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| Jeff Burke |
WESTMINSTER, CALIF.—We’re a production
facility located just south of Long
Beach, Calif, and specialize in live insert
shots, two-way interviews, satellite media
tours, corporate teleconferencing, and
more. We’re currently producing the CBS
Sports Network’s “Rome” cable TV show,
with some 200 episodes slated for production
this year alone.
When we converted to high definition
earlier this year, we knew it was something
we had to do in order to maintain the clients
we had and also to attract new ones.
There are quite a few HD cameras on
the market now, offering all kinds of features.
However, image quality was the most
important factor in choosing one camera
over another.
EVERYTHING WE WANTED
We shopped for some time before making
our decision to purchase four Grass Valley
LDK 3000+ HD cameras. They offered
all of the features we needed—such as
working in multiple HD formats—and included
lots of others we hadn’t considered,
such as skin tone detailing and secondary
color correction. They also feature double
digital sampling and dual integrated A/D
converters that provide high-quality, razorsharp
pictures.
The best part is that while the cameras
offer all of these great features—along
with 2/3-inch, 2.4 megapixel CMOS imagers—
they were also economical, allowing
us to pair them with an HD upgrade for
our Grass Valley Kalypso video production
center switcher, as well as add Grass
Valley K2 Summit and K2 Solo HD video
servers to our facility. This allowed us to
upgrade our entire operation to HD at the
same time.
MAKING HD MORE AFFORDABLE
For “Rome” we’re using the Grass Valley
cameras in the 1080i50/60 format with
the same lenses we used on our old cameras.
That was another big selling point of
the LDK cameras—we
could use our existing
lenses without having
to upgrade. The LDK
3000+ color viewfinder
is also a great feature.
We operate the cameras
with triax transmission
systems in our
newly renovated 5,000 square-foot HD
studio. We can also take them into the
field for standup interviews. Another benefit
that came with the LDK 3000+ cameras
is their ability to operate with our
existing triax infrastructure.
We also like the Grass Valley cameras
because they are easy for our freelancers
to use and are easy to maintain.
Another advantage of the LDK 3000+
is it low weight—about 11 pounds, including
the seven-inch color viewfinder.
In addition, the operator control panels
are compact, easy to handle and very user
friendly. They make matching the four
cameras in the studio very easy.
The cameras went online in March and
we have not had a single problem. I’ve
been using Grass Valley equipment since
1979 and made the decision to buy the
cameras because I was confident of their
reliability, value and unmatched quality.
The combination of a new set, new lighting
and new cameras has really been a
home run for us. The pictures look fantastic
and everyone is very pleased with
their performance. That’s what will keep
our business successful for many years to
come.
Jeff Burke has served as vice president
of operations at Orange County Studios
since 2003. He may be contacted at
mailburke@yahoo.com.
For additional information, contact
Grass Valley at 800-547-8949 or visit
www.grassvalley.com.