TV TECH: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2024 NAB Show?
JOSEPH D’AMICO: Trends will continue to move forward and expand into AI technology, such as the object-tracking functionality of the latest JVC cameras. This technology allows users to select a person from within a camera frame and track their movement within the field of view. I believe we will find more applications of this technology and PTZ cameras in general.
As 4K products become more accessible to consumers, we are finding a wider range of broadcasters and content creators deploying the technology in the field. This will lead to advances in technology, with resolutions and bandwidths continuously pressed further while demand for smaller, lighter and faster products increases.
Finally, we will see a rise in interest for IP-based remote-controlled cameras and cloud-based workflows that allow organizations to do more with fewer people and equipment, such as in small, one-man studios and home workspaces. This opens the door to people who previously may not have been able to delve into broadcast and production.
TVT: What will be your most important product news?
D’AMICO: We are excited to debut the new JVC KY-PZ540 PTZ Camera with 40x zoom. This is JVC’s first PTZ camera to incorporate that focal depth and it is ideal for large event spaces and instances when it is essential to zoom from a distance. The KY-PZ540 is designed with JVC’s 4K imager and the brand’s renowned Variable Scan Mapping technology, which dynamically scans the 4K sensor to produce a seamless and lossless image transition up to 40x in full resolution HD.
With JVC’s KY-PZ510 technology at its core, the new KY-PZ540 PTZ camera incorporates award-winning features such as AI-enabled advanced SMART automatic tracking operation and NDI-supported IP-based remote operation capabilities. This, coupled with the huge benefit of 40x magnification allows JVC to offer these enhanced solutions at a price point that accommodates a larger segment of customers.
We also recently expanded the auto-tracking capabilities found in the KY-PZ510 to include five new advanced features: Standard, Area, Stage, Wide Area and Fine Adjustment modes, which are also incorporated in the new KY-PZ540. These upgrades provide additional benefits in frame composition, zones and modes of operation.
TVT: How is your new product different from what’s available on the market?
D’AMICO: We asked our key customers what feature was most in demand and their request was for a PTZ camera capable of 40x zoom in 1080/60p mode at an affordable price point, which resulted in the new KY-PZ540. Market-leading features of the KY-PZ540 include integrated NDI HX3 for seamless hassle-free system integration and SRT featuring HEVC and H.264 dual encoding for efficient bandwidth utilization, ensuring higher-quality video at lower bitrates for remote production over the internet (REMI). The KY-PZ540 can also simultaneously output NDI, SRT and RTMPS for hybrid local/remote workflows to deliver the highest-quality distribution to the world’s most popular CDNs.
Beyond the product features, JVC’s professional video division has gained a very strong and loyal professional customer base over its nearly 100-year existence, one that is also very “price versus performance” conscious. Once our customers purchase a JVC product, they quickly realize and appreciate the quality of the innovative engineering integrated into each model, in addition to JVC’s standing for excellent personal service and support.
JVC has a reputation of providing quality products at a price point that makes it accessible to many and we are happy to say that we are introducing the KY-PZ450 at a rate that will surprise many. We believe that affordability shouldn’t be a sacrifice for quality products; it’s a delicate balance.
TVT: What is it about NAB Show that brings you back every year?
D’AMICO: Collaboration among colleagues and the ability to foster partnerships is a big draw. NAB Show is the leading show for content creators and equipment manufacturers to connect, and the organization has continually supported the evolution of our industry over its 100-year history. What once was “the National Association of Radio Broadcasters,” NAB is now synonymous with film, TV, streaming and digital media on a global scale. Similarly, JVC, which pioneered television technology in Japan, is known today for a wide range of video production and viewing solutions that reach across multiple platforms. JVC has been in the industry for quite a long time and with that comes strong relationships. For us, NAB Show has been the avenue by which we’ve launched some of our most ground-breaking solutions, and we look forward to continuing to bring leading technologies to attendees.
