FORCES TV EQUIP WITH PANASONIC DVCPRO

PANASONIC Broadcast recently supplied BFBS Television (British Forces Broadcasting Service) with a number of DVCPRO units for the acquisition and production of their programmes in the UK, Germany, the Falklands and Cyprus.
The equipment purchased includes AJ-D800 and AJ-D910 camcorders, used mainly for filming live studio debates on defence issues and producing inserts for the BFBS news magazine programme ‘Scene Here’. The cameras have also been used to film peace-keeping operations in Sierra Leone and whilst travelling into the foothills of the Himalayas to record the work of a trust to help Gurkha villages in Nepal, as well as in more challenging environments such as East Timor and the Balkans.
In addition to the DVCPRO cameras, BFBS Television have invested in four laptop editors AJ-LT85 for in-field and on-site editing. Furthermore, at their main European Head Quarters in Herford, Germany, BFBS Television are using a Quick Cutter AJ-DE77, the non-linear editing system, that allows uploading and downloading at four times normal speed, for editing programmes due for transmission.
Steve Mylles, Controller of BFBS Television, said DVCPRO was chosen “because we wanted a format which was lightweight, flexible and rugged and was internationally available as we send production teams round the world.” He also highlighted the benefits of using DVCPRO: “Maintenance has been very low, the durability and versatility of the equipment excellent and we are very pleased with the quality of the pictures. We have chosen DVCPRO as our main production format and are delighted with the results.” (SP)