WHTM-TV, the ABC affiliate serving central Pennsylvania, has purchased 15 JVC (pro.jvc.com) ProHD cameras for its transition to local HD news production. The new GY-HM790U and six GY-HM750U cameras are part of an overall transition to local HD news production for all stations owned by Allbritton Communications Company, based in Arlington, VA. The company recently standardized on JVC ProHD cameras for studio and ENG use.
In May, WHTM-TV began using its new JVC cameras in the studio in SD mode, but transitioned to HD in October. The studio's three GY-HM790Us are connected via fiber-optic cable, which eliminates the need for triax and additional cable bundles.
Each camera is equipped with a CopperHead ProHD KA-F790 fiber-optic transceiver, a custom module built by Telecast Fiber Systems that provides a direct connection to the camcorder (no external cables).
Photojournalists began using ProHD camcorders in the field in June, and then transitioned from SD to HD in September.
The station said JVC's native file recording on nonproprietary SDHC cards has been a "perfect match" for the station's Adobe Premiere NLE workflow. They made the transition from legacy Digital Betacam tape to nonlinear workflow all at once.
The GY-HM750U delivers 1920 x 1080 images in a lightweight, shoulder-mount form factor. It records at selectable data rates up to 35Mb/s and can record HD footage in 720p, 1080p and 1080i, as well as SD footage (480i). Building on the modular approach of the flagship GY-HM790U, it includes a 68-pin chassis connector that creates a clean, direct interface with various modules. Plus, a new feature allows simultaneous recording to both SDHC cards for instant backup or client copy.
