Sony DSR-PD150 - The choice for reporters in Iraq

Many journalists are embedded with the US Military. Typically, when doing a live report from a remote location, a television network will utilize a large satellite uplink (often a truck) with expensive camcorders and lots of equipment. However, the embedded journalists require a much smaller package because they have a much smaller crew, sometimes just themselves, and they can only carry a few pieces of equipment.

Many networks, including the cable networks, have utilized video phones, which transfer a video signal over a satellite phone. It does not offer enough bandwidth to give the full quality signal of a normal video uplink. Because the quality of the video is limited by the video phone, and because of the need for small, light weight equipment, the television networks have turned to smaller, prosumer / consumer camcorders to outfit their reporters.

It seems that the desert war camcorder of choice for the television networks is the Sony DSR-PD150, a $3,000 mid sized camcorder, which includes many of the electronics of the consumer VX2000, but can record to both DVCAM and MiniDV. An article on the Baltimore Sun website, tells how Stephanie Gosk, and ABC News reporter, uses a DSR-PD150. In a Wall Street Journal article, David Verdi, an executive director at NBC News stated that their reporters were outfitted with DSR-PD150s. According to The Digital Journalist, in July 2001, CNN bought $400,000 worth of DSR-PD150s. Also, according to a Sorenson Media press release, the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times have outfitted their reporters with DSR-PD150s.

However, the PD150s are apparently having some problems surviving in the harsh sand storms of Iraq - though reporters are complaining that all their equipment, including the camcorder's upwards of $50,000 are having problems. In the Wall Street Journal, David Verdi of NBC estimated that the network has already lost a dozen of the camcorders to sand. However, it does seem that the DSR-PD150 is the overwhelming choice of most television networks, so next time you watch a jittery video phone picture, it might likely be from a DSR-PD150.