HDTV Reviews

In preparation for its transition to HDTV next year, Alabama Public Television (APT) took delivery of three Hitachi SK-3010P HDTV cameras, which they began using in March for a multitude of high-quality, local television broadcasts.

Since last month, APT has gone on-air with the cameras to broadcast several, local live in-studio programs in Montgomery, including a nightly live news and public affairs program; a 30-minute weekly legislative show; and on-air membership pledge drives, which are broadcast three times a year.

APT’s network operations are based in Birmingham, with nine local PBS stations throughout the state.

“The SK-series of HDTV cameras are world-renowned, high-performance studio and field production cameras. Advanced digital signal processing and Hitachi’s expertise in camera design provide pristine picture quality in both HD and SD,” said Emilio Aleman, Product Manager, Broadcast & Professional, Hitachi Kokusai Electric America, Ltd. “The ease of use, intuitive interface and overall ‘bang-for-the-buck’ are the primary reasons why APT and other users are so satisfied with our SK-3010p HDTV cameras.”

“Our purchase of Hitachi’s SK-3010P HDTV cameras allows us to easily continue our digital upgrade and eventual transition to full HD integration by next year,” said Harvey Wilson, Assistant Director of Broadcast Services, APT. “Our goal is to produce more local programs in HD, and the new Hitachi cameras start us on our way. We’ve been very pleased with the service from Hitachi. Richard Melton, a local Hitachi representative, has been working closely with us to put the cameras into our network’s production system.”

APT’s transition to HD will also include selecting an HD production switcher and other peripheral equipment for production control. APT currently has an HD non-linear editing system, enabling efficient field production, and is also using three HD cameras in the field.

Hitachi’s SK-3010p series cameras now offer 720p and 1080/24p native scan video output formats. For its 1080i/60 cameras, optional down-converted 720p and 480i video outputs are provided from its camera control unit (CCU).

The SK-3010p is deliverable now and ranges in price from $85,000 to $105,000, depending on the system configuration.