HPX 500 for Church

J

J. A. Thomas

New member
I am in the process of helping a church get ready for TV. They have a full HD system but they are using robotic camera camera. We are looking in to purchasing 3 Panasonic HPX 500's all with Fujinon XA17x7.6BRM 17x 2/3" Panasonic P2HD Lens and connecting them to the HD switcher. One will have a full studio setup with studio view finder and zoom and focus controls, one will be on a 21' JonyJib and the other will be handheld. My question is has anyone used the HPX 500 in a studio setup for television if son, how does the footage compare and will it be noticeably inferior once aired on TV? Second question is has anyone used the 21' JonyJib in a comparable setup. If so how does it preform?
 
Will the cameras be used for IMAG too, in addition to the tape feed? These lower end Panasonic's have the Loooonnnngeessttt frame rate delay out of all the HD cameras on the market. There's a reason they're so cheap. They are nearly useless in a live production environment.

Consider that, at the very least, your projectors have only a one frame delay. That would be fantastically low, for a DLP or LCD projector. The low end HD switchers add about a 2 frame delay (more $$ = less delay). And the HPX500 (in 24p mode) is about a 3-4 frame delay, although it is closer to 1-2 frames in 60i mode, with 30p being somewhere in between.. You've got a serious problem on your hands switching those live cameras to projection screens with up to a 6 frame (1/4 second delay).. It's the difference between your audience clapping "with" the beat or "off the beat". BIG problem. To avoid this in the HD world is prohibitively expensive for houses of worship. Not impossible, but pretty big money compared to the old days of using industrial grade SD cameras with an analog switcher for church video recording.. Compounding this issue is the fact that equipment manufacturers are VERY reluctant to publish the frame delay in their spec sheets. You're pretty much left to figure it out on your own, which is why I think a strong relationship with a local equipment vender who can provide demo equipment (on their dime) for evaluation purposes is super important. I'm not a vendor selling anything here, just alerting everyone to some of the issues involved with this kind of setup.. Of course, if you're only recording the services to tape, these issues are less important. Best of luck with your mission.
 
Wo hey are sure about that. I was looking at a similar setup, except there would be 5 hpx's and they would go into panasonics own eight input hd/sdi switcher. Obiviuosly we would take a feed for IMAG too.

How can a camera have a frame delay on the HD/sdi out?

So would it be really that Bad? I mean would anyone really motice.
 
I don't think it would be as bad as it sounds.

You would of course be running the cameras in 60i so there should be 1 or 2 frames delayed. Nobody would be able to detect that.

How do you guys plan on addressing intercom, camera control, and power?

The best option that I have found is the camplex units with the remote control from Panasonic to control iris and paint.
 
The church I'm working with has HD-SDI and genlock inputs throughout the sanctuary that can be patched in to the switcher. They also have a intercom system with plug in stations as well. So I was just going to run xlr's to the camera along with power and bnc's to connect the cameras to the plug-ins. I want to look in to wireless intercom system however. I have worked with a Telex wireless system in the past and they were too inconsistent. Does anyone have ideas for a better wireless intercom system.
 
Gosh I hate camplex, What would it be for a camplex system and a pana controller for one camera. Like 15k right with out the camera.
 
Dude - this must be some church. What kind of a budget are they working with?

I am just trying to get an $11,000 projector installed at our church and you'd think I was asking for $110,000.
 
Andrew McMillan said:
Gosh I hate camplex, What would it be for a camplex system and a pana controller for one camera. Like 15k right with out the camera.
Click to expand...

Yeah the are expensive and touchy! They either play well or not at all. lol

On a serious note. When I have worked with them they worked like a charm when hooked up correctly and not just thrown together. I have also worked with them at times when they where just thrown together and the cameras would loose power for no reason or the communications would die out. Or a camera would go 180 degrees out of sync for no damn reason.

It can be really annoying, but they are also a life saver for cameras that don't offer a true CCU triax or multicore option when you can only have one cable going to the camera.
 
They have been putting money away for TV for the last fews years so they have a nice fund to pull from but as you may know, it always takes some time to convince the church that $100 on equipment is worth it when there are cheap options (though they give cheap results)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top