Gyro Stabilized Systems has launched the first fully digital ENG aerial camera with the nation’s most-watched television station. In partnership with Total Traffic and Weather Network, GSS provides a fully digital B516 for WABC-TV’s news helicopter in New York City.

The GSS B516 was configured to include a Sony HDC-P1 camera paired with a Canon HJ40x10 lens. The HDC-P1 is completely housed within the gimbal, eliminating the need to split the optical block from the camera body. Fully digital video is outputted directly from the camera platform, resulting in better overall image quality and improved low-light performance.

“The GSS digital payload solution provides a much cleaner video image when compared to other competing broadcast systems using a split-head camera design”, says Jason Fountaine, Managing Director of GSS. “GSS Broadcast Series products provide beautiful broadcast quality images with no visible video noise at night. Video noise in the blacks has been a primary complaint from ENG operations worldwide for more than a decade and GSS’s innovative and flexible design successfully solved the problem.

This B516 is mounted aboard WABC’s new Bell 407 provided by Helicopters Inc., locally known as “NewsCopter 7.” WABC-TV is the number 1 station in the largest US media market. Its signature franchise, Eyewitness News, leads all other news stations throughout the day and relies heavily on aerial breaking news coverage.

Total Traffic is the largest provider of ENG traffic reporting services in the world, with services to more than 3,000 radio and 200 television affiliates.