Temple Baptist Church Upgrades IMAG and Broadcast Video Productions with Hitachi HDTV Cameras

Prior to the overhaul, Temple Baptist Church was still using standard-definition video equipment for many aspects of its production workflows, and an upgrade to HD did not seem imminent. Cost considerations had precluded us from upgrading fully to HD across our worship facility, said the churchs media director, Tanner Cade. Going into 2020 we were planning to upgrade our in-venue audio, but given the impact of COVID and resulting importance of video, we switched gears. We postponed the audio enhancements and re-allocated that funding to upgrade our video infrastructure.

Cade had been evaluating HDTV cameras at trade shows for many years, so he already had Hitachi Kokusai in mind when the project started. I have always appreciated Hitachis engineering and the value they deliver, he said. I felt like cost-wise they provide really great bang for the buck in the church landscape. I spoke to peers who had done shootouts between camera manufacturers, and they also chose Hitachi. Combining all of that with a recommendation from InteRise, the integrator for our project, the decision was easy.

The SK-HD1800s native 1080p support and global shutter technology made it the ideal Hitachi model for the churchs needs. We use a lot of LED lighting of various types on our stage, so the SK-HD1800s ability to accurately capture that flicker-free was very satisfying, explained Cade. We also wanted native 1080p not only for today, but knowing that we could up-convert it to 4K further down the road if we need to. The SK-HD1800 is a solid 1080p camera that we just couldnt pass up.

In addition to lauding the quality advantages of the HD upgrade and the low-light handling of the SK-HD1800s, Cade notes that the cameras ease of use enabled volunteers to jump right in. We want any equipment we choose to be volunteer-friendly, as they are hands-on with almost everything Sunday mornings, he explained. We have thoroughly enjoyed how easy it is for volunteers to latch on to the Hitachi cameras and excel with them.

Cade has been equally impressed with Hitachi Kokusais customer service. We feel like we are valued and recognized, and someone is always available to talk to us whenever we need, he said. We really value that customer experience in any project or product we purchase, and we fully believe we are getting that from Hitachi Kokusai.

The new control room and video infrastructure are also giving the churchs production team greater flexibility to move video between on-campus venues beyond its main worship center, including its preschool and childrens centers, gymnasium, and post production studio. We can now bring the same exceptional image quality that people are used to on Sunday mornings into other venues and studio productions during the week, said Cade.

Most importantly, Temple Baptist Churchs congregation and production team are enthusiastic about the benefits the SK-HD1800s have delivered. The Hitachi cameras have brought our church to a whole new ballgame of video quality that our staff and volunteers are fully embracing, and that our members love, said Cade. Were excited to bring our members the same quality of work here at the church that they see at home on television, particularly as its their giving  even during a difficult year  that enabled this upgrade. Were excited about the future of what the cameras can bring not only to our weekend services, but many other new opportunities for us during the week.