NAB 22: IntoPix Show TICO-RAW Enabling 8Kp60 on the Z9 and TICO-XS under 1 Gbps
IntoPix used NAB 2022 to show 8K/60p capture with the Nikon Z9 as well as 8K over a 1 Gbps ethernet connection using TICO-XS, its implementation of the JPEG-XS mezzanine compression standard. We have previously covered IntoPix’s 8K-enabling technologies in a two-part series, with this article focusing on JPEG-XS and this one on TICO-RAW. The IntoPix booth at NAB 2022 was small but densely packed.
In Vegas, I went straight for the demo I was most eager to see – Nikon’s Z9 the affordable 8K capture solution capable of 60 fps, which is my absolute minimum for any shooting above HD.
The camera uses N-Raw, which is Nikon’s format, but that is based on TICO-RAW technology. IntoPix told me that TICO-RAW makes 60p feasible on the Z9 thanks to the lower space requirements and – what I’d missed previously – thanks also to lengthening battery lifespan. The Z9 is intended to be taken out of the studio, so the processing required by a native format must be minimal and highly efficient.
The TICO-RAW demo was created with night shots of the Las Vegas Strip from the evening before with the Nikon Z9 capturing in 8K/60p. The footage was then stored on a PC in the .nev format and imported into the latest Davinci Desolve (just released for NAB). I trusted IntoPIX that it was native 8K because the Davinci Resolve screen output was limited to a 4K window in the demo setup. This limitation was probably due to PC power limitations.
In another part of the booth, the virtues of the industry initiative JPEG XS were extolled. The format we discussed previously has since been used within more IP Workflows and most notably by CCTV for Olympics Games production.
As the industry continues its move to all IP, a critical advantage of TICO-XS (IntoPIX’s implementation of JPEG-XS) is its ability to use low-grade Ethernet, which is limited to below 1 Gbps. Indeed, 8K 30fps 4:4:4 was being demonstrated at Vegas at 930 Mbps, thus avoiding the requirement for a fiber connection.
Since the end of NAB, IntoPix has already announced the combination of the JPEG XS codec with a new Flawless Imaging Profile (FIP). The Belgian company claims that this will let its clients stay ahead of the game in 4K/8K AV distribution. We will be investigating this in the coming weeks.
