Croatian HRT acquires 40 JVC ProHD cameras for news production

Croatian public broadcaster has undertaken a major renovation of its regional headquarters and a complete reorganization of its image acquisition workflows and technical equipment.

The Croatian public radio and television service Hrvatska Radiotelevizija (HRT), with headquarters in the capital Zagreb, has undertaken a major renovation of its regional headquarters and a complete reorganization of its workflows and image acquisition technical equipment, among others.

In the section on cameras for news production, the evaluation of the candidate teams fell to Petra Dražić, an engineer from the New Media Department, who had to reconcile both the demands of the reporters and video journalists, as well as those of the production departments, in addition to having to comply with the budgetary requirements demanded by Croatian public TV.

Petra Dražić highlights that "the functional specifications relating to the image acquisition phase should not only include the qualitative, technical and ergonomic requirements of the cameras, but also detailed considerations on workflow, network connectivity and their future extensibility. Naturally, factors such as seamless integration into current installations, after-sales service from the manufacturer's local representative, and last but not least, acquisition and operation costs, are key elements during the decision-making process.

For the initial stage of renewing its equipment, HRT decided to immediately acquire 40 camcorders, in order to integrate its powerful network connectivity when this workflow is implemented in the chain.

According to Petra Dražić, HRT especially liked the dual codec technology, its integrated Wi-Fi connectivity, the possibility of uploading content via FTP, and in short, its ability to generate live HD streaming.

Dual codec

Dual codec technology is ideal for the current HRT chain workflow, allowing HD and SD recording in different formats, including native XDCAM EX (.MP4), Final Cut Pro (.MOV) and AVCHD, to universal SD memory cards. And if necessary, the double codec allows you to record simultaneously in different formats. The dual codec feature is often used for simultaneous backup recording or continuous lossless recording, as cards can be hot-swapped.

"In general, we use QuickTime (H.264; 1920x1080/50i). We are already taking steps to complete the migration to integrated tapeless news production; JVC's technology for recording in two different formats (HD and Proxy) facilitates this migration significantly," acknowledges Dražić.

Regarding Wi-Fi and FTP connectivity, the HRT is not yet using live streaming over Wi-Fi or direct transfer of FTP files from the camera itself on a large scale, but the tests carried out with this workflow offered by the GY-HM650 model were completely successful. And this aspect is essential for reporters who must be on the ground to cover any event for news spaces, this being where the benefits of Internet connectivity are obvious.

HRT reporters were also comfortable with the reliable Fujinon 23x zoom lens, as well as its compact, rugged design. As there were operators who preferred to continue recording with the camera on their shoulder, a proven solution was provided with a separate shoulder support anchor. “As a public broadcaster, we are obliged to open a public tender and award the contract to the most affordable supplier, with the obvious condition that the purchased equipment meets the technical requirements demanded by the HRT,” Petra Dražić concluded.