The school bought the high-resolution cameras to support its educational initiatives in broadcast, journalism and more across two departments as The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication finalizes the HD transition of its production studios.

Evan Cornog, dean of The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication at Hofstra University, said the ability of the SK-UHD4000 to be used as both a studio and field camera, in multiple resolutions, made it a good fit for Hofstra University. Buying 4K today ensures that the school will have a viable camera for several years to come (shoot HD today, 4K tomorrow).

“We have set out to create the best possible HD facility with our infrastructure rebuild, which will continue through this summer,” said Cornog. “Camera technology is well ahead of studio infrastructure equipment, and we saw an opportunity to leap forward on the content acquisition side as we finalize our HD transition. With Hitachi and its 4K expertise, we, as an early adopter, have the benefit of working with a major international innovator that also has a significant local presence near campus. It’s an ideal opportunity to navigate how this cutting-edge technology will benefit higher education.”

Cornog envisions an “exploratory process” in the early going, with the SK-UHD4000 as the educational cornerstone for learning how to use 4K technology. Faculty and students in the Radio/TV/Film and Journalism/Media Studies/Public Relations departments will use the cameras for a variety of curricular and extracurricular productions.

Randy Hillebrand, training coordinator and adjunct associate professor of Radio, Television, Film at Hofstra University, envisions the 4K production message as an enticing draw for future students. Coupled with Hofstra’s proximity to the production hotbed of midtown Manhattan, offering a forward-looking technical infrastructure will be attractive to students exploring a career tied to the two departmental curricula.

“These are the best HD cameras you can buy on the market today, with unparalleled image quality,” said Hillebrand. “This means we can absolutely proclaim to prospective students that we offer a state-of-the-art learning environment. We are excited about helping our 1200 dedicated students learn about the future of communication, and how the richness of the 4K environment can help them tell stories in new and innovative ways. We have a real opportunity to be explorers.”

Hillebrand adds that from a technical perspective, the transition from the existing triax cable system to fiber-optic will strengthen interconnection between the building’s master control and production studios, while simplifying ongoing maintenance and providing a more flexible and longer potential life span. It also allows us to expose students to a connectivity technology that is quickly becoming the industry standard.

The SK-UHD4000 from Hitachi Kokusai America uses standard 2/3-inch, bayonet-mount lenses and provides the ability to acquire in 4K, 2K and HD.