Telecast Fiber Gives SHED Support to Panasonic HD Studio Cameras

Telecast Fiber Systems line of SHED (SMPTE Hybrid Elimination Device) and HDX power-adaptor systems now support Panasonic’s line of HD studio cameras. Now shipping, the SHED/HDX-PAN systems allow production crews using SMPTE fiber-ready Panasonic cameras to replace hybrid optical-fiber/copper cabling with low-cost single-mode fiber and to remotely power the cameras. The SHED and HDX units reduce the bulk and expense associated with hybrid cabling and extends the distance capabilities of the camera.

“Partnering with best-of-breed fiber-solutions providers like Telecast Fiber Systems gives us an opportunity to integrate and adapt our products to fit even the most specialized broadcast needs,” says Meryl Altman, product line business manager for studio cameras, Panasonic Broadcast. “The SHED/HDX integration is helping us offer our customers maximum flexibility in selecting cabling that best suits their needs — including the ability to use low-cost single-mode fiber in addition to standard hybrid fiber camera cable.”

Each SHED system consists of two adapters that allow communication between the camera and base station via two single-mode fibers. On the base-station side, the small SHED device connects between the camera’s CCU and two strands of standard single-mode fiber. This unpowered, or “dry,” fiber cable, either infrastructure or field-deployable “tactical” fiber, can be run several thousand feet to the HDX unit located near the camera. The main-powered HDX connects to and provides power to the Panasonic camera via traditional SMPTE hybrid cable, up to an additional 1,000 feet. The SHED/HDX combination can be used with Panasonic’s new line of cameras equipped with SMPTE hybrid connectors, including the AK-HC931B and AK-HC3500 models.

“Panasonic’s new SMPTE-equipped cameras are gaining momentum in the marketplace, and we’re proud to provide the broadcast community the ability to use them in applications where the limitations of SMPTE fiber cable would otherwise limit the cameras’ capabilities,” says Jim Hurwitz, product manager for Telecast Fiber Systems’ camera products. “By providing a SHED solution for Panasonic’s HD studio cameras, we’ve given our customers an even broader range of solution options for leveraging the high quality and distance capability of dry fiber to ‘get the shot’ no matter what.”