New JVC Cams Aim To Speed Time To Air

Next week at the NAB Show, JVC will take the wraps off two new hand-held HDPro camcorders that weigh just over five pounds, list for around $5,000 and still pack the key features that TV pros expect in their ENG gear.

“The 600 series addresses a whole new need in the broadcast marketplace,” says JVC’s Dave Walton, assistant VP of marketing communications. “Broadcasters are shooting around the clock and need stories on the Web immediately.”

The cameras, which will be available this fall, are designed to speed delivery of raw video into the editing workflow. In fact, the pricier GY-HM650 includes built-in WiFi connectivity that enables rapid transmission of footage relayed via smartphones, tablets or laptop computers.

The GY-HM650 and the simpler, less costly GY-HM600 are much the same. Both come with three one-third inch, 12-bit CMOS sensors, each with 1920 x 1080 pixels and a fixed Fujinon HD wide angle 23x autofocus zoom lens. Together, they offer superior light sensitivity — f/11 at 2000 lux — among the most sensitive in the marketplace, according to JVC.

The lens includes three neutral density filters and manual focus, zoom and iris rings. The camera also features autofocus and a servo zoom, as well as an optical image stabilizer and face detection.

The cameras include a 1.22 megapixel color viewfinder and 3.5 inch color LCD display, and the ability to record on two non-proprietary SDHC or SDXC memory cards either simultaneously or sequentially.

They natively record HD or SD footage in multiple file formats, including Sony’s XDCAM EX (.mp4), Apple’s Final Cut Pro (.mov) or in AVCHD. This allows footage from the memory card “to be dragged directly into the editing timeline with no delay for ingest or transcoding,” Walton says. “This helps broadcasters achieve the shortest possible time to air or webcast.”

The cameras also feature a second trigger and servo zoom control on the handle, making them equally at home on a tripod or for handheld “run-and-gun” situations. Likewise, a built-in stereo microphone is buttressed by two XLR inputs with phantom power, a shotgun mic holder and a separate input for a wireless mic receiver.

At 5.4 pounds, the 650 is a 10th of a pound heavier than the 600 and about 20% more expensive. But it features the WiFi transceiver that allows the camera to send video to a smartphone, tablet or laptop where shots can be edited or relayed immediately to the newsroom for broadcast or webcast.

JVC supplies free apps that interface between the 650 and Android and Apple IOS (iPhone) devices. The apps contain additional features, including the ability to annotate data before transmission and to remotely operate and control the cameras.

The 650 can also use its second memory card to simultaneously record video in a “Web friendly” mode. This low-res video is more than adequate for webcast or, when minutes count, on the air. When the full-res version arrives at the station, matching time code allows the superior video to be automatically substituted for broadcast.

The 650’s WiFi capability does not support live video streaming, nor does it offer “bonded cellular” services, which JVC is making available for their larger HDPro 700 shoulder-mount cameras through a partnership with TVU Networks.

JVC is also part of the Advanced Media Workflow Association, and is a co-developer of its forthcoming platform-agnostic MXF format, which simplifies the process of adding metadata during or after initial recording and automatically tracking it through editing, post production, transmission and storage. The MXF format is scheduled to debut this fall at the same time the 600 series cameras will ship.

The 600 lists for $4,695; the 650, for $5,695.

Despite the low price, “these are no-compromise cameras in terms of features, usability and control,” Walton says. “Image stabilization and autofocus are a big advantage for inexperienced shooters, but we’ve preserved the full range of manual controls of aperture, focus and zoom that pro videographers demand.”