Zasco Productions, a video rental house in Chicopee, MA, has purchased Panasonic’s AV-HS400 multiformat video switcher to support multicamera production for its event, corporate and broadcast clients.
The HS400 switcher integrates into existing HD/SD workflows — mixing HD and SD video sources. The switcher includes a built-in multiviewer for multi-image preview, an expandable HD/SD architecture with full 10-bit HD processing, 3-D digital effects, chroma key, an independent aux bus, and PIP.
The switcher can mix many signal types — accepting SD, HD and computer inputs — and can output virtually any kind of signal for projection or broadcast. It is all-digital with frame synchronizers that can eliminate the need for traditional genlock and timing adjustments. The user turns the switcher on and no other setup is required other than white balancing the cameras.
The switcher’s multiviewer function dramatically reduced the size of the equipment packages Zasco needed to bring to assignments. With the multiviewer, users can output four, six or 10 images from different sources to a single high-resolution display, eliminating the need for multiple HD source and preview monitors.
The HS400 accepts optional boards for upconversion of SD and DVI signals to HD. It features 3-D effects, including page turn, an independent aux bus, PIP, DSK and a high-quality chroma key that provides composite images for professional applications such as green screen, news and weather.
For more information, visit http://www.panasonic.com/broadcast/.
