FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MONTGOMERY COMMUNITY MEDIA UPGRADES TO HD
FIELD PRODUCTION WITH JVC GY-HM700U PROHD
CAMERAS
WAYNE, NJ (May 5, 2011) – Montgomery Community Media (MCM), a nonprofit
organization responsible for two PEG (Public, Education, and Government)
channels serving Montgomery County, Md., has replaced its pool of DV-based EFP
camcorders with five GY-HM700U and five GY-HM700UXT ProHD camcorders from JVC
Professional Products Company. Three of the GY-HM700UXTs are tasked
specifically for professional productions, while the other seven camcorders are
used by volunteers who produce a variety of community-based programs.
According to
Pat Thorpe, network and technical manager, MCM began researching replacements
for its seven aging JVC GY-DV500 camcorders more than three years ago. With an
ever-changing crew of volunteers, including people who have never had formal
video production training, he wanted professional cameras with “real” controls,
instead of prosumer cameras that rely primarily on menu-based operation.
Thorpe said
the GY-HM700U has a good mix of manual operational features for basic shooting
and a simple, intuitive menu design for access to advanced features, plus
excellent image quality and an ergonomic shoulder-mount design. The new cameras
were purchased last spring, and veteran volunteers were recertified with them
last summer. (Equipment training and certification are required for all
volunteers.) Thorpe said the ProHD cameras officially replaced the DV cameras
in October and are performing well in the field.
While Thorpe
was already convinced that he wanted tapeless acquisition, he needed to avoid
expensive, proprietary media cards because volunteers are responsible for purchasing
their own media. The GY-HM700U
was an ideal choice because it records to inexpensive SDHC cards, while the
GY-HM700UXTs also offer the option of recording to SxS media. He said the native
file recording ability of the camcorders also saves significant time for MCM’s
Apple Final Cut Pro-based post facilities.
MCM shoots native
720p HD in the field, but its channels are still cablecast in SD. Thorpe said
the JVC ProHD camcorders are part of what he hopes will be an eventual
transition to full HD production. For now, completed HD projects are exported
as QuickTime files and re-rendered as DV for air.
Programming
runs the gamut from documentaries and news to sports and event coverage. Thorpe
said the GY-HM700U is versatile enough to handle the various shooting
requirements of MCM volunteers. “We really had to have a tool that would work
in various environments,” he explained. “We’re getting fantastic images. It’s
really a terrific camera.”
ABOUT JVC
PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTS COMPANY
Headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey, JVC Professional Products
Company, a division of JVC Americas Corp., is a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Victor Company of Japan Ltd. JVC is a leading manufacturer and distributor of
broadcast and professional video and audio equipment. For further product
information, visit JVC’s Web
site at http://pro.jvc.com or call (800)582-5825.
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