When James River Assembly, a diverse, two- campus church site in Springfield, Missouri, needed to upgrade its production equipment, Live Production Video Director Tim Laffoon knew that ease of use and flexibility were key. Laffoon recalls, "We wanted the quality of a 2/3-inch chip and the versatility of variable frame rates for potential field operation."

After reviewing the options available, James River Assembly added six Panasonic AG-HPX600 P2 HD shoulder-mount camcorders as the key component in its upgrade. Four of the camcorders were outfitted with Panasonic's 300Studio Systems and BT-LH910 nine-inch LCD production monitors, utilized on-camera as electronic viewfinders. The remaining two camcorders were deployed to operators on the stage.

Perfect for their handheld operators, the lightweight 6.2 pound cameras feature native 10-bit 4:2:2 AVC-Intra recording, with full streaming capabilities. Each week, two Sunday morning services are simulcast live from the South Campus to the West Campus and streamed on their online campus. James River Assembly also has a weekly TV show that airs on two local networks: KYTV and KRBK.

In both the South and West Campuses, services are projected onto three large screens. The simulcast at the West Campus has two individual feeds |that are synced together to provide a center screen shot and then a normal IMAG shot on the side screens.

"The HPX600 was our optimal choice for migration to the HD world," said Laffoon. "With a full feature suite and various options to build-out the camera, the HPX600gives us long-term flexibility: this is a camera we can grow with."

"While the HPX600 is one of Panasonic's top production cameras, with very little training it's quite intuitive to use," he added. "Easy operation is a crucial consideration as many of our operators are volunteers." His video production plans encompass taking HPX600s out in the field for pre-recorded segments, and potentially upgrading their existing cameras at the West Campus with the HPX600.