JVC Intros New Flagship ProHD Camcorder

JVC Professional Products will introduce a new flagship of its ProHD camcorder line, the GY-HM790, at NAB, retailing at less than $13,000 with lens with three 1/3-inch CCDs and both 1080i and 720p recording (as well as SD for users who have not made the jump to HD).

The GY-HM790 features a dual card slot design that records to low-cost, non-proprietary SDHC Class 6 or 10 solid-state media cards. JVC’s native file recording technology allows recording in ready-to-edit file formats for Apple Final Cut Pro (.mov) and other major NLE systems (.mp4) that are compatible with Sony XDCAM EX workflow.

“The beauty of XDCAM EX from a workflow standpoint is that the metadata can be handled by all NLE systems,” says Craig Yanagi, JVC manager of marketing and brand strategy. “There are also very little digital artifacts and the three 1/30-inch CCDs provide no motion artifact issues.”

The camera records at 35 Mbps (HQ mode/variable bit rate) or 19 Mbps/25 Mbps (SP mode/constant bit rate) and ships with a Canon 14x zoom lens or without lens, as accommodates a variety of lenses with its 1/3-inch bayonet lens mount.

“The excellent image quality of the GY-HM790, coupled with its versatility for both studio and ENG use, makes it an attractive camcorder for broadcasters in any DMA,” says Yanagi. “For sports producers on a tight budget this can produce high-quality audio and video at the end and from a workflow standpoint it will meet their needs, hands down.”

The camcorder is also designed to go beyond the typical camcorder application. For example, an optional ASI output module provides a direct feed from the camera to a satellite uplink or microwave transmitter via BNC, no “black box” interfaces required, for live HD video from the field.

“This camcorder can cut the costs of a typical microwave application by half or even two-thirds [of previous options],” adds Yanagi.

Another unique ENG features on the GY-HM790 camcorder is an analog SD pool feed input. “That is something you usually don’t expect from an ENG camera,” says Yanagi. A 26-pin modulator also makes full studio functionality available in either SD or HD mode.

Other features include a 4.3-inch LCD screen, and a high-resolution, 1.2 megapixel LCOS viewfinder. Two XLR inputs with phantom power offer uncompressed LPCM audio recording with manual level controls. In addition, a Telecast Fiber interface on the back of the camera allows for point-to-point fiber connectivity without incurring major costs.

The new camcorder will also have a ripple effect on other JVC products. The GY-HM700 is now $7,495 and the GY-HM250 is now $7,995.