Red demos live 8K streaming from V-Raptor

Red Digital Cinema has made it possible to stream live 8K cinematic (RAW R3D) images direct from its V-Raptor and V-Raptor XL cameras, opening up what it says is “an extraordinary range of creative applications from live broadcast to virtual production to true 8K VR.”

Red showcased live streaming of 8K60P to VR headsets enabled by Microsoft and Meta at the Microsoft booth.

The 8K stream is fed live from the cameras via the Red Connect Module (pictured above) over IP to a camera control unit (CCU).

The module attaches securely to the back of the V-Raptor and V-Raptor XL cameras via the V-Lock battery mechanism. The high-speed data connection is created by connecting the module to the camera’s CFexpress media slot. A single ethernet cable is used for the connection.

The module enables live streaming up to 8K at 120fps or 4K at 240fps, as well as all other frame rate and resolution combinations offered by the camera.

Red’s innovative partners, including COSM, Media.Monks, and NVIDIA, have been testing Red Connect and the module in real-world applications over the past 18 months.

Lewis Smithingham, Media.Monks SVP of innovation, said: “The opportunity to leverage uncompressed 8K end-to-end presents a tremendous opportunity for broadcasters, filmmakers and immersive video in particular. Uncompressed 8K delivers on the promise of VR, and when combined with stereo lensing, produces a sense of presence never experienced before.”

Jeff Goodman, Red Digital Cinema vice president of product management, added: “Live streaming of full-quality R3Ds over IP at every resolution and framerate, combined with Red’s sensor capabilities, creates an entirely new paradigm for content creation and broadcast. In early release testing, our customers have been blowing us away by what they have been able to produce.”

The Red Connect Module is priced at US$14,995, with Red Connect licenses available for one year or as a perpetual license.