KSTP-TV, ABC AFFILIATE IN MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL, TRANSITIONS TO HD ENG WITH PANASONIC P2 HD CAMCORDERS
Hubbard Broadcast Flagship Station Purchases Multiple AG-HPX300 Shoulder-Mount Cameras
with AVC-Intra Recording
LAS VEGAS, NV (April 19, 2009) – Twin Cities’ ABC affiliate KSTP-TV, 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS recently took delivery of a large order of Panasonic’s new AG-HPX300 P2 HD shoulder-mount camcorders with AVC-Intra recording in a broad upgrade to HD electronic news gathering. The station, which will utilize a quantity of the HPX300s in studio configuration as well as outfit all its news, sports, and promotion photographers, expects to complete the transition to HD news production by mid-June.

KSTP-TV, the upper Midwest's first commercial television station and the Twin Cities’ first commercial station to broadcast in HD, is owned by the pioneering broadcasting company Hubbard Broadcasting, Inc. (St. Paul, MN). The station’s large complement of videographers shoots more than 40 hours of local news, weather and sports coverage weekly.

“The HPX300 is a remarkable camera, offering advanced technologies like AVC-Intra recording that we’d been hoping for in a full-size, cost-effective broadcast package,” said Dick Rice, KSTP’s Director of Engineering. “We like the P2 workflow and the Panasonic product line offers an excellent selection of tools for the broadcaster.”

Rice said the station tested the HPX300 extensively before making a purchase decision. “First and foremost, the image quality is exceptional,” he said. “The camera’s shoulder-mount construction delivers the durability in the field we require in a news camera. The interchangeable lens design gives us the flexibility to utilize a wide range of broadcast specialty lenses for our investigative news and our sports shooters. We also like the built-in wireless receiver with embedded audio in the HPX300’s SDI output which allows us to use just one cable when connecting to the ENG or SNG truck.”

Alongside the HPX300-based ENG operations, KSTP is implementing an entirely new tapeless newsroom system powered by the Gallery SIENNA™ network news automation system, a fully integrated QuickTime and MOS based news workflow that the station utilizes with the ENPS News System and a Final Cut Pro-based QuickTime media infrastructure.

“The HPX300 is a tremendously exciting product that very effectively moves us into the HD acquisition domain,” he said.

KSTP is replacing its current standard-definition Betacam SP cameras with the P2 HD cams, which the station purchased from its systems integrator, Alpha Video & Audio Inc. (Edina, MN).

For more information about KSTP-TV, 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS visit www.kstp.com.




About the AG-HPX300

The new AG-HPX300 is the world’s first affordable 10-bit, 4:2:2 professional HD camcorder, featuring individual frame AVC-Intra recording, native 2.2-megapixel imagers and variable frame rates. Incorporating an innovative, low profile shoulder mounted design, the 1/3” AG-HPX300 P2 HD camcorder offers the flexibility of interchangeable lens but comes standard with a 17x HD Fujinon lens. The HPX300 imager incorporates advanced 1/3” 2.2-megapixel 3-MOS technology to acquire full native resolution HD images. With a redesigned optical block and a high-precision prism bonding technology, these advanced 3-MOS imagers provide exceptional image quality while minimizing any flare or chromatic aberration. A new 20-bit digital signal processor (DSP) also enhances the HPX300’s image performance. Delivering the impressive quality of AVC-Intra 100 and AVC-Intra 50, the HPX300 also records individual frame images in 100Mbps DVCPRO HD and in standard definition in DVCPRO50, DVCPRO and DV.

About P2 HD

P2 HD all solid-state products offer high definition recording without the mechanical wear and environmental limitations of tape, hard disk, and optical disc based systems. P2 HD ensures the highest reliability, especially in challenging conditions of extreme temperature range, shock, and vibration. P2 HD products provide a significant reduction in maintenance costs, longer useful product life, and immediate access to recorded video (no need to digitize, ingest or create proxy video files) and metadata. P2 HD provides the reliability of solid-state production; the immediate connectivity to existing IT infrastructures; the speed, ease of use and portability of P2 cards; and the interoperability with leading NLE systems.

About Panasonic Broadcast

Panasonic Broadcast & Television Systems Co. is a leading supplier of broadcast and professional video products and systems. Panasonic Broadcast is a unit of Panasonic Corporation of North America. The company is the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation (NYSE Symbol: PC) and the hub of Panasonic’s U.S. branding, marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. For more information on Panasonic Broadcast products, visit www.panasonic.com/broadcast.