Television News Applications of HMI Lamps

Abstract

The operation of a TV News department raises a number of unique requirements for the equipment used by film crews. The requirements which this places on lighting equipment includes high performance, efficiency, light weight, compact size, and ruggedness. The HMI [Hydrargyrum (Mercury), M — Medium arc length, I — iodide] lamp was developed to meet the needs of TV news applications. Their application, however, has been limited by problems encountered due to “dark frames” when ac arc fluctuation and film speed are not synchronized. With the introduction of the 200 W HMI lamp and ballasts which eliminate flicker problems, the HMI lamp is gaining wide acceptance for TV news applications.