Peoria, IL – Tekskil Industries and Hitachi Kokusai have teamed up to give Central Illinois television station, WEEK-DT, a winning combination for their new robotic camera systems.

Many broadcast studios are realizing the benefits of prompter-mounted Robotic Camera systems. By staging Hitachi’s HV-HD30 camera, Tekskil’s 15R-DBC prompter and Eagle’s PT-250 Pan & Tilt, WEEK has a full HDTV robotics system with excellent performance at modest expenditure. Fred Roe, Chief Engineer of WEEK, says “We had a limited budget and the combination of Hitachi and Tekskil products met our performance criteria and came in under budget.�

The HV-HD30 offers HITACHI customers the latest high-performance HDTV imaging camera at an unprecedented price level. Advancements in Digital Signal Processing and CMOS imaging sensors permit the introduction of this new level of picture quality and electronic stability at a reduced cost. It employs three HDTV, 1/3-inch format, 1.3-megapixel CMOS sensors that achieve high picture quality on the par with the highest performance CCDs currently on the market. Its multi-format capability provides both 1080i and 720p HDTV signals that are SMPTE292M-compliant. The camera operating parameters and video adjustments can be performed remotely utilizing the Eagles Control Panel. The PT-250 pan-tilt head is a heavy-duty, easy to use unit – it’s size and power make it a good choice for smooth on-air moves. The head has excellent motion characteristics, with a range of motion of 355° in pan and 180° in tilt. One touch saving of up to 64 different preset combinations of position and lens settings can be memorized by the head. All are stored in nonvolatile memory inside each head, and can easily be recalled at any time.

The Tekskil robotic solution features a supercharged LCD for maximum contrast and resolution and can be comfortably viewed from 20+ feet away, even under bright studio lights. Tekskil’s ultralight 15R integrates perfectly with the latest generation of smaller cameras and pan & tilt heads – no more issues with overloading or balancing the pan/tilt unit. The purpose-built robotic prompter system is comprised of light, strong aluminum components, micro-truss supports and an exclusive Dynamic Balance Cradle. The DBC enables precise, rapid alignment of the camera & prompter payload with the pan/tilt’s axis of rotation. Stable at any angle, even upside down, the dynamic balancing cradle provides a system that does not require any conterweights. Improper balance is the number one source of customer complaints; stressed pan/tilt units generate vibration and noise, and ultimately diminished stepper motor life. This also eliminates camera ‘lurching’ and unnecessary strain on the pan/tilt motors and bearings. Installation is a snap, no more frustration with trial and error balancing. Fred Roe said “The 15R with its Dynamic Balancing Cradle was extremely easy to setup and I am impressed with the quality of construction.�

For more information, contact:
Sean Moran
National Sales Manager
Hitachi Kokusai Electric America, Ltd.
150 Crossways Park Drive
Woodbury, NY 11797
Phone: (516) 921-7200 ext. 431

Howard Rothstein
US National Sales and Marketing
Tekskil Industries, Inc.
805 Greenvine Trace
Roswell, GA 30076
Phone: (770) 518-0844