At IBC 2023 in Amsterdam, Kinefinity was showing their MC8020 Live Broadcast Camera System for the first time outside of China.
Kinefinity’s MC8020 is a next-generation 4K Live Broadcast Camera System based on the company’s own edge high-performance platform. Unlike a lot of other digital cinema cameras that have been used in this capacity by attaching third-party modules, the MC8020 is a self-contained system and every component is made by Kinefinity.
The MC8020 is based on Kinefinty’s 8K MAVO EDGE camera, but it is tailored for the broadcast market. It can shoot up to 70fps in 8K and it features built-in ND filters and a dual native ISO. Essentially it is taking an existing digital cinema camera and adding components to turn it into a live production camera. This is something we have also seen other companies like Sony and ARRI do.
The MC8020 allows for real-time color adjustment, two-way communication, and all of the other functionality that you would expect from a live broadcast camera. It meets SMPTE ST2082-12 and the latest 12G-SDI protocols required for live applications.
The MC8020 was first used back in January to live broadcast the Haikou Division of the Chinese Super League. In March 2023, a 5G+8K+3D VR ultra-high-definition OB van built by Guangdong Tusheng Ultra-HD Innovation Center was equipped with 8 MC8020 broadcast cameras.
Its efficient 4K EFP system is capable of outputting 4K HDR and 2K HD. The MC8020 can also switch from 4K EFP to 4K ENG/Cine mode to achieve non-live content production.
The MC8020 is already equipped for future 8K HDR productions without requiring the purchase of additional hardware. It will be able to deliver both live 8K EFP production and non-live 8K ENG production via a software upgrade.
The MC8020 system will retail for around $30,000 USD.
