Students Gain "Real World" Experience With Upgraded Digital Studio

Wayne, New Jersey (August 20, 1998) – The University of Wisconsin at River Falls has joined the flock migrating to DIGITAL-S with the recent upgrade of its 25-year-old television studio to JVC PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTS COMPANY's 4:2:2 digital videotape format.

Purchasing JVC's DIGITAL-S equipment was Phase 1 of the University's three-tiered plan designed to bring the campus television studio current with industry broadcast and production standards. Before the conversion, the studio was outfitted with analog equipment.

"We needed an upgrade from our Ikegami 730A studio cameras and our old ¾" decks and cameras. But moreover, we wanted to master in a digital format and begin the transition to digital," said Leslie K. Bleskachek, the University's TV Services Coordinator.

TV Services is an independent campus department that serves all campus disciplines, but especially the schools of Journalism, Speech & Theater and Marketing Communications. The department rents out video equipment, schedules the studio and edit bays, and is a teaching facility for professors and students who learn how to edit and create promos and original programming for broadcast on and off campus.

Before embarking on the planned digital transition, TV Services pinpointed key criteria. The move had to be gradual, highly economical, and backwardly compatible with the studio's existing S-VHS equipment.

"Because our budget is tight, we need to span this transition over a number of years. DIGITAL-S is the only competing digital format that offers us the opportunity to make gradual purchases, preserve our VHS and S-VHS equipment, and at the same time, generate noticeable improvements to our viewers," Bleskachek explained.

The University spent $205,000 during Phase 1. The school bought one DIGITAL-S BR-D350 Player for cable head-end and mastering from the studio; one DIGITAL-S BR-D51 Dual Format Player for playback during live shows; and one DIGITAL-S BR-D80 Editing Recorder to use as a master deck for cable head-end. The University also bought a JVC GY-X2 camera for Journalism students; three JVC KY-D29 cameras for studio use; and two BR-S500/BR-S800 Edit Systems so that Freshman Journalism majors can continue S-VHS editing. Lastly, all studio/control room monitors were replaced with new JVC monitors.

"This move to DIGITAL-S allows us to send our students into the world with real digital experiences without alienating the first-time VHS editor," Bleskachek said. The University hopes to secure funding for Phases 2 and 3 of the plan in order to buy two DIGITAL-S edit bays with Pre-Read capability.

"I have to give the University credit. A number of colleges are phasing out their studios due to the costs involved. Our administration saw the value in video, and not just for the Journalism students, but for all disciplines across campus. We were able to upgrade substantially during Phase 1, and with careful planning, we can successfully integrate analog and digital in the transition," Bleskachek said. "This is a win-win scenario for our budget-conscious administrators and the students."

JVC PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTS COMPANY, headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey, distributes a complete line of broadcast and professional equipment including cameras, recorders and editing products. For more information about DIGITAL-S or any other JVC equipment, contact David Walton at 1-800-JVC-5825, or visit the DIGITAL-S web site at www.digital-s.com or the JVC web site at www.jvcpro.com.