Faith may be difficult at times, but communicating it shouldn’t be. That’s the message that JVC’s line of video cameras and camcorders conveys, says Craig Yanagi, the company’s national marketing manager for Professional Products.
“Simplicity is always paramount in this market, because so much of a church’s media infrastructure is managed by volunteers with varying degrees of technical capability." Craig Yanagi, National Marketing Manager, Professional Products, JVC
“We made our series of cameras for the house-of-worship market as automatic and easy to operate as possible,” he says. “Simplicity is always paramount in this market, because so much of a church’s media infrastructure is managed by volunteers with varying degrees of technical capability. We wanted everyone to be able to access a professional level of production capability, and at a price that’s attainable for most churches.”
What's paramount to the task of specification?
Camera automation is a foundational component, allowing churches with just one or two staffers to mount and manage a professional-looking production of a service. Auto-focus and auto-zoom functionalities have become standard, and cameras now feature even higher levels of capability.
For instance, in addition to the features mentioned above, JVC’s handheld GY-HM250HW camcorder has graphics capability tailored to the church market integrated into its operation that enables a single operator to add lower-thirds and titles while recording in HD or streaming, with no external character generator or switcher required. And graphics can be advanced by the operator, keeping key elements such as lyrics and chapter-and-verse information synchronized with the service. The GY-HM250HW can also stream directly from the camera to a content delivery network, to social media sites like Facebook Live and YouTube, or to a website.
“The GY-HM250HW literally makes professional video production during a service a one-person show,” says Yanagi.
JVC’s new GY-HC900STU 2/3-inch HD Connected Cam Studio Camcorder raises the bar for live production further. The studio version of JVC’s renowned 2/3-inch broadcast camcorder, the GY-HC900STU offers a level of connectivity not found in any other studio camera. It features three 2/3-inch CMOS image sensors that deliver high sensitivity, low noise, and wide dynamic range. It also offers an HDR mode for creative flexibility, as well as HLG, J-Log, and up to 120fps 1080p slow-motion recording.
“The GY-HC900STU is our best option for IMAG video in a house-of-worship environment, thanks to its very, very low latency." Craig Yanagi, National Marketing Manager, Professional Products, JVC
The new platform enables simultaneous ISO recording, low-latency (as low as 500 ms for both outgoing and incoming video) streaming, and simultaneous decoding for return video and IFB for studio applications. But critical for emerging workflow models, the GY-HC900STU is also IP connected, with streaming throughput of up to 20 Mbps, and with error correction with automatic repeat request (ARQ) and SMPTE 2022 forward error correction, for ultra-reliable performance, the company reports.
“The GY-HC900STU is our best option for IMAG video in a house-of-worship environment, thanks to its very, very low latency,” Yanagi explains. “And it can accept the full gamut of 2/3rds lenses on the market, so it offers tremendous flexibility.”
Also new is JVC’s GY-HC550U 4K Connected Cam model. Equipped with JVC's powerful communications engine that delivers high quality, low latency, error-free video wirelessly from the camera, it can shoot and record to SSD (solid state drive) media in a wide variety of formats, including 10-bit ProRes 422, at 4K resolution and 50/60p frame rates. Its connectivity is rock solid, with built-in wireless LAN using JVC’s Zixi error correction. Never before has this level of connectivity been available in a compact, handheld camcorder, JVC reports. With its integrated 20x lens, the company also notes, there are no compromises in image quality.
“ProRes 422 is the native video codec for professional post-production, which will give [church] users a huge advantage for storytelling applications,” says Yanagi. “We’re seeing more and more of that in parishes and congregations--bringing the stories of faith of church members to cinema-level video using their own words, which can be extremely powerful.”
“ProRes 422 is the native video codec for professional post-production, which will give [church] users a huge advantage for storytelling applications." Craig Yanagi, National Marketing Manager, Professional Products, JVC
Ease-of-use attributes
Automation and system design around ease of use are characteristics that are critical to the house-of-worship media technology market, and JVC has engineered these qualities into its cameras, Yanagi reports. When those capabilities are combined with networking capability, it acts as a force multiplier for houses of worship, which traditionally are largely staffed by volunteers. For instance, the cameras mentioned here can be networked and remotely controlled along with JVC’s PTZ cameras, allowing the creation of a sophisticated video-capture infrastructure that lets a church put together a highly polished and rich program with just basic technical talent.
In addition, JVC designed the cameras to be turnkey systems--once parameters are set up, operation is simply a matter of a few keystrokes. In addition, by integrating streaming encoders into the cameras themselves, users aren’t encumbered by external boxes.
“JVC has worked intensively over the past decade with houses of worship to develop and provide them with solutions that offer the highest quality and the best levels of efficiency possible,” says Yanagi. “The goal is and always has been to provide the best ways to communicate and, at the same time, not let the technology get in the way of creativity.”
For more information, contact:
JVC, Craig Yanagi, National Marketing Manager | Professional Video, ph: 973.317.5182, cyanagi@us.jvckenwood.com off: 973.317.5176.
This eGuide sponsored by JVC.
