I’ll date myself a little here, but video switchers were large, expensive pieces of equipment when I started in church production; the term small switcher was an oxymoron. Now there are software solutions that are basically free, and the hardware solutions have become so inexpensive that they are a consumer product that people like me purchase to have around “just in case.” Threading the needle between the large switchers and the consumer products, JVC has a new offering in the KM-HD6 that sits right in the middle. It has all the must-have features and nothing extra, meaning it checks the two big boxes for churches; it’s volunteer-friendly and falls at a price point that makes sense for the church market.
Back in February, Joseph D’Amico, Vice President of JVCKenwood USA Corporation, visited the Triangle area of North Carolina and called on multiple churches representing variety of congregational sizes and technology use levels to help understand what the house of worship market needed. One of the results of that trip: the JVC KM-HD6, a small-form-factor video switcher, custom-built with churches in mind. He says, “JVC recognizes the need for organizations of all sizes to expand their video production capabilities. The addition of these affordable new production tools will enable budget-conscious studios, venues, and arenas to have high-quality, glass-to-glass workflow solutions. It is our hope that in offering these products, JVC can provide a wider scope of users with price-effective, easy-to-configure equipment and support from a single manufacturer.”
There are some profound benefits to this small switcher. First, there are six inputs across multiple connection types, four SDI and two HDMI. All the inputs re-clock, so there is no need for genlock, and it can handle HD format conversion, so there is no issue with mixed frame rates, and it will cross convert between 920 and 1080. For audio inputs, it has 3.5mm and RCA, as well as embedded audio on all the video inputs making it perfect for getting a house mix directly from your audio console.
On the output side, the KM-HD6 has many options: two SDI and one HDMI program. There is also an SDI aux output, which can be set as preview out or program out, selectable in the menu options, as well as one each HDMI and SDI multi-viewers. These outputs are simultaneously active, so there is no need to pick and choose. There is also a USB-C program out, which is perfect for streaming to YouTube, Facebook, or any other streaming platform. There are 3.5 and RCA outputs for audio, so there are multiple options for getting audio and video into or out of this switcher. Also, if tally is important to you, there is a GPIO port for tally integration.
Internally the switcher has all the standard mix, fade and wipe effects, plus it has a T-bar in the form of a slider, giving you granular control of transitions. On top of that, it has an adjustable PiP/PoP window. Most importantly, the number one feature of this switcher is the power button, something that is tragically missing from other switchers and is clearly born from listening to the end users.
Lastly, because the HM-HD6 is in the Connected Cam family, it can be bundled with the RM-LP5G Connected Cam PTZ Joystick Controller and a few PTZs at a special bundled price, which is determined by the cameras chosen. Everything in the Connected Cam family is designed from the ground up to ensure that each product works well together, enabling users to evolve their workflows as needs increase. For example, you can swap out the KM-HD6 for something like the KM-IP8S4 while retaining everything else, and the system will still perform as it should.
The main downside of the KM-HD6 is its need for more internal horsepower. There are no keyers or DVEs in this switcher. It will be interesting to see the PiP/PoP window’s limitations when working with a computer running a graphics display program like ProPresenter. However, because it has a USB-C connector, it’s easy to connect the switcher to a computer and then use vMix or OBS for your effects. In fact, the big brothers of this switcher, the KM-IP8 and KM-IP8S4 Connected Cam vMix Studio Switchers, use vMix 4K to provide live mixing, switching, recording, and live streaming of SD, full HD, and 4K.
The ability to bundle the KM-HD6 with other Connected Cam device makes this an affordable and attractive option. Between that price point and the no-frills approach to what the switcher can do, this system was designed with churches in mind: built for volunteers who don’t have a lot of training and churches without many resources. JVC did its homework to understand what churches need and delivered a product to meet that unique requirement.
For more information about JVC products and services visit: JVC.com/Contact Us or reach out at 800-582-5825 | proinfo@jvc.com.
