Robbo Jock: It's all abit long-winded for a forum post. HD is Hi Definition - the coming standard for broadcasting which, like all things electronic, will go through several years of birth pangs and high expense before settling down. Hi Def gives your TV a picture that is much sharper than the SD (Standard Def) which in the UK is 625 lines PAL.
The plot is confused by differing standards adopted around the world - the USA and Australia are two of the territories ahead of UK when it comes to actuall domestic transmission of Hi Def.
In heli mounts, the hi def gyro stabilised come from the likes of Cineflex, Gyron etc - but at a vast cost. The current price for the Cineflex V14 is in excess of US$ 400,000. And that just gives you the mount and camera - you still need a recorder and the live kit (if you're doing live). HD recorders are mega-bucks and HD live links are only just beginning to emerge.
So - cost and WEIGHT. All the HD kit is big and bulky. In the next 18 months there will be a price and weight crash. Anyone buying HD kit before that happens is very foolish.
However, FOX in Manhattan have been running a Cineflex HD on their newscopter for a while. They only "downlink" in SD - but the advantage of HD is the depth of zoom achieveable. SD mounts have 22X - 36X capability. This is effectively doubled using a diopter - so you get 44X - 72X.
The Cineflex HD is a 40X which doubles to 80X.
However, the USA ENG (electronic newsgathering) heli market is facing a crunch - immense downwards pressure on budgets because advertising is deserting television. They have the double-dilemma of being forced to change all their wireless links to digital in the next 2 years - combined with pressure from govt to spread HD.
Now I've bored myself.
Whilst Creaser speaks some truth - it is with forked tongue.
There is one Cineflex HD coming into the UK - it has been bought by Arena. They operate the Skycopter and the short-term rented BBC AS355s. But I would be doubtful that the HD mount would be permanently attached to either - the cost of HD means that Arena will probably need to get the mount working on other contracts. (Arena are a big provider of outside broadcast facilities and are investing heavily in new HD cameras etc.)
However, the march of technology means that inevitably in years to come we will be using lightweight gyro mounts with at least a 100X capability. They will be cheaper than the current kit - and they will fit on every light helicopter.
Which is possibly why I got a call out of the blue 2 days ago from Cineflex offering me a discounted HD mount!