Spring Sale
• March 2008

Demo Facilities
• The White Rooms

Solid State Logic
• Solid State Logic

Sony Broadcast
• Sony Broadcast

Apple Computers
• Apple Pro Store

Digidesign Pro Tools
• ICON from GearBox
• Pro Tools Sales

Panasonic Broadcast
• Panasonic Broadcast

Products
• All Sales Products

MediaStore
• Media Storage Products

Finance
• Azule Finance

Spring 2007 Brochure
• Download (PDF)

In a significant development, GearBox has been appointed as an authorised Panasonic Broadcast dealer, signalling a move by the company into video acquisition products. Until now, the Broadcast Video division of GearBox has been focused primarily on non-linear editing and HD post production equipment but GearBox managing director Richard Eastwood says the growing relationship with Panasonic Broadcast means much more than the company just ‘getting into cameras’.

“SD is practically dead and tape has a limited lifespan,” Eastwood commented. “ We believe the future is ‘Tapeless’ and belongs to Panasonic's DVCPROHD format and its P2 memory card. Every economic and technical argument says this – and so does every broadcaster that has tested the technology, including the BBC, who have announced that DVCPROHD is the most cost effective HD format in the industry.”

Eastwood added that the GearBox emphasis on systems and solutions meant that it would concentrate on providing integration solutions for Panasonic HD products and non-linear editing systems, particularly Apple’s Mac Pro based Final Cut Studio, and Avid’s DNA generation non-linear editing systems.

“It’s important to us that we continue to find new ways to successfully integrate HD acquisition and post production,” Eastwood said. “In many ways, the shiny new HD future that has been talked about at NABs for at least 15 years is finally being delivered at a production level for everyone in the industry.”

Panasonic’s P2 product range already includes a Studio Deck with five slots for reading PCMCIA data, a P2 transfer unit that works at 20 times real-time and, most excitingly, a P2-Cam camcorder with five P2 slot capacity as a standard accessory. The triple CCD, 2/3-inch camcorder also has two slots for wireless LAN card and SD memory card, plus USB2.0 and FireWire interfaces. Panasonic will also be releasing an HD version in the early part 2007.

Eastwood added: “There are so many benefits that can be gained through a well-structured workflow that it makes no sense to say, ‘here’s a really great new camera but we’ll work out the details when you get back with some footage’. It’s the efficiencies of new working methods that can deliver what used to be impossible – and if you realise the potential of the new technology, that’s when you see that the true cost of old SD versus new HD is now a level playing field.”

Nigel Wilkes - Panasonic Broadcast’s HD Business Development Manager commented – “I have been working very closely with GearBox for the past 6 years. They started with one HDD5 VTR and now operate one of the largest rental fleets of Panasonic HD VTRs in Europe. We are very pleased to welcome GearBox on-board as an authorised Panasonic Broadcast Dealer and are especially pleased they have made the decision to invest in our new generation of P2 HD equipment.”

GearBox already has a proven track record with Panasonic Broadcast HD equipment and indeed with HD technology in general. The company operates one of the most significant rental stocks of Panasonic HD equipment in Europe, including the AJ-HD3700BE, AJ-HD1200AE and new AJ-HD1400AE VTR machines, the new AGH-VX200 cameras, the BT-LH2600W, and BT-LH1700W LCD video monitors and theAJ-FRC27 frame rate converters. GearBox is renowned for having made an early entry into the HD rental market by investing heavily HD rental equipment when SD was still the norm.

See also:
Panasonic Broadcast