MAYWOOD, NEW JERSEY, March 31, 2010 – When a new late-night talk show debuts starring a top Hollywood celebrity, producers want to make sure viewers see him and his guest stars in superb HDTV picture quality. This is why Sweetwater Digital Productions specified seven Ikegami HDK-77EC HD native dual-HD-format CMOS camera systems for its complete on-site production facility on the Burbank CA set of Lopez Tonight, starring the high-energy comedian and actor George Lopez.
“Our first venture into HD was with Ikegami,” recalls Stephen Sharp, Director of R&D for Sweetwater. “When it comes to picture quality, the Ikegami CMOS cameras are the highest-resolution you can get. For Lopez Tonight, this camera package is what’s required for high-end, HD broadcast-grade imagery. It doesn’t get any better.”
Sweetwater’s complement of seven Ikegami HDK-77EC HD cameras are integral to its Lopez Tonight production build-out, which is designed for flexibility, affordability, and maximum 1080i HDTV picture quality. “We have a responsibility to TBS to make sure the show looks great,” Sharp says. “The Ikegami CMOS cameras, the lighting and the set all combine to create an outstanding broadcast look.”
In addition to the superior HD picture quality of its HDK-77EC HD cameras, Sharp explains that Ikegami’s commitment to outstanding customer service contributed to Sweetwater’s preparations for the Lopez Tonight debut. “Ikegami helped a lot by making sure that the camera operators knew how to use the HDK-77EC HD cameras from the beginning,” he says. “CMOS cameras have some specific features, so learning how to use them efficiently is essential. We’ve always had a good experience with training and support from Ikegami.”
“The lighting design for Lopez Tonight can challenge the best cameras from any manufacturer,” adds Joe Shackelford, Partner and Vice President of Sweetwater. “LED displays, dramatic color-intense sets, a dark sky and moving lights are all a Hollywood trademark on talk-show sets, but when the talent is lit with 30 foot-candles, picture noise and detail can suffer. In a full side-by-side camera-to-camera test, however, Ikegami’s HDK-77EC HD cameras beat all the others. The HDK-77EC makes a gorgeous picture. The camera is the quietest and the color dynamics exceeded the lighting director’s expectations. Sometimes you can’t explain why the picture looks incredible, and the Ikegami HDK-77EC just does. It performs at its best on Lopez Tonight and has become a favorite camera of the producers and crew alike.”
Ikegami’s HDK-77EC HD cameras employ three next-generation CMOS imaging sensors for dual 1080i/720p format flexibility, a wide dynamic range, lower power consumption, and reduced operating temperature. The HDK-77EC is an economical docking-style portable multi-format HD camera that can connect to fiber or triax for convenient, lightweight, mobile flexibility via Ikegami’s CCU-890M camera control unit. Users can choose the type of camera cable with a simple switch at the CCU, combined with mounting a docking FA Fiber Adapter or TA Triax Adapter to the camera head. Sweetwater’s HDK-77EC’s are used for Lopez Tonight as studio cameras with nine-inch Ikegami VFL-900HA LCD color viewfinders, as well as on jib arms, and as hand-held units for maximum HDTV coverage.
“We have a long-standing relationship with Ikegami,” Sharp notes. “In the years that I’ve been here, we’ve looked to them every time. You can’t beat these cameras.”
For more information and the location of the Regional Office nearest you, call Ikegami’s Maywood NJ headquarters at 201-368-9171 or visit www.Ikegami.com.
Ikegami Electronics (U.S.A.), Inc. is a leading supplier of professional broadcasting products in the Western Hemisphere. With U.S. offices in New Jersey, California, Florida, Texas, Illinois, and Ohio, the Ikegami name is recognized worldwide for its state-of-the-art television cameras and closed-circuit TV equipment. Ikegami’s universal High Definition TV cameras have been widely accepted by the broadcast industry as it continues the transition to the High Definition Television Format.
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