VPN
VIDEO POOL NETWORK, INC.
Since 1992, SKY Helicopters, Inc. has provided aerial video services for:
-News
-Traffic Watch
-Commercial and Industrial Customers
Along with providing services for local news affiliates, SKY Helicopters also operates VPN News. A video production company offering broadcast quality video and pool news services, as well as many types of video production services. With highly trained and experienced photojournalist/reporters on staff and state of the art video/editing equipment, SKY Helicopters is second to none in video and news production.
Video Pool Network was founded to provide fast, inexpensive and reliable aerial news gathering and traffic watch by sharing video feeds in the television and webcasting markets.
Our customers concentrate more on news stories and less on running a helicopter program or flight department.
VPN Features
•Shared or Exclusive use aerial video
•Stand-alone program
•No station owned equipment
•IP-ENG Solutions
•Panasonic P2 mobile editing
•Maintenance backup for existing news helicopter
•Add to existing helicopter program with less expensive coverage (i.e. Traffic Watch)
•Pooled or exclusive Traffic Watch
•Exclusive use news helicopters include all ENG equipment and FT pilot
•Shared programs split fees by number of participants
Gyro-Stabilized HD Digital Camera System
Light, compact, and entirely digital, the five-axis gyro-stabilized camera system features a full-bandwidth Ikegami 1080i HD Camera matched with a Canon HD Series 22x (44x with extender) zoom lens for crisp images. Camera and lens are housed in a rugged nose-mounted gimbal that rotates 360° to track subjects and to film from any angle.
Digital Microwave Broadcast Equipment
SKY Helicopters uses a NUCOMM ChannelMaster TX 2/2.5 GHz digital/analog transmitter coupled to a hi-gain directional antenna that broadcasts up to 100 miles. A GPS data modem allows the stations receive antenna to track the Newscopter. For stations ready to receive digital HD transmissions, we have HD microwave capacity in the transmitter. This allows stations to receive HD directly from the aerial camera. We also have 7 GHz COFDM transmitters available with directional antenna pods.