoot.

"Being able to do a live HD mix and having it available immediately is a big money and time saver," said Rhodes.

The switcher, which will begin shipping this summer, will be sold separately or as part of a larger "50 Series" video-production system that includes the AW-HS50 switcher, the AW-RP50 remote camera controller and the new AW-HE50 multi-format HD/SD camera with an integrated pan-tilt-zoom mechanism.

The 50 Series system is Panasonic's first complete Internet-protocol production system, capable of handling up to 100 AW-HE50 cameras. It also offers a more traditional RS422 serial control that can handle up to five cameras and five pan-tilt heads.

While the Series 50 system is ideal for video conferencing, big corporate campuses, educational institutions and distance learning, Rhodes also expects the system and its individual components to be widely deployed in the broadcast, news, sports and cable arenas.

"When we first introduced [an earlier product], the AW-HE100 [pan tilt multi-format camera system] about a year and a half ago, we thought primarily of the institutional market, but soon found that it got a lot of use in broadcast and production for things like reality TV or news broadcasts of remote feeds," he said. "Several organizations used it to shoot radio shows for airing on cable. It doesn't pay to put an entire TV crew in a radio studio to shoot a show like that, but doing it remotely gave you a very cost-effective way of taking that content and put it on cable."

The system might also be appealing to smaller stations, churches and corporate facilities.

"The HS50 and RP50 are both half-rack units, so in a single rack, you would have an entire control room and switcher," Rhodes noted.

The new cameras that were announced as part of the 50 Series also provide a number of advances over previous generations of pan-tilt-zoom cameras. "They are smaller, lighter and less costly, which means they can be used in a lot of situations where the [earlier generation] HE100 would be too large or obtrusive," Rhodes said. "You could put it in a NASCAR [vehicle] or at the top of a ski jump."

Despite smaller size and lower cost, the HE50 comes with several features that improve its HD images. Rhodes estimated that the camera's resolution is about 25% to 35% better than the previous generation and said Panasonic has reduced the amount of image noise.

The camera also uses Panasonic's Dynamic Range Stretch technology, which improves the camera's ability to capture details in both shadows and highlights.

"Normally, if you adjust exposure for the shadows, you'll then blow out the highlights," Rhodes noted. "This helps deal with a very common problem with producing in poor light."

The cameras come in two versions. The AW-HE50H, which offers a HDMI output, is generally targeted to smaller HD videoconference, corporate and distant learning environments. The more expensive AW-HE50s, with genlock and an HD/SD-SDI output, is targeted to more demanding applications for broadcast, sports, reality TV, cable TV, church and larger video-communications systems.

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