Detroit Public TV, WTVS, has built a 35ft high-definition production truck that includes six Grass Valley LDK 3000 HD cameras with LCD viewfinders, a Kayak 2M/E HD production switcher and a K2 Dyno HD replay system.
The new truck complements the station's new HD production studio, which features four Grass Valley Infinity camcorders and a Kayak 1.5M/E switcher in the control room. The new cameras will be used in both the studio and the field in stand-alone and system configurations.
The new HD equipment was installed onboard the truck (built by Gerling & Associates) by Bennett Systems, in Sunbury, OH. It is being used to cover a wide variety of local and national culture, arts, public affairs and lifestyle programs in the 1080i HD format, as well as fundraising programs for national public television audiences.
The Infinity cameras in the studio are configured with a Telecast Fiber Systems CopperHead INF fiber-optic camera transceiver, which provides a robust fiber-optic link between the Infinity DMC camcorder and WTVS’ new HD truck or production control room transforming the camcorder into a full system camera. The LDK 3000 uses full-bandwidth HD triax transmission to allow cable runs up to 1200m (3900ft) or 2400m (7800ft) with a triax repeater. Like other cameras in the LDK family, it utilizes existing accessories such as the SuperXpander long lens adapter.
The K2 Dyno HD replay system is composed of Grass Valley's K2 Dyno controller coupled with the new K2 Summit production client. The system is designed to help production professionals capture live events in crystal-clear HD resolutions and instantly play them out at variable speeds for critical analysis during fast-paced events.
