Nexstar Goes With JVC for ENG Cameras

Nexstar Broadcasting Group has deployed 10 JVC GY-HM650 ProHD mobile news cameras for its NBC affiliate KFDX and Fox affiliate KJTL, a duopoly that serves Wichita Falls, Texas, and Lawton, Okla. The stations have been shooting with the 5-pound camera since February.

As one of the top 20 television broadcasting companies in the United States, David Walton, JVC assistant VP of marketing communications, called it a major sale for JVC. “This is a big one,” he says. “They had previously standardized our studio cameras across their group, and now they’ve done the same with their ENG cameras.”

The new HM650s will replace a fleet of Panasonic P2 shoulder-mount cameras at both stations. Additional HM650 and HM600 cameras were distributed to other stations in the group, which operates more than 70 stations in 41 markets.

“After having the cameras in the field for several weeks and seeing how our photojournalists and reports have become more comfortable with the smaller gear, I’m really confident in the choice,” says Doug Bilyea, KFDX-KJTL news director.

JVC’s sale to Nexstar comes on the heels of a deal with Raycom Media, which bought more than 130 units of the HM650 camera, and with the BBC, which bought more than 500 units.

Walton said broadcasters are drawn to the HM650’s IP-capabilities that allow for built-in live streaming and FTP file transfer capabilities.

At this year’s NAB Show, JVC will unveil the second-generation firmware for its camera that will take advantage of the camera’s dual codec technology to allow broadcasters to stream live HD video when equipped with a Verizon 4G LTE modem while recording footage to a memory card at a higher-resolution, or uploading video to a station’s server via FTP. Walton says JVC plans to demo the update at its booth C4314 in the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Existing JVC customers with the HM650 can download the update free of charge starting in May, says Walton.

The HM-650 offers a 23x zoom lens and record HD or SD footage in multiple file formats, including its native XDCAM EX (MP4), Final Cut Pro (.MOV) and AVCHD. It also has the ability to record low-resolution Web clips for quick transfer to a station’s server to publish online. The camera retails for $5,700.