James River Assembly, a diverse, two-campus church site in Springfield, MO, recently completed an installation of six Panasonic AG-HPX600 P2 HD shoulder-mount camcorders as the key component in its upgrade to live high-definition broadcast of weekly worship services.
Currently, the six HPX600s reside in James River’s South Campus in Ozark. Four of the camcorders are outfitted with Panasonic’s 300Studio Systems and BT-LH910 9in LCD production monitors, used on-camera as electronic viewfinders. The HPX600s in studio configuration are used throughout the auditorium, with the remaining two camcorders deployed handheld on the stage.
Panasonic’s latest P2 HD camcorder, the 6.2lb, 2/3in HPX600 features native 10-bit 4:2:2 AVC-Intra recording, and its future-proof options include an upgrade to AVC-ULTRA recording.
Each week, two Sunday morning services are simulcast live from the South Campus to the West Campus in Southwest Springfield. Services are streamed on their online campus at www.jamesriver.tv, and they have a weekly TV show that airs on the local NBC affiliate, KYTV, and the local Fox affiliate, KRBK. In both the South and West Campuses, services are projected onto three large screens. The simulcast at the West Campus has two individual feeds that are synced together to provide a center screen shot and then a normal IMAG shot on the side screens.
The HPX600 was the optimal choice for migration to the HD world. The church wanted the quality of a 2/3in chip and the versatility of variable frame rates for potential field operation. With a full feature suite and various options to build-out the camera, the HPX600 gives the church long-term flexibility and a camera it can grow with. Easy operation was a crucial consideration as many operators are volunteers.
The church generally shoots services at 24fps, with sermons shot at 60fps. Video production plans include taking HPX600s out in the field for pre-recorded segments, and potentially upgrading existing cameras at the West Campus with the HPX600.
