Palmedia, a multi-media service provider based in Ramallah, Palestine, recently invested in several Sony XDCAM HD and HDV broadcast cameras as part of its efforts to provide its clients with state-of-the-art technology for news and general programme making.
As a broadcast company that has its home base in a politically volatile region, where there are several foreign media companies that have the latest news acquisition and programme making equipment, and news crews that are waiting to be the first to hit the camera record button, Palmedia has had to ensure that its media services are state-of-the-art. Additionally, the competitive nature of the broadcast industry has compelled Palmedia to acquire technology that enables it to provide media services that are on par with or of better standards than international companies.
Consequently, Palmedia decided to adopt Sony’s XDCAM HD and HDV broadcast formats. This technology offers a range of key features including multi-format recording but significantly, with XDCAM HD, there is the capability to drastically improve the whole production workflow of news and programme creation.
“We’ve used Sony DVCAM products for sometime and they have proven their worth,” says Ghasoub AlaEddin, executive director of Palmedia. “In our environment, especially, we give equipment a rough ride. But times change — the media production industry is moving on and so must we. As a direct consequence, the growth objectives we have set for the company dictates that we must re-equip, and this means acquiring the latest and best set of next generation production tools. Our track record with Sony DVCAM and the worldwide adoption of XDCAM were influential factors on the final decision. But it wasn’t this in isolation. We had to be certain that our development objectives could be met and this is where the workflow solution inherent within XDCAM technology became an overriding factor,” he adds.
Palmedia has purchased 4 x PDW-F330PK XDCAM HD camcorders and 8 x HVR-Z1E HDV camcorders. Both have multi format capability switching between standard definition (SD) in DVCAM format and high definition (HD) in MPEG HD format. Editing is done on Apple’s Final Cut Pro whose XDCAM integration applications have enhanced the post-production workflow.
“These new production tools will allow Palmedia to work alongside and collaborate with the world’s best international news crews on an equal footing,” says AlaEddin. “Importantly, by utilising our four regional media centres in Jerusalem, Ramallah, Gaza and Bethlehem as well as other branch centres in other cities designed for media production, Palmedia can now provide an unrivalled level of production facilities in Palestine for its own crew as well as others,” he adds.
Although the XDCAM HD has been well received in many parts of the world, many Middle East customers have had difficulty adjusting to the standard. “The difficulty for customers in this region with adopting professional disc has been the longstanding love affair with tape,” says Firas Ishaq of Star 2000, Sony’s local representative in Lebanon. “It now seems this barrier is coming down rapidly as more international broadcasters and production companies show up with XDCAM HD products, demonstrating how easy it is to use and how much more quickly programmes can be made both on the field and in-house.”
Star 2000 was influential in helping Palmedia arrive at a decision to purchase this equipment. “You have a head start when a customer is happy with the current equipment you have supplied in the past. XDCAM HD is a format that is not just a change of recording media; it is loaded with many new features and therefore opportunities to improve the way programmes are made. With its random access, file based recording and transfer, plus proxy workflow it is a real ‘AVIT’ product. This has sometimes meant it hasn’t always been easy for customers to instantly recognise all the benefits that can be gained from using this technology. We, therefore, worked closely with Palmedia to derive a clear understanding of how and where XDCAM could move them forward on their development objectives. They are a key influencer in Palestine. Consequently, other production companies will be monitoring them closely and taking note of their progress.” In news and general programme acquisition, having a versatile and reliable tool can mean the difference between getting an all important programme to air or not. XDCAM HD incorporates a number of versatile “get out of jail” features. First of all, all the traditional connectivity that a user would expect to see on a DVCAM unit is also available on XDCAM as well as new AVIT (Ethernet and File Access Mode) capability. If a user records in high definition but needs to transmit or transfer it to standard definition, down conversion is incorporated on the camcorders.
Versatility is featured through being able to select the recording mode as either DVCAM or MPEG HD. (HVR-Z1E has 3 modes, DV, DVCAM & HDV). The overall maneuverability of XDCAM for field use is extensive.
“The PALTEL group has set itself a vision of providing a range of high quality multi media services using state-of-the-art communication technology,” says Khader Abusway, Palmedia’s general manager. “We recognise that the skill base and talent of the people in Palmedia will play the biggest part in achieving this vision. With Sony’s XDCAM HD and HDV products, we have provided them with a tool that is designed to improve skills and promote creative talent through workflow and product quality enhancements. This investment is a technology means to a business end.”
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