JVC’s GY-HM650 dual codec features a dock to plug in a Verizon 4G LTE modem.
WAYNE, N.J.—JVC looks to spend the 2013 NAB Show riding the wave created by the massive rollout of 4G LTE cellular network infrastructure by Verizon.
“The world is changing for ENG with the advent of the rapid deployment of 4G LTE technology,” said Dave Walton, assistant vice president of marketing and communications for JVC Professional Products Co. The company’s theme, being hammered home in advertising and marketing materials, is “When the Story is Red Hot, There’s No Time to Waste.”
To take advantage of Verizon’s 4G LTE deployment, JVC has rolled out a v2.0 upgrade to the firmware in its GY-HM650 dual codec camcorder, which allows live transmission of HD video back to the newsroom by plugging in a single Verizon 4G LTE modem.
“The GY-HM650 is unique in its own right, because it’s a small ENG camera that has two codecs,” Walton said. “That allows you to create full HD files for recording onto memory cards while creating a different encoded signal.” By adding 4G LTE capability, JVC has produced a compact liveshot-capable camera that can go live from an ever-growing number of 4G LTE-served locations.
“By plugging in the Verizon 4G LTE modem, you can now transmit an HD signal live from the camera back to the station,” Walton said. That can be done as you’re recording and doing your news shoot.”
ONE OF SEVERAL ENG SOLUTIONS
Walton estimates that Verizon’s 4G LTE deployment has vastly improved from a year ago. “It’s 300 percent better than it was two years ago and about 500 percent better than it was three years ago,” he said.
But there will still be some locations where only microwave and satellite can return a live shot, or locations where the cellular networks provide “3G or flaky 4G,” which might require a bonded cellular solution, according to Walton, but the 2.0 upgrade to the GY-HM650 camcorder allows stations to equip every news crew with a simple liveshot capability.
“Going forward, as we look out a year, two, three, four years from now, we believe that a good percentage of live field acquisition can utilize that network with our single modem solution,” he said. “And for broadcasters that are in a budget crunch, who want to have wide deployment of live capability, there are a lot of benefits to doing so with this camera.”
Walton pointed out that the GY-HM650 camera also has WiFi capability and that one broadcaster tested the camera with a 4G cell phone, which was configured as a hot spot.
Customers who currently own GYHM650s will be able to add the 2.0 features at no charge with a firmware upgrade.
JVC is also introducing the GY-HM70U, a full-sized, shouldermount camcorder capable of recording at 1080/60p, 1080/60i, and 480/60i (SD) in the AVCHD Progressive format to dual SDHC/SDXC memory cards.
JVC will also launch a pair of monitors: The PS-840YUD Professional Series ProVérité is a 4K 84-inch LCD monitor, with a native screen resolution of 3840 x 2160 and 10 bit color depth. The DT-F9L5U 8.2-inch portable/ studio monitor is ideal as a camera viewfinder or field production monitor. It sports a 1280 x 800 pixel array and mercury-free white LED backlight.
JVC will be in Booth C4314 in the Central Hall.
