Panasonic AK-HC5000 HD HDR Broadcast Cameras Chosen to Capture NHL Hockey, Major College Basketball for Prudential Center’s World-Class Video Board

Prudential Center, home to the NHL’s New Jersey Devils and NCAA's Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball team, has upgraded to Panasonic AK-HC5000 HD HDR studio/field camera systems for all in-game presentation on the arena’s massive, center-hung LED scoreboards (almost four stories tall). In addition to capturing game action, the four AK-HC5000s and an AW-UE150 4K/HD 60p pan/tilt/zoom camera enhance the fan experience, including fan shots, player warm-ups and timeout features. 

Concurrently, Prudential Center’s Content Production Department is using Panasonic’s VariCam LT 4K and AU-EVA1 5.75K cinema cameras for large-and smaller-scale production assignments.

“Prudential Center has been a Panasonic house since it opened in 2007,” Joe Kuchie, Senior Manager, Scoreboard and Live Production, Prudential Center and New Jersey Devils, said “Our video board is used for various live events, including New Jersey Devils hockey, Seton Hall University basketball, multiple graduations and select concerts and family shows. As a top ten venue in the world, we need top-of-the-line and reliable equipment and that is what we have found with our partner Panasonic. Previously, we had used three DVCPRO HD tape-based cameras for board feeds. To replace our aging gear, we felt it was necessary to get a model that was similar – the HC5000 – to make the transition easy for our operators. We could not be happier with the product.”

In terms of camera placement, two stationary AK-HC5000s are situated on tripods across from each other on either side of the rink, behind the lower section of seats. These cameras are placed on raised platforms that afford a good view of the ice action. Two roaming AK-HC5000s are used during timeouts in the action as fan cams or for in-game contests or presentations. 

Prudential Center is also using the AW-UE150 PTZ camera mounted in the catwalk to afford a permanent live shot of the DJ and Organist for in-game features. “We go to our DJ each game and our organist at least 20 times a season, and the UE150 gives us the flexibility to free up our other camera operators to roam the building and not be locked down on a specific location for an extended period of time,” Kuchie said. “We went with this 4K model because we want to provide the best possible picture quality for our scoreboard and our fans,” he said.

Kuchie continued, “The new cameras have been up and running since September and have significantly improved the picture quality to our scoreboard. The purchase of a fourth HC5000 on the reverse side opened up a new world of potential fan shots and game situational angles that we could not produce previously.”

Regarding lensing, Kuchie said, “We have two Canon HJ24EX7.5B IASE 2/3" 4K/HD lenses for our two RF HC5000s that roam the building, and two Fuji XA55x9.5BESM HD lenses w/ Semi Servo Control for the two stationary cameras. The video board production format is 1080i/59.94.

Sergio Camacho, Director, Content Production, explained that the New Jersey Devils Studios produce content that is seen nationally and regionally on the NHL and MSG networks. “Our department handles production needs ranging from in-game capture of Devils games to in-bowl audience reactions, to special projects in-studio, small- and large-scale post productions ranging from social media vignettes to national broadcast TV episodes, and global brand TV commercials from GEICO to Pepsi.” 

“Generally, we’re using the EVA1 for in-bowl captures, Devils’ game action and smaller-scale productions, and the VariCam LT for large national broadcast documentaries, TV commercials, and web episodic in 4K HDR,” he added.

“The dual ISO for low light captures on a more reasonable budget compared to the Red Gemini, which fits our needs as we shoot lots of hockey moments in very low light and spaces with non-ideal lighting conditions,” Camacho said.

About Prudential Center

Prudential Center is the world-class sports and entertainment venue located in downtown Newark, New Jersey. Opened in October 2007, the state-of-the-art arena is the home of the National Hockey League’s (NHL) three-time Stanley Cup Champion New Jersey Devils, Seton Hall University’s NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball program, and more than 175 concerts, family shows and special events each year. The arena is also home to the GRAMMY Museum Experience Prudential Center, which opened its doors to the public on October 2017. The 8,200-square-foot experience marks the first GRAMMY Museum outpost on the East Coast, and features a dynamic combination of educational programming and interactive permanent and traveling exhibits, including a spotlight on legendary GRAMMY winners from New Jersey. Ranked in the Top 8 nationally by Pollstar, Billboard and Venues Today, Prudential Center is recognized as one of the premier venues in the United States, and hosts over two million guests annually. Upcoming shows at Prudential Center include Celine Dion (3/7-3/8), Wild N’ Out (3/14), Billie Eilish (3/16) and many more.  For more information about Prudential Center, visit PruCenter.com and follow the arena on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @PruCenter. Prudential Center is a Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment property. 

About the AK-HC5000 Camera System

The fast, high-resolution AK-HC5000, capable of high-speed output up to 1080/239.76p, incorporates 2/3” 2.2M 3-CMOS sensors with high sensitivity (F11/2000lx), low noise (S/N 60dB+), and resolution measured at 1100 TV lines. The camera’s system components include the AK-UCU500 CCU, which provides power up to 6600 feet over standard SMPTE fiber along with IP streaming video feature; the AK-HRP1000 Remote Operation Panel, featuring PoE+ power and PTZ camera control capabilities; the AK-HBU500 studio build-up kit for integration with long field lenses; and AK-HVF100 9-inch, Full-HD LCD viewfinder. 

About the VariCam LT

The VariCam LT camcorder inherits the same super 35mm sensor and superb imaging capabilities that distinguish the award-winning VariCam 35, but with significant reductions in size, weight and price. Incorporating this identical imaging “DNA” in a more compact rendition, the VariCam LT delivers 14+ stops of dynamic range with V-Log, and the esteemed cinematic VariCam image quality and color science, as well as the VariCam 35's breakout innovation, dual native ISOs of 800/5000. Weighing just under six pounds, the VariCam LT is the ideal camera for handheld, SteadiCam, jib, crane, drone, gimbal and overall cinema verité work. The VariCam LT offers a host of new features including an EF lens mount, hot swappable batteries, IR shooting capability, a 23.98 PsF output, cinema style file naming, and image presets such as scene files. 

About the AU-EVA1

The AU-EVA1 5.7K handheld cinema camera is distinguished by a pixel count of 5720 H x 3016 V (17.25 million), Dual Native ISO ratings of 800 and 2,500, and 14-stops of dynamic range. The newly-designed EVA1 sensor is Super-35 sized (24.60mm x 12.97mm) with 5.7K resolution. With an active resolution of 5720 x 3016, the EVA1 delivers more than 17.25 million photo sites, nearly double the 8.8 million for 4K DCI (4096 x 2160). Weighing only 2.65-lbs (1.2Kg, body-only) with a compact form factor (6.69” H x 5.31” W x 5.23” D) and a removable handgrip, the EVA1 can be used for efficient handheld shooting applications. 

For more information about Panasonic cinema cameras, visit https://na.panasonic.com/us/audio-video-solutions/broadcast-cinema-pro-video/cinema-cameras or contact Panasonic at 877-803-8492.

The AW-UE150 PTZ and Companion AW-RP150 controller

This new flagship model PTZ features 4K/UHD 60p output and a wide horizontally viewing angle of 75.1 degrees (both firsts in their class), plus a 20x optical zoom/32x intelligent zoom (in HD mode).The UE150 is equipped with a large 1” MOS sensor and various 4K interfaces including 12G-SDI, HDMI, optical fiber and IP connectivity. The camera simultaneous outputs 4K and HD, assuring the right output for the production. For more info on the AW-UE150, visit https://bit.ly/2PSN7ru. For info on the AW-RP150, visit https://bit.ly/38QbmPS. 

For more information about Panasonic professional video products, visit us.panasonic.com/broadcast or contact Panasonic at 877-803-8492. 

About Panasonic System Solutions Company of North America

Panasonic System Solutions Company of North America, a division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, delivers game-changing technology solutions that deliver customized experiences to drive better outcomes—for our customers and our customers’ customers. Panasonic designs and manufactures reliable, flexible and dependable products and solutions to help create, capture and deliver information of all types, especially where, when and how it is needed. The complete suite of Panasonic professional solutions for government and commercial enterprises of all sizes addresses unified business communications, mobile computing, security and surveillance, retail point-of-sale, office productivity, audio and visual systems (projectors, displays & digital signage) and professional video production. To learn more and Panasonic’s business products and solutions visit https://na.panasonic.com/us/audio-video-solutions.