The Philadelphia Eagles Television Network (ETN) has begun shooting all features, interviews and show elements in HD with three Panasonic AJ-HPX3000 native 1080p one-piece camcorders, including a half dozen 30-minute weekly television shows that will air during the next football season.
In its 12th season, ETN has been nominated for 106 Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards, winning 32, since 1997. The network has also won 53 prestigious National Telly Awards.
The shows air September through January on a variety of networks, including Fox Philadelphia, ABC affiliate WPVI-TV and Comcast SportsNet. The Eagles Kids Club has proved to have such widespread appeal that Fox broadcasts it all year. All the shows will air in HD this fall.
“The HPX3000s produce an outrageously beautiful image, and P2 HD is a flexible, strong platform. said Rob Alberino, vice president of Broadcasting for ETN. “We like the fact that cameras are switchable between AVC-Intra and DVCPRO HD, and the five-year warranty is a terrific benefit.”
ETN purchased 20 32GB P2 cards, and has three shooters working non-stop with the cameras. The HPX3000s are outfitted with Canon HJ 22x7.6 HD lenses and W80 HD wide-angle adapters. The network presently shoots in 1080i DVCPRO HD, but plans to transition to AVC-Intra shooting later this year. Alberino also bought a one-pound AG-HSC1U AVCHD camcorder to use for POV shots in vehicles such as racecars and helicopters, i.e., tight spaces where players are strapped in for feature shoots.
