Live HD News Streaming with Version 2.0 of JVC GY-HM650 ProHD Cameras

JVC announces in Las Vegas the launch of version 2.0 of the GY-HM650 camera, an update that allows HD live streaming with this model designed for fast and agile news transmission.

JVC Professional has announced at NAB 2013 the launch of version 2.0 of the GY-HM650 camera, an update that allows HD live streaming with this model designed for fast and agile news transmission. When the camcorder is equipped with a Verizon 4G LTE modem, which connects directly to the camera via USB, the GY-HM650 can transmit images to the broadcast center in real time, without the need for external equipment, while still recording HD images to 2 solid-state cards.

Taking advantage of this camera's unique dual codec, as well as its FTP and Wi-Fi connectivity, the GY-HM650 allows live streaming or file transfer in the background while operators continue recording images at the same time while doing their job.

Edgar Shane, Director of Engineering at JVC Professional Products, highlighted in Las Vegas that "with two independent encoders, the GY-HM650 can perform live streaming and record HD video simultaneously without the need for additional equipment. Using a broadband modem, customers can advance live news now and then provide HD images to their production center via FTP later."

The Verizon LTE 4G modem connects directly to the GY-HM650 for quick access to the high-speed Verizon network. The camera supports live streaming at 1080i, 720p and lower resolutions for Web, with different binary streams to adapt to network conditions. Connection status, including signal strength, connection type, and IP address, can be monitored from the camera's viewfinder or 3.5″ touch screen.
Metadata can be added by the camera operator or remotely over the network. For example, from the production center it is possible to remotely insert metadata into the camera in the field using a simple mapping editor. Data is recorded for each clip and maintained throughout the editing and archiving processes on servers in the production center.

The GY-HM650 records HD or SD image files in various formats, including native XDCAM EX (.MP4), Final Cut Pro (.MOV) and AVCHD, as well as .MXF compatible with descriptive metadata for audiovisual content management. This version 2.0 of the GY-HM650 adds a new 540p low bit rate recording mode at 3 Mbps.

Dave Walton, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at JVC Professional Products, said: "When we introduced the GY-HM650 last year at NAB, that was just the beginning. With version 2.0, breaking news can be streamed live from the same location it was shot. Our unique dual-codec technology allows reporting teams to stream live video or transfer files in the background without interfering with existing workflows."

Additional improvements in version 2.0 include a sophisticated communications package, with improved FTP for transferring video files and metadata, support for secure transfer (FTPS and SFTP), and Web-based remote control. This new remote control interface allows you to remotely control basic camera functions, recording, focus, zoom, image settings and metadata, as well as view a live image from the GY-HM650 using a laptop or iPad. In addition, the trimming capacity built into the camera itself reduces the size of the files for a more efficient transfer.

In addition to the functionalities built into the camera, it has a Fujinon wide-angle lens with 23x zoom, manual focus, aperture ring, 3 ND filters and a lens hood. The audio section includes a stereo microphone for ambient sound, 2 XLR inputs with phantom power, support for a shotgun microphone, headphone output and a separate input for a wireless microphone receiver.

Designed especially for mobile news production and documentary production, the lightweight GY-HM650 features a Pre Rec (retro cache) recording mode that allows you to continuously record and refresh up to 15 seconds in a cache memory to avoid missing the start of any event. The camera records on SDHC or SDXC cards, and generates HD files on one of the cards while creating smaller files for the Internet on the second (1/4 HD). Other features include JVC autofocus with face detection and an optical image stabilizer, as well as HD-SDI and HDMI outputs for easy viewing of images on different types of monitors.

The GY-HM650 V2.0 will be available in May.

Monitors

In terms of display, JVC has presented its new eighty-four-inch Pro Vérité 4K LCD monitor from the PS-840UD professional series. With a native screen resolution of 3840x2160, which is four times the resolution of full HD, and 60p monitor capability, it is one of the largest professional 4K monitors in the world.

At its booth in Las Vegas we can also see a fifty-five-inch Full HD LCD monitor, the GM-552DU, which has been designed for continuous operation twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. It is ideal for broadcast installations, including control rooms, master control applications and security monitoring centers, providing 1920x1080 resolution and 4000:1 contrast.
Also worth noting is the DT-F9L5U 8.2-inch Vérité monitor/viewfinder. Featuring an Anton/Bauer Gold Mount mounting system and tripod mounting hardware, this compact HD field monitor is ideal for outdoor shooting and includes focus assist and zebra functions, as well as tall front and rear lamps and other features of a typical viewfinder.