Public station ActonTV runs three channels using JVC ProHD cameras
for file-based workflows, including the GY-HM850 with a 20x zoom and
new GY-HM200 4KCAM with built-in streaming.
ActonTV Produces File-based Local Channel Content with JVC Camcorders |
ActonTVis a public television station serving the Acton, Massachusetts area with coverage of sports, education and other productions throughout the local community. The station was established as a non-profit organization in 2010, first taking over a small studio in a local high school from Comcast and then moving into its current 5,800 sq ft facility in 2011. |
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ActonTV produces content forthree channels, each handling a specific type of programming - public, education, and government – and has a large online video-on-demand library. The studio managerRick Degonsaid that ActonTV averages about 30 productions per month across the three channels, including government meetings and original programming. High school sports, ranging from football, field hockey and soccer to lacrosse, baseball and basketball, are a major focus. Coverage is produced using threeJVC GY-HM850 ProHDshoulder-mount cameras, which were purchased in 2014, and one of the station’s threeGY-HM750 ProHDcameras. The station’s production truck runs aNewTek TriCaster 450four-camera video production system and3Play slo-mo instant replaysystem. |
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Apart from sports sports, the GY-HM850s are used for a monthly cooking show produced for an outside client, as well as original programs shot on location. One of these is a fast-paced 30-minute current events program called ‘Talk of the Town’, produced by ActonTV’s new executive director, Marc Duci, who joined in August 2015. After purchasing four JVC GY-HM100 cameras in 2010, ActonTV began its migration to a tapeless workflow and has continued on that path since then. JVC's proprietary HD format is based on MPEG-2 compression and can be recorded in .mov form for direct ingest and immediate editing in Final Cut Pro without transcoding. This workflow was a motivating factor in the purchase. The station bought three GY-HM150s the following year. These are quite sturdy, lightweight cameras and are still preferred by some of the station’s volunteer producers. |
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At this point, Rick is very interested in the camera’s wireless integration with the station’s TriCaster systems, which could be set up in either the production truck or the studio, and hopes to use the camera’s built-in streaming capabilities in the future. For now, the camera is mostly used in HD mode and is part of the monthly cooking show production. “We’ve integrated it into our workflow. It’s a good compact camera, especially for its price,” he said, “and good for us to have in preparation for the next step beyond HD. We like to work ahead of the curve.” pro.jvc.com |