JVC’s GY-HMQ10

The JVC GY-HMQ10 is the first handheld camcorder capable of capturing and recording 3840 x 2160 images at 24p, 50p and 60p. The camera employs an F2.8 to F4.5, 10X, f=6.7mm-67mm (42.4mm-424mm) zoom lens specifically designed for 4K imaging. The HMQ10 employs optical stabilization.

A high-speed 1/2.3in back-illuminated CMOS sensor with 8.3 million active photosites (3840 x 2160) captures progressive images at up to 60fps. Data from the sensor are processed using an array of custom JVC Falconbrid LSI chips that deBayer the image and provide image control, while simultaneously compressing four video streams that are recorded onto four solid-state memory cards. Two-channel 48kHz, 16-bit audio is recorded using AAC compression.

Each full HD (1920 x 1080) stream is compressed using AVC/H.264 (.MP4) at 36Mb/s for an aggregate data rate of 144Mb/s. Recordings up to two hours in length can be made using four 32GB SDHC cards.

The unit also functions as a full 4K2K HD camcorder capable of recording 1920 x 1080 at 50/60p or 50/60i onto a single memory card using the AVCHD format. Two-channel 48kHz, 16-bit audio is recorded using AC3 compression. The recording maximum data rate is 24Mb/s.

Operation and form factor are similar to JVC’s GY-HM150, with manual or auto focus, plus white balance, gain, shutter-speed and aperture controls. A pair of XLR jacks with 48V phantom power, manual audio level controls and audiometers are provided.

The camera has a 3.5in, 920,000-pixel LCD display with touch panel, as well as a 0.24in, 260,000-pixel LCOS viewfinder.

Quad HD technology

Every 1/24, 1/50 or 1/60 of a second, 8.3 million (3840 x 2160) photosites are read-out from the CMOS sensor. These data comprise four full HD quadrants. (See Figure 1.)

Each Falconbrid chip carries out the following actions on data from its quadrant: deBayering, necessary gamma and color matrix functions, and then it provides output to three paths. One path provides image data to the Falconbrid on-chip H.264/AVC encoder. After compression, each Falconbrid sends 36Mb/s of data to one of four SDHC card slots. The second path is to the HDMI output port for that quadrant. With four active HDMI ports, the HMQ10 can feed some, but not all, 4K2K monitors. (These four ports, during Quad HD playback, become a source for a 4K2K display.)

The third path feeds a quadrant of the image to the LCD, the viewfinder and one HDMI port. The image output by HDMI “A” port is full HD video. (During Quad HD playback, the camera can optionally output a user-positioned full HD crop.)