International. New York's Syracuse University is using two Hitachi Z-HD5000 HDTV cameras to produce the college sporting events that are broadcast live on ESPN3, ESPN's online streaming service. Events include basketball and lacrosse, which are held on the university's stadium campus.
"Having ESPN3 to bring our games live is prestigious and offers greater visibility of our teams," said John DeFrancisco, Technical Operations Manager at Syracuse University, where the video production and control room is located in one of its private boxes.
When ESPN contracted with the University to bring the games to ESPN3, they provided a list of video equipment they wanted to be used in their productions, including the Hitachi Z-HD5000s and two Fujinon HA42x9.7BERD box-style lenses. "We acquired the cameras as part of a broader video production upgrade we did specifically for the contract with ESPN3, and they've performed exceptionally well," DeFrancisco said.
There are five high-definition cameras at the University that now complement Hitachi's cameras so they can provide more varied shooting and game action angles. The video signal is delivered to ESPN in real time through proprietary fiber lines dedicated to the sports network.
The two Hitachi Z HD5000s are configured similarly, including 7-inch color viewfinders, tripods, and box-style Fujinon lenses with powerful 2X zoom extenders and Digi-semi-servo lens controllers for ergonomic handling.
