Pennsylvania’s WHTM-TV Completes HD Upgrade with JVC

WHTM-TV, the ABC affiliate that serves Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon-York, PA, has purchased 15 GY-HM790U and six GY-HM750U ProHD cameras from JVC Professional Products for its transition to local HD news production.

Allbritton Communications Company, based in Arlington, VA, recently standardized on JVC ProHD cameras for studio and ENG work at WHTM-TV and five of its affiliated stations. The new cameras are part of an overall transition to local HD news production for all stations in the group.

In May, WHTM-TV began using its new JVC cameras in the studio in SD mode, but transitioned to HD in October. The studio’s three GY-HM790Us are connected via fiber optic cable, which eliminates the need for triax and additional cable bundles.

Each camera is equipped with a CopperHead ProHD KA-F790 fiber optic transceiver, a custom module built by Telecast Fiber Systems that provides a direct connection to the camcorder (no external cables).

“The fiber package is compact and well integrated,” said Keith Blaisdell, WHTM-TV director of technology. “Telecast has worked very hard to deliver a robust and reliable fiber solution with the CopperHead.”

Photojournalists began using ProHD camcorders in the field in June, then transitioned from SD to HD in September.

“The cameras are simply amazing in their video reproduction. The colors are rich and the resolution is really superb,” Blaisdell said. “Most of all, the total package is both operator and engineer friendly.”

Blaisell said JVC’s native file recording on non-proprietary SDHC cards has been a “perfect match” for the station’s Adobe Premiere NLE workflow.

“We made the transition from legacy Digital Betacam tape to nonlinear workflow all at once,” he added. “JVC’s native file recording has worked seamlessly with Adobe Premiere to deliver stunning HD pictures.”

The GY-HM750U delivers outstanding 1920×1080 images in a lightweight, shoulder-mount form factor. It records at selectable data rates up to 35 Mbps and can record HD footage in 720p, 1080p, and 1080i, as well as SD footage (480i). Building on the modular approach of the flagship GY-HM790U, it includes a 68-pin chassis connector that creates a clean, direct interface with various modules – no external cables needed. Plus, a new feature allows simultaneous recording to both SDHC cards for instant backup or client copy.