Sony Technology Helps Capture Video for Discovery Channel's Shark Week
Ocean Presence Technologies, the Santa
Cruz, California‐based underwater camera manufacturer, will be utilizing Sony Security's SNCER580
FULL HD (1080P) network surveillance camera in the company's third‐generation
"OceanCam" designed for research, conservation, education, entertainment and emerging
underwater security applications.
The Sony cameras are housed in special "hemispheric domes" -- high‐pressure containers with
some Ultra‐deep models tested to operate at depths of up to 600 feet. The design allows for as
much as 60 percent camera tilt providing exceptional range of visibility. The initial release of the
"OceanCam" in 2006 featured Sony's SNC‐RZ25N PTZ cameras. Following this success, the second-generation
units feature an HD upgrade utilizing Sony's SNC‐RH124 Rapid Dome cameras. This past
Summer, Discovery Channel viewers saw SharkCam footage both online and over cable TV as part
of the broadcaster's annual "Shark Week" event.
This past summer, more than 8.9 million Discovery Channel viewers saw the live view from
the OceanCam inside the Georgia Aquarium's exhibit, the world's largest indoor marine habitat.
This was part of their online and cable TV annual broadcast of "Shark Week". OPT's OceanCam
720p HD utilizing Sony's SNC‐RH124 was also used to capture images of Great White sharks in
South Africa waters for the event.
"Sony's network cameras have been an integral part of our success opening the underwater
world, and the new FULL HD versions with the SNC‐ER580 will take this to the next level," said
Robert Aston, president, Ocean Presence Technologies. "While this will further enhance our core
education, research and entertainment markets, this will also help develop the underwater
security business. Already, we are seeing interest in how this technology can serve in a wide variety
of applications from port security to protecting underwater archeological sites."
Aston added that the SNC‐ER580's onboard recording capabilities are especially helpful when
utilizing the units for research in remote locations. Without it, footage is typically recorded to a
laptop computer connected to the system prior to uplink elsewhere. Recording in the camera itself
saves having to provide power and other support for the laptop, an added overhead that can be
burdensome.
"Ocean Presence Technologies is a great example of the innovative applications that we support
with our surveillance video technology," said Mark Collett, general manager, Sony Security
Systems Division. "Here, our 5th‐generation network cameras are literally on the frontier creating
new opportunities across‐the‐board for innovators. While we have tremendous success in
developing our camera technology, our focus is enabling solutions for applications. Here, now that
educators and broadcasters have discovered the value of underwater surveillance, the security
applications become clear."