MAYWOOD, NEW JERSEY, August 29, 2007--Television coverage of the nation‘s premier tennis tournament, the U.S. Open (August 27-September 9), is being captured in unsurpassed HD quality by F&F Productions LLC, which has chosen the newly released Ikegami HDK-79EC HD Native Multi-Format CMOS Camera Systems for its newest mobile production unit, the GTX-15, a Double Expando. As the fourth unit in F&F‘s all-HD fleet, the GTX-15 was outfitted with select technology that reflects the company‘s long experience in providing mobile HD production services. This technology also includes space-saving Ikegami Multi-Format LCD HDTV/SDTV monitors in 22- and 17-inch sizes.
“We are long-time users of Ikegami cameras, and we know that they stand behind their products,” says Bill McKechney, F&F Productions‘ VP of Engineering. “From image quality to service, Ikegami performance has always been top-notch. We built the GTX-15 to be absolutely state-of-the-art. The key to achieving this objective was the design of the mobile unit and outfitting it with the most advanced equipment available at this time. The result is the delivery of ultimate picture quality, ultimate audio quality, and a high level of production comfort in an extremely efficient and diverse mobile unit.”
A leader in the live television production industry for nearly three decades, F&F Productions debuted its new GTX-15 mobile unit at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, Queens NY loaded with a wide range of Ikegami technology to capture the action of the U.S. Open in outstanding HD. In addition to its Ikegami HDK-79EC HD Native Multi-Format CMOS Camera Systems, the truck - which is capable of accommodating up to 24 CCU‘s with three complete video positions - is also equipped with two Ikegami HDL-50 compact full digital HD cameras for POV shots and Ikegami HLM-1710WR and HLM-2200 Multi-Format HD LCD monitors. The use of Ikegami SE-79D System Expanders will give F&F flexibility between handheld or “hard” camera set-ups for its HDK-79EC HD CMOS cameras. Each System Expander includes a very large 9-inch 16:9 color LCD viewfinder, with an especially wide viewing angle and low lag, which is critical for the viewfinder application.
Ikegami‘s mastery of CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductors) technology, which provides such advantages as reduced power consumption, multi-format HD video capture, and high-speed imaging capabilities, was an important factor in F&F‘s selection of the HDK-79EC. “We feel that CMOS represents the next generation of cameras,” McKechney states. “CMOS lends itself very well to multi-standard HD, and we fully expect it will prove superior to past acquisition systems.”
An historic addition to the Ikegami product line, the HDK-79EC employs three 2/3-inch 2.5 Mega-pixel specified CMOS imaging sensors to achieve supreme picture quality and multi-format HD performance. These 1920H x 1080V active-pixel CMOS sensors are the first of their kind in the broadcast television industry and are switchable between interlace and progressive readout modes. Providing a full 16:9 aspect ratio, the HDK-79EC‘s CMOS sensors provide: 1080/60i, 1080/24p, and 720/60p. Also available are optional 50Hz formats, 1080/50i and 720/50p, and high-speed dual-link 1080/60p, and for Super Slow Motion, 720/120i.
Incorporating Ikegami‘s sophisticated Chip C4 ASIC video processing technology, the HDK-79EC HD Native Multi-format CMOS Camera System can be configured to use with either triax or SMPTE fiber camera cable. Additional system components include the CCU-790A full-digital camera control unit with built-in broadcast down-converter and the CB-79HD/TA-79HD Triax Adaptor System.
In addition to the exquisite HDTV image quality that Ikegami‘s HDK-79EC HD Native Multi-Format CMOS Camera Systems provide, F&F has also factored in the durability of Ikegami equipment into their purchase decision. “Our cameras are exposed to all of the elements,” says McKechney. “They get subjected to rain, snow, cold, ice - you name it. We have found that Ikegami cameras keep performing in any of those conditions.”
With fierce competition expected on the courts, F&F Productions GTX-15 will assist in capturing every historic moment in stunning High Definition and “F&F is pleased to have the quality and full support of Ikegami” concludes McKechney.
Ikegami Electronics (U.S.A.), Inc. is a leading supplier of professional broadcasting products in the Western Hemisphere. With U.S. offices in New Jersey, California, Florida, Texas, and Illinois, the Ikegami name is recognized worldwide for its state-of-the-art television cameras and closed-circuit TV equipment. Ikegami‘s universal High Definition TV cameras have been widely accepted by the broadcast industry as it continues the transition to the High Definition Television Format.
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For more information and the location of the Regional Office nearest you, call Ikegami‘s Maywood NJ headquarters at 201-368-9171 or visit www.Ikegami.com.
For more information on F&F Productions, LLC call F&F headquarters at 727-535-6776 or visit www.fandfproductions.com or e mail conniev@fandfproductions.com
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