Las Vegas,
NV—The National Association of Broadcasters are meeting in Sin City for among
other things learn about the rapidly changing technology that brings
breathtaking images to those very spectacular TV screens in most of our
homes.
These days TV
news directors everywhere are faced with a financial crisis and thankfully the
equipment they need has never been better or cheaper. The largest single expense for any newsroom is
that exciting helicopter assisted newsgathering. Frankly, many medium and small market TV news
organizations have had to eliminate helicopters altogether or enter into video
sharing and cost splitting agreements with new competitors because they simply can
no longer afford it.
Helicopter
safety is no small issue with too many deadly crashes and the related liability
issues. Another problem is scrambling to get the helicopters quickly in the air
when news breaks.
Quadcopters
armed with small high definition cameras are a really good solution. These have been around for nearly a couple of
years but are just now getting refined and perfected for TV newsgathering
The cost of the
drones can be from $1,000.00 to $15,000.00 depending on the camera payload being
supported. TV stations would be well
served to obtain several of these drones that should be kept throughout their
coverage area. The less expensive Camera
Drones are perfectly adequate for broadcast quality newsgathering purposes. The
larger ones are more suited for feature filmmakers.
Certain
reporters or photographers should be trained in handling these easy to use
devices so they can respond quickly to accidents, fires or violent incidents.
They can be deployed in mere seconds.
In the Las Vegas
or Phoenix metropolitan areas perhaps as many as nine drones in each news
department would insure quick aerial response to any situation. This is only a fraction of the cost of
operating a news helicopter.
The captured
video can be accessed through a USB port and quickly edited with industry
standard software for news packages.
The quadcopter
camera industry leader DJI, is showing off their latest entry into the Camera
Drone Race at the NAB Convention. They
just announced their Phantom 2 Vision Plus drone. This little gem can capture stunning
video. It comes with a three degree
stabilizing gimbal. That improved device holds the camera still in windy
conditions or during tricky maneuvering of the drone. The camera shake or vibration is eliminated
in this latest version. It really excels
when panning or moving back and forth.
The Phantom 2
Vision Plus works with modern smart phones to allow both monitoring of the
video but to actually change camera settings like exposure while it’s in the air! The controller has a built-in wifi extender
to give as much as a ½ mile range allowing the pilot to view exactly what the
camera is able to capture.
The Phantom uses
rechargeable batteries that give it life for over 20 minutes, which would be
sufficient for most situations. I’d
recommend a second or even a third back up battery for each drone in your news
gathering air force.
There are
endless uses for Camera Drones in entertainment or documentary filmmaking. Private investigators, real estate salespeople,
roofers and farmers all have a need for this exciting technology.
The new video
drones are lightweight and very safe to operate. The liability issues are almost non-existent.
I don’t yet own
the DJI Phantom II Vision Plus since it just was announced. I do however have
experience with the two earlier models that some friends of mine have let me
use. They are terrific to say the
least. I will be getting the newest one
as fast as I possibly can. The price is
expected to be less than $1,400 with it’s own camera.
Here is DJI’s
website:
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