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Ikegami GFCam HDS-V10 Flash-Memory Tapeless Camera Enhances HD Production Workflow At Tulsa�s KGEB TV-53

By Staff
posted Jun 11, 2009, 09:25

MAYWOOD, NJ -- When a popular TV station also operates a full-service HD video facility with two busy studios, maintaining an efficient production workflow is an important consideration. At KGEB TV-53 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, this challenge is met by using Ikegami�s GFCam HDS-V10 Flash Memory tapeless HD camcorder. Employing three advanced 2/3-inch CCD�s and available in native 1080i or native 720p versions, the GFCam HDS-V10 records 4:2:2 digital video in the MPEG-2 MXF file format on removable Flash RAM media for maximum tapeless workflow efficiency.

�The stumbling blocks of long ingest times from tape-based formats have been removed with the Ikegami GFCam HDS-V10 camcorder,� says Bill Lee, Director of Engineering for KGEB-TV, the flagship station of the Golden Eagle Broadcasting Network located at the Oral Roberts University Campus. �Being able to do a quick file transfer of footage from our 1080i GFCam into an NLE makes a lot of sense.�

Part of Ikegami�s new GFSeries tapeless Flash RAM HD production system, the GFCam HDS-V10 is a rugged, broadcast-grade ENG camcorder that records to durable GFPak Flash RAM cartridges manufactured by Toshiba, a world leader in Flash RAM. GFPaks support tens of thousands of rewrite cycles and are available in 16, 32, and 64 GB capacities. A 64GB GFPak can hold two hours of full-resolution 50Mbps 1920 x 1080/4:2.2 HD video. GFPaks feature a remaining-capacity indicator, a high-speed S-ATA interface, and a built-in USB 2.0 port for instant connection to leading nonlinear editing systems.

�From an editing standpoint, I really appreciate that I can take the GFPak out of the GFCam, connect it to the computer with a simple USB cable, and then drag-and-drop the files into Final Cut and go,� says Charmaine Lee, Director of Creative Services for KGEB. �Instead of dealing with the typical log-and-transfer process with other cameras, I can move straight to editing.�

Drawing from Ikegami�s long experience in having introduced the industry�s first tapeless camcorder (the Editcam, in 1995), the new GFCam features such Intelligent Recording innovations as Retro Loop (so videographers never miss a shot) and a time-lapse function.

�Intelligent Recording features like Retro Loop are very useful,� notes Charmaine Lee. �If you don�t want to miss an event that�s once in a lifetime, you can just set up the camera in Retro Loop recording, and even if you press the RECORD button after the fact you�re good to go. So if you�re taping a building demolition or waiting for a world record to be broken, you�ve got it with the GFCam.�

One of the latest new features of Ikegami�s GFCam is the ability to instantly export thumbnail clips via Bluetooth directly to a laptop application for fast logging, metadata insertion, and other workflow advantages.

�We are excited about the prospective capabilities of the GFCam�s Bluetooth interface, as announced by Ikegami at NAB 2009,� Charmaine Lee adds. �It will completely change the logging of metadata files. It will be a wonderful thing to sit there with your laptop and input shot information as you�re rolling. Having the metadata all ready from the field when you come back will add a level of convenience.�

The GFCam�s superior Ikegami HD image quality is another aspect of the camera that Bill Lee points to as an important factor for KGEB, which also has four Ikegami HDK-79EC HD native multi-format HD CMOS camera systems.

�The 1080i imagery of our GFCam is beautiful,� Bill Lee notes. �It matches well with our Ikegami HDK-79�s, which are also gorgeous-looking cameras. The colorimetry is quite accurate. It�s clean, crisp, and not over-enhanced. The colors are vibrant without being oversaturated. We also like the form factor of the camera: it has a balance that makes it easier to use, especially for pans and tilts. That�s a big factor in production.�

KGEB�s two studios comprise a combined area of more than 11,000 square feet. As Bill and Charmaine Lee explain, having the workflow advantage of being able to instantly ingest 1080i GFCam HD into the station�s Final Cut Pro editing workstations is a big advantage when you�re simultaneously managing student camera crews and the need to maintain a competitive visual edge.

�Workflow and bang for the buck is what drives a lot of our decision-making,� Bill Lee concludes. �Having a very flexible camera at a very effective cost point is a big plus for our station. We can go straight from shooting to editing to air with the Ikegami GFCam.�

Ikegami Electronics (U.S.A.), Inc. is a leading supplier of professional broadcasting products in the Western Hemisphere. With U.S. offices in New Jersey, California, Florida, Texas, and Illinois, the Ikegami name is recognized worldwide for its state-of-the-art television cameras and closed-circuit TV equipment. Ikegami�s universal High Definition TV cameras have been widely accepted by the broadcast industry as it continues the transition to the High Definition Television Format.

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For more information and the location of the Regional Office nearest you, call Ikegami�s Maywood NJ headquarters at 201-368-9171 or visit www.Ikegami.com. www.Ikegami.com

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