Panasonic has announced an optional upgrade to its AW-HE40 PTZ cameras. The new AW-SFU01 upgrade adds HD MPEG-4 streaming, in-camera HD recording on a microSD card and USB video/audio capabilities.
   

The upgrade will allow direct-from-camera, production quality audio/video streaming up to 1080/60p 24Mbps. The upgraded IP streaming also enables a single-cable remote production application. In addition, the upgrade allows the HE40 to function as a USB Super-Webcam.

Other aspects of the upgrade include production-quality in-camera HD MPEG-4 video and audio recording to a microSD card at up to 28mbps and increased audio functions like automatic adjustments to the audio input level via Auto Level Control, an Equalizer Setting that can select three types of audio input control – On/Off, Low Cut and Speech – and the use of embedded audio with HD streaming and recording functions.

The AW-SFU01 feature upgrade will be available for purchase in July 2015.