The Producer Report: ENG
File-based makes a splash in ENG
L
eading news organisations have until now been deferring announcements on which cameras they deem suitable for HD
broadcast and tapeless production. Toward the end of this year the situation
sharpened into focus. First ITV News made the decision to equip its regional news teams with around 100 HVR-Z5E and HVR-Z7E HD camcorders; then Associated Press Television News (APTN) announced it was making a multi-million dollar investment
to upgrade its
newsgathering infrastructure to tapeless HD. This was followed by the outcome of the BBC’s year long ENG procurement which went for a combination of the PMW-350 and PMW-500 for all journalism spanning nations and regions.
DECISION TIME FOR NEWS The reason for the activity is that existing tape- based camera fleets are coming to the end of their shelf life and the advantages of file-based acquisition are compelling. While only Sky News in the UK has gone to air in HD, a switchable format is commercially sensible given predicted
30 theproducer Winter 2011
As many organisations’ fleets of tape-based cameras near retirement age, broadcasters and news agencies are beginning to think about what will replace them. Adrian Pennington reports on how the latest file-based systems are making an impact
demand for HD material from domestic and overseas news channels. APTN’s transition to tapeless HD is intended
to ensure that its entire video operation is fully digital from end to end, and that video can slot easily into the workflow of broadcasters or digital platforms globally. The company plans to introduce HD from
next year, starting with entertainment coverage and moving on to sport and live news by 2012. Daisy Veerasingham, senior vp of business development and partner relations said the plan, which has yet
to specify acquisition models,
would give its customers a wide range of options about the technology they use to receive video. “We believe 2011 is the tipping point when the
majority of the international TV news market will want pictures in high definition,” she said. SIS Live purchased three PDW-F800s to
record the whole of the BBC’s presentation for the 2010 Formula One season in lieu of an expected decision by the sport to move to HD from 2011. “The cameras are used as a standalone ENG for recorded pieces and usually with Gigawave
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