KRNV, the NBC affiliate serving Reno, Nev., has purchased 14 GY-HM790U ProHD cameras for electronic newsgathering (ENG) and creative services applications from JVC Professional Products Company, a division of JVC Americas Corp.
The camera's small size, which makes it easier for reporters to shoot-stand-ups on their own, its use of SDHC media and its ability to record in the format used by the station's editing system, played a key role in the decision, station executives noted.
KRNV, which is owned by Las Vegas, Nev.-based Intermountain West Communications, made the conversion to local HD news in 2006. The new JVC cameras replaced Canon XL H1 camcorders that were equipped with external Focus Enhancements hard drives.
David Feher, director of engineering for Intermountain West Communications, noted in a statement that KRNV conducted extensive research on ENG cameras before selecting the GY-HM790U.
JVC's use of non-proprietary SDHC cards as its recording media was "an extreme plus," and its native file recording (.MP4) for the station's Grass Valley EDIUS NLE systems was another important feature. "Technically, the camera embodies everything that we found useful," Feher said. "The proprietary aspect of some cameras kind of put them in second place."
Jeff Deitch, KRNV's chief photographer, added in a statement that each shooter has two 32GB SDHC media cards, which provide more than enough storage for a normal news day. The interchangeable Fujinon 17x lens and the lightweight camera's 4.3-inch flip-out LCD monitor makes it easier for reporters to shoot stand-ups on their own and for one person ENG work.
"We needed a camera that wasn't too large, wasn't too small," Deitch explained in a statement. "This one fit the niche. I think it's a great camera."
