San Diego video production company, BizVid Communications, has attended the NAB convention in Las Vegas for several years. It is a great way to witness broad industry transition of technology in both broadcast and video. With the advent of digital, great efficiencies are the order of the day. Thousands of people in various disciplines attend NAB, looking for that special something that will help make their craft easier. And, they come from all over the world.
The big “buzz” at this year’s event is the popularity of SLR video capture. SLR comes in many forms and from various manufacturers like Canon, Minolta and Sony. It is a camera that offers so much flexibility in terms of depth of field, film look and other related aspects. And, it looks just like your standard still picture camera.
Another popular piece of equipment on display this year was the GoPro…a palm sized high def camera built to attach to skis, skateboards, helmets or anything one can imagine. Then there is the Mini-Caster. The Mini-Caster is a compact box that links a video camera to a laptop for instant live stream of video and audio. Also on display were several models of DVD duplicators. These units fit on a desk and can duplicate and label hundreds of disks in a short period of time.
Most of the larger booths provide the visitor with a live demonstration of the product being displayed. Such demonstrations help boost sales for the vendor but, more importantly, provide the visitor with a better understanding of the product itself. A full three days are required to see everything at the NAB. And, there is no better way to see it all then in this venue.