New technology is set to change the way TV stations bring live news and sporting events to viewers on every platform. This month JVC is set to roll out an upgrade to the GY-HM650 camera that will allow you to live stream on the web and broadcast HD video live to air - using cell phone technology.
I saw the new GY-HM650 2.0 ProHD mobile news camera in action at the NAB in Las Vegas a few weeks ago. You have to love NAB – it’s the toy store for professionals! This camera is the next logical step in live programming. The claim from JVC is that you need no extra add-on boxes or backpacks or live trucks or cables. It's all about going wireless.
JVC is working with Verizon on transmission technology. You don’t have a choice of carriers. The company says you can add a Verizon 4G LTE modem through a USB port. The 2.0 upgrade, due out this month, allows you to transmit live shots to air or web, while you also record video to memory cards.
The camera also features built-in Wi-Fi and FTP connectivity. You can record full HD and a smaller video file for the web at the same time. The cost is about $6,000 fully equipped. It’s getting all kinds of positive reviews.
But is it time to get rid of the live truck? Probably not yet.
In a follow-up call with Rob Yarosh, Senior Regional Sales Engineer at JVC, I learned there may be a transmission delay of one to three seconds, especially on air. That could mean an awkward moment of silence when an anchor tosses to a reporter in the field. JVC says the delay is not a function of the camera - it’s in the cell phone encoder. The company is talking with other cell phone networks to explore a solution to this issue.
The technology is not brand new. LiveU has been transmitting broadcast-quality backpack live shots, using multiple cell phone carriers, for a couple of years. At NAB, LiveU and Sony announced a partnership that pairs up a hand held, light weight version of the LiveU device with the Sony PDW-700 camcorder.
So far, JVC has the lead, with a live-shot-ready news camera that can feed all your platforms. But don’t expect it to be the lead player in this field for long.

As the President and CEO of G.C. Media, a company that employs brand management techniques, Cliff Abromats improves ratings, revenue and cash flow at television stations and other media properties across the country. The company has a cross-platform focus.
Ellen Miller tracks evolving trends in digital media that are changing the way we share news and information. She has fresh insights into how newsrooms can make the most of digital resources to grow loyal audiences.
Mark Tekushan sees advertising, production and design in extraordinary ways. His creative genius spans the world of marketing for international tourism, award winning animations, and medal winning luge designs for the Olympics.
Steve Rolandelli has more than 25 years experience investigating and delivering insight on customer behavior and attitudes in the fields of electronic and print media, consumer products, financial services, government services, and industrial products. His work includes design-to-delivery responsibility for more than 500 studies involving markets and consumers at the local, regional, national, and global levels.
Jon Currie is our ratings expert. As the founder and President of Currie Communications, Inc., Jon is uniquely qualified for this role, having performed literally hundreds of studies on the impact of Arbitron and Nielsen on television viewing in virtually every market in the United States - locally as well as nationally. Currie has been used by major firms such as NBC, Fox, Gannett, Tribune, CBS, and more to solve their most serious ratings related issues. In addition, he has provided unique services such as buzz research and social media before both were fashionable. Jon has done studies for companies as diverse as Paramount Pictures, Ford, Procter and Gamble, Caterpillar Industries and the Catholic Church and has also worked internationally in Canada, Brazil, Mexico, the UK and Puerto Rico.









