Las Vegas -- JVC Professional introduced a new addition to its ProHD camera line, which has found favor with station groups like Scripps Howard and Raycom Media.
The new GY-HD200UB ProHD camcorder offers full-frame 1280 x 720 progressive imaging and 720p recording, and it can output either 720p or 1080i HD signals through its firewire (IEEE 1394) connection that can be recorded on JVC’s ProHD DR-HD100 Hard Disk Recorder.
Available now at a suggested list price of $5,995, it includes a 16:1 Fujinon lens and Anton-Bauer battery system and is being positioned as a lower-cost cousin to JVC’s flagship HD250 camera, which sells for $10,995.
“We’ve modified the encoding so that it can pump out both 720p and 1080i through the Firewire,” JVC assistant vice president of marketing Dave Walton said. “If you’re looking for a low-cost solution, you can slap on the hard disk and record 1080i. If your field camera doesn’t need HD/SDI [output], that works just fine.”
JVC also unveiled a new camera-mounted solid-state recorder, the MR-HD200U, which attaches directly to any of the ProHD 200 Series camcorders. The MR-HD200U records on non-proprietary Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) solid-state memory in a compact unit that can be permanently attached to the ProHD cameras. A single 16-gigabyte SDHC memory card can store 1.6 hours in the 720p mode and approximately 1.2 hours in 1080i mode.
The unit also features a built-in hard disk drive for extended recording times of up to 10 hours and records natively in a choice of QuickTime (.mov) format or as MPEG2 transport stream files (.m2t). When using Apple's Final Cut Pro editor, editing can be done directly from the drive module, JVC said, without the time-consuming process of transferring files directly into the computer.
JVC, which used to sell only through dealers, created a new broadcast-sales-representative program to target broadcast networks and group station owners in the United States. The reps will offer several products not available through dealers, such as the “Libre” dockable camera-mounted microwave system that combines an HD250 camcorder with a wireless transmitter from Broadcast Microwave Services.
Walton said the new rep program is going well and JVC was already closing deals on the 2008 NAB Show floor here -- a rarity in a business that usually requires several rounds of follow-up after an NAB visit.
“This is the first show in 20 years that we’re going back to getting orders at the show,” he added.
For complete coverage of the 2008 NAB Show, click here.
