MEREDITH OUTFITS PHOENIX'S KTVK-TV WITH 30 PANASONIC AJ-PX800 AVC-ULTRA SHOULDER-MOUNTS FOR FIELD NEWS OPERATIONS

LAS VEGAS, NV (April 13, 2015) – Meredith Corporation's Broadcast Group has recently purchased 30 Panasonic AJ-PX800 2/3" AVC-ULTRA Panasonic shoulder-mount camcorders for ENG operations at its Phoenix station, KTVK-TV, familiarly called 3TV.

Panasonic's P2 has long been the predominant format throughout Meredith's 15-station Broadcast Group. According to Larry Oaks, Meredith's Vice-President of Technology and Engineering, the installation of the PX800s at 3TV is complete and field newsgathering has been standardized on the AVC-ULTRA shoulder-mounts.

"AVC-ULTRA is clearly the next step in P2, and we place a high value on the codec's bandwidth efficiencies with the LongG formats," Oaks said. "We like the PX800's imager and the quality it provides, and the camcorder's wireless capabilities are exceptionally versatile, allowing us to take full advantage of our bonded cellular gear and deliver more live news from the field."

"The PX800 — lightweight, well-balanced and with a full feature set — is providing a substantial platform for our photographers," he added. "Panasonic has been a long-term and good partner, making AVC-ULTRA a natural evolution for us."

The latest series of Panasonic's P2HD camcorders with built-in wireless/wired streaming capabilities, the AJ-PX270, AJ-PX800 and AJ-PX5000G, are all AVC-ULTRA capable, with the same recording formats, codec and file structure. When used in modern field production — whether fast-breaking news or scheduled interviews — the tool kits provided are similar, with the camcorders differing only in the lens / imager format and pricing. In many cases a mixture of cameras can used by various crews with, for example, the PX270 utilized for lightweight, handheld use by VJs, the PX800 a more traditional yet affordable 2/3" camera and the flagship PX5000G used by news photographers where the reach of a 2/3" camera and lens is required.

Meredith's 15 stations reach approximately 12 million U.S. households. For more information, visit www.meredith.com.