Hitachi HDTV Cameras Chosen to Capture French National Assembly Parliamentary Sessions

posted:

27/01/2013

Hitachi DK-H100 HDTV box cameras selected for compact size and high-level technical spec, as the Assembly upgrades to HD

Hitachi Kokusai Electric Europe has announced a significant win in the French market, with the recent deployment of its DK-H100 HDTV box cameras by the French National Assembly as part of a HD upgrade. The new cameras are being used to record the Assembly’s daily sessions at the Palais Bourbon in Paris. All footage is subsequently transmitted over a fibre optic connection to the master control room, located 350m away, for redistribution.

Following a call for tender, the French National Assembly purchased eight Hitachi Kokusai Electric Europe DK-H100 broadcast cameras through local systems integrator, Preview GM System. The Hitachi cameras, by replacing existing SDI equipment, become part of the first HD broadcast deployment within the bounds of the parliamentary ‘hemicycle’.

Christian Castelli, audiovisual system engineer at the French National Assembly, explained that the team started using the new cameras in September 2012. “Having examined cameras from various providers, we chose the DK-H100 model from Hitachi because of its size and the value for money it provided us”, he said. “The cameras are small and discreet and we are particularly happy with the outstanding picture quality they provide as well as their handy fibre optic connection.”

With 577 deputies and over 1000 hours of yearly debates, The French National Assembly is at the heart of the country’s parliamentary democracy, with recorded daily sittings which can often run into the night. The HD recordings from the Hitachi cameras on-site are immediately made available to the LCP-AN parliamentary channel and to the media. France 3, for example, offers live coverage of delegates’ questions to the government in a public service programme called ‘Questions au gouvernement’ on Wednesday afternoons.

“This was a significant integration project in a prestigious location and a very historic building: it’s a project we are very proud of,” said Mikaël Graignic, French commercial director at Preview GM System. “We believe the DK-H100 Hitachi cameras offered the French National Assembly a different and compelling option during the tender, one which impressed the technical team at the Assembly because of the combined size and technical performance of the cameras.”

The DK-H100 is a multi-purpose HDTV box type POV camera that is ideal for applications such as graphics stand, point of view and remote observation. With a small light-weight head, the camera provides outstanding performance with its new 2.3 million pixels native 1080i 3-CCD. It offers sharper and cleaner HD images due to its 14-bit A/D converters and Hitachi's latest digital processing technology. The camera achieves outstanding high sensitivity and low vertical smear specifications.

About Preview-GM Systems
Preview-GM System was created in November 1995 by Thierry POUGET after 10 years of operation as Augereau Audio Video. Preview is an engineering company and builder of fixed & mobile professional television systems.Preview provides:
System design, Building and Integration of turnkey professional systems.
Design relies on 12 engineers and technical staff using very powerful CAD/CAM computer systems.Building has some of the best wiring staff on the market. Preview employs a permanent team of 11 cable men to which are added, if necessary, wiring teams from companies working as sub-contractors or freelance cabling specialists. Management consists of a chief supervisor in charge of the entire construction operations, a project chief and team leaders.
Integration taken care of by 3 mechanical engineering specialists and 2 carpenters. The combined strength of experienced construction teams and powerful computer design tools allows Preview to be a very efficient operation and to enjoy an excellent reputation in the opinion of some of the best television professionals and companies who add their names to our ever-growing list of customer references.

About Hitachi Kokusai Electric
Broadcast and professional video cameras made by Hitachi Kokusai Electric are synonymous for innovation and ultimate performance - Hitachi has been one of the most significant Japanese companies in developing broadcast camera technology.
Hitachi launched the first portable Professional Video Camera that could directly compete against studio-cameras in the early 90s - a technical revolution in its time. The company is also responsible for the development of digital TRIAX-technology.
Today Hitachi is even more successful in developing and providing high-end broadcast technology. It is committed to meeting the needs of its users today, while helping to forge a migration path for tomorrow. Studio productions, documentaries, sports or live-events, Hitachi offers sophisticated camera systems for a wide range of production techniques.