ALEXA to the Xtreme

ARRI has unveiled the ALEXA 35 Live Xtreme, a camera that reportedly brings high frame rate output of up to 8x to live productions using traditional SDI workflows. Together with ARRI’s Live Production System LPS-1, the camera has been designed to enhance the creative options for producers and directors.

The ALEXA 35 Live Xtreme comes permanently pre-installed with the existing High Speed License for ALEXA 35 and a new High Frame Rate SDI License. When combined with the ARRI LPS-1 Fiber Camera Adapter and Fiber Base Station (and a standard slow-motion playout server such as SimplyLive or EVS), the camera outputs HFR at up to 8x in HD or 2x in UHD. Up to 4x HFR can be output via a single SDI connector, and higher speeds are split across both SDI outputs.

Frame rates up to 330fps use the camera’s full dynamic range of 17 stops, while a Sensor Overdrive mode enables frame rates up to 480fps at a dynamic range of 11 stops. Whatever frame rate is chosen for the slow-motion feed, the system simultaneously outputs a live feed for broadcast, allowing operators to switch between the programme frame rate and HFR in real time. A phase-blending feature provides control over motion blur and shutter effects in the live feed.