CENTER VALLEY, PA. --
With competition being fierce
among news teams, the first
crew to get the story on the air
wins the prize. JVC’s introduction of the
new GY-HM650U allows field shooters
to capture high-definition footage and
wirelessly send the video files to an FTP
site anywhere on the planet—saving expensive
satellite truck time and enabling
the crew to move to another location. As
developers of the first affordable HD cameras,
you would expect nothing less from
the innovative JVC—which also happens
to be the first to offer this technology.
FEATURES
The JVC GY-HM650U features three
1920 x 1080 1/3-inch CMOS sensors behind
an extremely long 23:1 (29 mm to
667 mm) Fujinon F1.6 zoom lens (with
an actual iris ring, a three-position neutral
density filter, optical image stabilization,
and a myriad of zoom functions and
speed options). The camera’s 3.5-inch
LCD screen is sharp at 920,000 pixels and
the 0.44 inch color viewfinder is handy in
bright shooting conditions.
The camera captures content on one
or two SDXC/SDHC memory cards and
features dual codecs, with options for
simultaneously recording standard- and
high-definition simultaneously, and also
providing 480 x 270 for Web delivery. Encoding
your footage brings with it several
options too, ranging from standard-definition
H.264 to high-definition XDCAM EX
at 24p, 30p, 50i, and 60i, or AVCHD at 50i
or 60i.
Camera outputs abound with a choice
of BNC’s for HD/SD SDI, an AV mini-plug,
along with HDMI, auxiliary, and headphone
jacks. Two-channel XLR inputs and
an internal microphone balance out the
audio input side of things.
This function-laden camera offers six
user presets, menu control options (which
are also mirrored on the LCD screen), and
a power switch and mode button. The rear
of the camera—in addition to accommodating
the versatile SSL-JVC50 4900 mAh
lithium ion battery—houses the most incredible
feature of the unit: the USB host
connectivity port.
Once footage has been recorded,
thumbnail icons may be
selected to be sent to an
FTP site, and with a Wi-Fi
or broadband dongle attached
to the port, files
may be uploaded to a remote
FTP site using Wi-
Fi or 4G connectivity. A
status bar will show the
progress of your uploaded
files. I should add that
the Wi-Fi dongle is included
with the camera.
IN USE
I was privileged to get
my hands on one of the
first GY-HM650U cameras
available and put it
to the test in connection
with student field reporting
for the campus TV
station at our university
here in Center Valler, Pa.
Not having access to, or the budget for, a
microwave or satellite truck, we wanted
to see if the camera truly delivered on
what it had promised.
On a damp and foggy December afternoon,
along with a wind chill of 30 degrees,
we recorded footage in the MPEG-2
(60i) mode onto a 16 GB SDHC card. Actually,
getting the tripod set up and leveled
took more time than preparing the
camera for the shoot. With a Hoodman
LCD shade on the flip-out LCD screen, we
were able to focus the camera on the fogshrouded
action. (Not all that many years
ago, I would have never attempted a shoot
in such unpleasant conditions. However,
with JVC’s technology, all the detail was
still evident in the picture despite the inclement
weather.)
Once we finished shooting several takes
of the “action,” it was just a matter of pressing
the “source” button to switch the camera
to playback mode. We selected three of
the best takes and highlighted the thumbnails
of each.
With a Verizon 4G LTE adapter plugged
into the camera’s port, we selected our
FTP site from the list that was displayed
on the LCD screen. (Activating the upload
displays a progress bar.) On campus, 4G
access is sometimes spotty and we usually
had to rely on 3G. However, in less than a
minute, the footage was on our FTP site for
access by our editor.
In this particular situation, we could
have driven the mile to our editing location,
but we did have several more locations
to shoot from ahead of us and sending
the footage directly to the edit bay did
streamline the process. You can just imagine
the possibilities in really fast-breaking
news applications.
It’s now a matter of the news crew
capturing footage on location, and then in
just a very small amount of time, it’s delivered
to an FTP site for immediate editing.
That small feat is in itself amazing, and
when you add to that the time factor (if
your news crew is first on the scene, their
story can be wirelessly transmitted for editing
and on the air in moments), the cost
factor (there’s no longer a requirement
for a sat or microwave truck, and no bill
for satellite air time), coupled with the
“wow” factor, the whole experience really
boggles the mind. Now HD footage can be
sent wirelessly from just about anywhere.
There really are no negatives associated
with this camera. It’s comfortable to use,
has all the features you need, and the technology
is there to make the most of wireless
capabilities. I’m not sure what the next
step is going to be—you’ll have to ask JVC.
SUMMARY
If you have a requirement for getting
pristine standard- or high-definition footage
transported from the camera to another
location quickly and inexpensively, this
is the only camera that makes it possible
so easily and conveniently. Even if you
have limited need for remote access to an
FTP site, knowing you can do it takes a lot
of the pressure off the remote crew. And,
you still have excellent footage captured
with JVC technology.
Chuck Gloman is an associate professor
and chair of the TV/Film department
at DeSales University. He may be
reached chuck.gloman@desales.edu.
FAST FACTS
Application
Fast-breaking ENG events
Key Features
Wireless transmission of
footage to FTP sites, mall profile and
lightweight, solid-state image
storage, 23:1 zoom lens, USB port
for access to 3G/4G and Wi-Fi
networks.
Price
$5,995
Contact
JVC
973-317-5030
www.jvc.com