In the professional world as in life, it's a reassurance to know that somebody's looking out for you – and ahead, even. JVCKenwood USA works hard to be that somebody within the sphere of professional video.
Church.Design sat down with National Marketing Manager Craig Yanagi with JVC's Professional Video Division to get a feel for the company's newest initiatives and its commitment to end users, systems designers and integrators alike. From his Wayne, N.J., office, Yanagi outlined a focus on the future.
Church.Design: From past and recent conversations, it's clear that you have an energetic zeal for JVC's process of creating and offering camera technology that makes life simpler for end users. Was this ease of use the company's intent all along with the Connected Cam concept that's taken center stage?
Yanagi: The path that JVC Professional has chosen with the Connected Cam concept is to provide our customers with an alternative to the single dimension, sole-source offerings that saturate today’s marketplace. Our solution is based on having numerous streaming distribution solutions to match the sophistication desired by the operator. In addition, the solutions are flexible and scalable, so the system can be expanded in accordance to the needs of our customer. For instance, all JVC Professional streaming camcorders can be controlled via IP through our RM-LP100 Camera Controller, IP streaming switchers or individually by using any smart device or computer. If you add on additional camcorders in the future, our system devices will support them.
"In the event the industry changes from the current H.264 platform to HEVC/H.265, you can continue to use our current IP bridge products without the need for modification." Craig Yanagi, National Marketing Manager, JVC Professional Video Division, JVCKenwood USA, Wayne, NJ
In the event the industry changes from the current H.264 platform to HEVC/H.265, you can continue to use our current IP bridge products without the need for modification. This is extremely important and powerful for current and future financial operation and infrastructure planning.
Church.Design: Social media is clearly impacting your product development and offerings. It seems you're seeing what your end users will need and developing straight to that end. These two products come to mind: JVC GY-HM250 4K UHD Camcorder w/Facebook Live Streaming and JVC ProHD Studio 4000 Compact Streaming Studio.
Yanagi: Audiences are diversifying as video content viewing devices expand. We identified the need to enable our creators to access the world’s largest social network with our camcorders, which led to our product development of the GY-HM250 camcorder. Our GY-HM250 camcorder can essentially “log-in” to Facebook Live – making it the first professional camcorder with this capability. This is another way that JVC Professional’s innovations and forward thinking have removed barriers and are empowering our customers to reach their distribution goals.
For more sophisticated programming, we have our IP Studio Switchers with multiple camera and source inputs, motion transition graphics and the ability to easily connect and distribute content to numerous Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) simultaneously. This covers the widest distribution of programming to as many social media sites as possible.
Church.Design: What other new developments and offerings around the Connected Cam concept do church designers, consultants and integrators need to know about for their upcoming church projects?
Yanagi: We have been continuously growing the breadth of products we provide to expand the Connected Cam line and system solutions. The major announcement at NAB 2019 was the GY-HC500 Handheld 4K camcorder, which comes in three distinct configurations: the standard version with the capability of recording 4K in the industry-standard ProRes format onto SSD media, a sports production and coaching version, and a third design with a built-in WiFi adapter that enables direct streaming and two-way communication for ENG and EFP applications.
"The Connected Cam CA Studio incorporates touchscreen operation – making it an extremely intuitive solution for younger operators – and 'Zero Config' technology that instantaneously identifies and links JVC Professional PTZ and streaming camcorders to the device for ease of set up." Craig Yanagi, National Marketing Manager, JVC Professional Video Division, JVCKenwood USA, Wayne, NJ
We have also introduced a new Connected Cam Studio IP switcher with six inputs that can directly stream to multiple CDNs simultaneously. The Connected Cam CA Studio incorporates touchscreen operation – making it an extremely intuitive solution for younger operators – and “Zero Config” technology that instantaneously identifies and links JVC Professional PTZ and streaming camcorders to the device for ease of set up.
CONNECTED CAM Studio
In addition, we have been providing powerful firmware feature enhancements at no additional cost. This includes the added ability for the GY-HM250 to stream directly to Facebook Live through a WiFi hotspot or Ethernet connection that expands a viewing audience from local to worldwide. Further, the zRAMP Streaming Management Servers enable two to four simultaneous CDN connections. With these latest updates, we can now address an extremely wide range of sophisticated productions without multiple devices, saving time and money in numerous ways.
"[Firmware enhancements include] the added ability for the GY-HM250 to stream directly to Facebook Live through a WiFi hotspot or Ethernet connection that expands a viewing audience from local to worldwide." Craig Yanagi, National Marketing Manager, JVC Professional Video Division, JVCKenwood USA, Wayne, NJ
The GY-HM250 and select models also can apply lower-thirds as well as full-screen graphics that can be used to identify the location, speaker or event. In addition, the graphics can provide signage for messages, lyrics and advertising to help in monetizing [churches] activities. This JVC exclusive feature is contained within the camcorder and can be controlled with any smart device or computer without the need for additional components or software. These standard features are another way in which JVC provides value and sophistication without the need to purchase additional devices or software.
Church.Design: What will 2020 look like for church content creators? What technological features and uses will be the most sought-after in the effort to crank out great content week in, week out?
Yanagi: I believe the key for technology is to simplify the process of creating content at the highest quality possible. The marketplace has been asking for the ability to record ProRes 4K 4:2:2 at 10-bit for a number of years, and now our GY-HC500 Series enables that in a camcorder design that [accommodates] various operator abilities. Producers can take this camcorder into their hands or attach it to select robotic systems with which JVC Professional has collaborated, to provide sophisticated, controlled productions.
In addition, the need to deliver content beyond traditional distribution methods is constantly growing. JVC’s streaming solutions provide the gateway to access those distribution networks for today and tomorrow, from single-operator camera programming to events requiring multiple camera switching. Additionally, all content can be recorded for editing, including images captured by our KY-PZ100 PTZ camera onto its onboard microSD slot. All video files can be set to record in the .MOV format, fully supported by all major non-linear editing (NLE) systems for efficient, hassle-free editing.
Church.Design: What customer support mechanisms does JVC have in place to help both systems designers and end users at churches?
Yanagi: For the GY-HM250, we have a simple step-by-step video on our website (pro.jvc.com) explaining how to connect the camera to Facebook Live online. Additionally, to address training for more sophisticated integration of our products, JVC Professional provides webinars for our authorized resellers and their customers. We can, and will, engage the local JVC Professional regional manager should it be required for complex system configurations. There is also a JVC Professional toll-free support hotline (800-583-5835) that customers can call to speak directly to a member of our team.
Church.Design: Bring us full circle with one closing thought.
Yanagi: The core of JVC’s solutions is to provide sophisticated technology with affordable and efficient ancillary devices that address the needs of today – and are scalable to the needs of tomorrow.
[Editor's note: This article was originally posted in November 2019.]