JVC will take a giant step with the HDV format when it introduces its
ProHD at next month's NAB Show. The new model is touted to meet the needs of
HDTV program producers who don't want to compromise 720p quality with the
less reliable images produced by less expensive HDV cameras.
Designated the GY-HD100U HDV, the JVC-compatible camcorder will cost
less than $10,000. “Importantly, the recording chips are 1280x720 pixels so
there's no compromise in image quality,” says Dave Walton, JVC national
marketing communications director.
The camcorder will have a number of features that JVC says will make it
more attractive for professionals. Among them are three 1/3-inch CCD chips for
imaging, interchangeable lenses, time code and true 24p recording.
The new features are welcome to those who have used JVC's JY-10U
consumer-grade HDV camcorder for 720p production. It had to be used in very
controlled production environments where factors like lighting could be
adjusted. American Idol producers, as
reported in the March 7 issue of B&C,
ran into some of those issues when they experimented with the HDV camera.
“We're looking at the ProHD as an entry-level camera for not only
reality-show production but also newsgathering because it's very
cost-effective and provides excellent images,” says Jim DeFillipis, Fox VP of
TV engineering. “We're convinced HDV will be in our future.”
ProHD takes the next step—and more steps are planned. The new camera
can't record 720p at 60 frames per second, but future models will. But the
new ProHD is capable of outputting 720p/60 for live transmission or recording
on an external video server.
