PBS Station Picks Ikegami HD Cameras


MAYWOOD, N.J.: WMHT-TV, a public broadcasting station (PBS) in Eastern New York has added five Ikegami HDK-77EC full-digital multi-format HD CMOS camera systems to its broadcast equipment.

Located in Troy N.Y., WMHT is a member-supported PBS station that serves viewers in Eastern New York and Western New England. The station upgraded its production and broadcast facilities, which included the addition of the Ikegami HDK-77EC full-digital multi-format HD CMOS camera systems. WMHT chose the Ikegami cameras based on evaluations of several HD camera brands and models, says Anthony Tassarotti, the station’s chief technology officer.

“We had a shootout with at least five different models and manufacturers,” and “all of them had to achieve a certain level of quality, reliability and price in terms of performance and our ability to maintain them going forward,” Tassarotti said. “We were most impressed with Ikegami’s HDK-77EC cameras. The picture quality was outstanding, they’re reliable, and we were able to get the number of cameras we needed at a price we could afford,” he said.

Engineered to meet the demands of an increasingly varied HD production market needing both 1080i and 720p video-capture capability, Ikegami’s HDK-77EC is a docking-style portable multi-format HD camera with three 2.5 megapixel CMOS imaging sensors that deliver extremely sharp, detailed video with native interlace and progressive 16:9 format flexibility combined with reduced power consumption and lower operating temperature, Ikegami says.

The HDK-77EC can be used with Ikegami’s CCU-890M camera control unit for built-in fiber (and optional triax) connectivity for convenient mobile and studio flexibility, the company says. Users can choose the type of camera cable with a simple switch at the CCU, combined with mounting the docking FA fiber adapter (or TA triax adapter) to the camera head. An optional 1080/60p dual-processing capability is also available. WMHT has opted to use a triax connection for its five HDK-77EC cameras, the firm says.

-- Government Video