Search

ActonTV Produces File-based Local Channel Content with JVC Camcorders

Public station ActonTV runs three channels using JVC ProHD camerasJVC-acton 2a
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.
JVC-acton 2


Run by three full-time and two part-time employees with the help of a wide network of volunteers, ActonTV produces and archives its programming infull HD, but its channels are only available inSDonComcast, Verizonand itswebsite,www.actontv.org.

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.
JVC-acton 3


Rick especially likes using the GY-HM850, due to its 3-CMOS optical system that has a removableFujinon 20x optical zoomlens. “This is great for us because we have the full-HD capability and can also record60 fps. That’s critical for replay,” he said. “The image quality is also always very high.”

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.
JVC-acton 1


More recently in early 2015, ActonTV invested in a newGY-HM200 4KCAMcompact handheld camcorder. This camera has an integrated12x lenswith optical image stabilizer,1/2.3-inch BSI CMOSchip, dual XLR audio inputs,dual SDHC/SDXCcard slots, and colour viewfinder and LCD display. The GY-HM200 also has abuilt-in HD streaming enginesupporting live HD transmission directly to decoders, with support for various protocols for direct streaming to Ustream, YouTube and other content delivery networks.  

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
 
 
 
 
Details
Category: Cameras