Broadcast

Broadcast Pix User Reports

Turner Studios Uses Broadcast Pix Slate 3000 to Create Second Screen Experience for NBA and NASCAR

Telecasts Fluent Workflow Software Enables Cost-Effective, Streamlined Production for Webcasts

Turner Studios, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. in Atlanta, Ga., is now using the Broadcast Pix Slate™ 3000 integrated production system with Fluent™ workflow tools to produce an innovative “second screen” experience for sports fans.

Accessible via Web or mobile devices, live webcasts complement Turner Sports’ live NBA basketball and NASCAR coverage on TNT. While watching the live event, viewers can log on to “TNT Overtime” on NBA.com or TNT.tv, or “TNT RaceBuddy” on NASCAR.com or TNT.tv, and see additional HD camera views of the live action, as well as timely scores, stats, and exclusive interviews. The Slate 3000 is located within the broadcast TV compound, and its integrated router receives feeds from all of Turner Sports’ HD broadcast cameras covering the live event, as well as unique, dedicated cameras and coverage exclusively for broadband.

“The Slate 3000 is a great solution for ‘TNT Overtime’ and ‘TNT RaceBuddy’ because it lets a single operator control all aspects of the webcasts, as well as up to five simultaneously streamed outputs, all from a single, compact system,” said Bill Chapman, vice president of creative development/emerging technologies for Turner Studios.

Using the system’s SoftPanel and custom programmed macros, part of the Fluent Team Control toolset that allows access and control via a Flash-based user interface and Web browser on a PC or Mac, Chapman can work from any location. “Rather than having to resort to a conventional HD production switcher and control room, which would add considerably to the cost and complexity of this cutting-edge Web application, I can direct these multi-camera shows from a touch screen interface, or on my laptop, from virtually any remote location,” he added. “If I decide to work from a remote location, like my office, the network connection to the Slate doesn’t need to be robust because I’m only sending the commands, not a heavy HD video load.”

Two of the four on-screen windows on “TNT Overtime” feature cameras following specific players, while one of the “TNT RaceBuddy” windows is a viewer-selected in-car camera. Featured NBA players can change every quarter, while NASCAR drivers can change every 50 laps. The online audience decides which players and drivers they want to see by voting on the “TNT Overtime” and “TNT RaceBuddy” sites. The other windows showcase different camera perspectives of the basketball court or racetrack, including unique commentary from courtside or Pit Lane.

“The Slate doesn’t just remember switcher moves, it recalls all of the set-ups you’ve customized for the needs of a particular production, including multi-view monitoring, router inputs/outputs, and camera and playout settings,” said Chapman. “One person can do the work of three people, serving as the technical director, graphics, and video operators – and one system provides a great array of HD resources. Without Slate, our multi-screen Webcasts wouldn’t be as flexible or creative.”

Over six NASCAR races this year, “TNT RaceBuddy” drew an average of 492,000 unique visitors per race and delivered a total of 2.4 million live streams. Also, during Game 5 of the 2008/2009 NBA Playoffs, “TNT Overtime” delivered 768,143 streams and 78,565 “uniques;” while Game 4 delivered more than 700,000 streams. Because of their interactive nature, the sites offer an effective platform for advertisers to reach their prime targets.

“I’m able to import all the integrated ads, graphics, and other media content for the show from the Internet right into the Slate’s still and clips stores at game time, and then manage them from within the system,” Chapman explained. “I can switch all the cameras for this multi-screen presentation with a simple touch screen, as well as create the lower third supers and transitional graphics and roll them in at the appropriate times.”

Broadcast Pix Slate 1000 Helps WTNH and WCTX Produce Connecticut High School Sports in HD

Cost-Effective Remote Operation Makes Community Connection, Attracts New Advertising

WTNH-DT and WCTX-DT, two LIN TV stations in New Haven, Conn., have chosen the Broadcast Pix Slate™ 1000 integrated production system to produce select high school sporting events around the state in HD. WTNH, an ABC affiliate, and WCTX, a MyNetworkTV affiliate, operate as a duopoly from the same facility and serve the Hartford/New Haven market, which is ranked as the 30th DMA in the nation.

In an effort to be more competitive, LIN TV decided a year ago that it would be beneficial for its stations to produce high school sports. As the first in the group to take up the challenge, WTNH/WCTX began by evaluating its production options. After evaluating competing systems and rental options, station officials recognized the value of the Slate 1000, which integrates the functionality of a video switcher with Fluent™ file-based and network-based workflow tools, including a multi-viewer, Inscriber CG, clip and graphic stores, and aspect and format conversion.

”We found that renting a mobile unit—at about $12,000 per event—would be too costly, and building our own large mobile unit with a separate switcher and other dedicated gear would be cost-prohibitive,” said Jamie Holowaty, Live Broadcast Manager for WTNH and WCTX. “But because the Slate 1000 packs a control room full of gear into one low-cost, compact, energy efficient unit, it enables us to produce broadcast-quality HD shows from a small 20-foot production trailer we built for under $175,000.”

Working closely with Broadcast Pix dealer Access A/V in Concord, N.H., Holowaty supervised the installation of the Slate 1000 as the centerpiece of the company’s new Markertek VPTR-1 20-foot mobile production trailer. Other equipment includes three Sony PMW-EX3 XDCAM EX HD camcorders and Sony HVR-1500A HDV/DVCAM VTRs. Plus, a Mac Book Pro with Final Cut Pro records footage directly from the Slate 1000 to external drives for editing. The trailer also features uplink and microwave capabilities.

“The Slate 1000 isn’t just enabling us to do high school sports in high-def, it’s making it profitable because it’s extremely cost, space, and energy efficient,” said Holowaty. “With production quality rivaling that of top sports networks, we’re attracting a strong, loyal, family audience, as well as new advertisers that see the value in supporting this hyper-local, community-oriented programming. We’re strengthening our stations’ market identity while producing compelling local programming that feeds both our on-air and online operations.”

The Slate 1000 features include robotic camera control, so the stations use a Sony BRC-H700 robotic camera for the shot clock, which reduces crew requirements. WTNH/WCTX also use CG Connect, an optional feature that automates the insertion and updating of statistical data in live sports graphics. While the Slate 1000 is configured as a 1 M/E switcher, Holowaty said the built-in macros can be programmed to expand the switcher’s functionality. Last fall, Friday night high school football games were streamed live on the stations’ websites, then aired in HD during primetime the following night. “This spring, we’ve been maximizing our investment in the Slate 1000 and trailer by covering both boys’ and girls’ basketball games, and we’re thinking about expanding our program schedule to include high school swimming, baseball, and track events,” added Holowaty. “We’re also considering using the trailer for community events, such as parades and political debates, and taking our daily, half-hour magazine show, Connecticut Style, on the road to enrich the variety of topics we present.”

With its built-in redundancy and Broadcast Pix’s outstanding tech support, Holowaty said the Slate 1000 has proven to be extremely reliable for mission critical live broadcasts. “Based on our Slate 1000’s performance, our corporate office recently ordered a unit for WISH-TV, our Indianapolis station,” he said, “and we plan to share our trailer with our sister stations WWLP in Springfield, Mass., and WPRI in Providence, R.I.”

New KHQ Secondary Channel Produces Local Programming with Broadcast Pix

Launched a new local sports and weather secondary channel, KHQ, the NBC affiliate serving the Spokane, Wash., market, needed a cost effective way to produce local programming. The solution was a new 20-foot production trailer built around a Broadcast Pix™ Slate™ G 1000 integrated production system.

The secondary channel, SWX, has been on the air since January, but had its official launch on Aug. 30. Doug Miles, director of broadcast operations, called SWX a “hyper-local” channel, with coverage of regional hockey and arena football, as well as high school and college sports.

KHQ has a 53-foot truck to produce programming for Fox SportsNet and other clients, but it is not an economical choice for local programming. “We needed a trailer that we could use to substantially reduce costs for less complicated shoots,” Miles explained. “Not every production needs a 53-foot production truck and a staff of 20.”

Instead, the new production trailer was designed by Advanced Broadcast Solutions in SeaTac, Wash., to run efficiently with a smaller crew. The main area houses the Broadcast Pix Slate, where the director/technical director switches the show and uses the Slate’s built-in multi-view to monitor the production on two LCD screens. Next to the director, the producer also serves as CG operator, while a third operator handles camera shading and instant replay duties. The front of the trailer has a separate room dedicated to audio with a Yamaha digital mixing console. Although the Slate can handle HD, SWX programs are produced in SD because the channel is broadcast in SD.

Revenue is the name of the game for the new production trailer, which Miles said is already booked for shoots every week through Christmas. The unit is being used primarily for the station’s own sports productions, which will be sponsored through advertising, but KHQ is hoping to generate rental revenue as well. “It has to turn a profit,” he explained. “That’s the reason we bought it.”

KHQ already uses a Broadcast Pix system in the station’s secondary control room for weather updates, so Miles was confident in the new system’s reliability. He also said the new Slate, which was upgraded to support eight inputs and dual clip stores, was key to the SWX business model, because it offered a number of built-in features without compromising quality or requiring multiple operators.

“It’s super cost effective and one person can run it,” Miles added. “The switcher is really easy to use, very intuitive. We’re able to use split screen, replays, graphic transitions – everything you see in a normal production.”

Broadcast Pix ships its 200th Slate HD unit, and its 1000th system, to WRAL-TV

KHQ-DT using Broadcast Pix Slate 2100 Live TV Production System to Produce ‘Weather Plus Updates’ for DTV and Web Broadcasts

WLAE-TV Selects Broadcast Pix Based on All-in-One Capability, Compact Size

Broadcast Pix was the only switcher that featured a built-in CG and clip store. We can complete a production with our new switcher and never need to run anything through post. Plus, it’s really compact, so fits easily within our truck. Because of its high-quality graphics and integrated approach, we’re confident it will greatly improve the quality of our field productions as well increase our overall speed and efficiency.

- Ron Yager, Station Manager
WLAE-TV and LAE Productions, New Orleans, LA

HD Pioneer WRAL Uses Broadcast Pix to Tailor HD for SD Newscasts

Using the same HD footage and graphics residing in the BitCentral server and the ENPS rundowns, our news producers work to build our 15 minute SD news wheel. We built-a small studio with a Broadcast Pix production switcher that a single TD or producer can operate to switch between two cameras, as well as handle all of the lower third supers and over the shoulder graphics overlays.

- Pete Sockett, Chief Engineer
WRAL CBS Affiliate Raleigh-Durham, NC

Broadcast Pix Helps Startup FOX Affiliate Launch Cost-Effective Local News Presence

from the June 2006 issue of TV Technology
By: Dave Cox, Chief Engineer, WPFO-TV, Portland, Maine


All startup television stations are faced with an immediate series of challenges in the early years as the direction of the station takes shape. None of these challenges loom larger than those of the financial nature. These financial challenges are usually tied to technology and programming decisions that will ultimately drive the station’s success with local viewers.

WPFO-TV, the FOX affiliate for Portland, Maine, launched in late 2003. The station’s current and previous general managers decided against initially launching a traditional 30-60 minute dedicated news program, and turned to more creative ideas for a local news presence. The station struck a relationship with WLOB-AM-FM, a local radio station with a popular morning show heard throughout much of the state. The partnership would allow WPFO to broadcast live news updates from the radio show over the local television airwaves.

We started evaluating technology in July 2005, with a plan to launch the show November 1. The tight deadline, along with budgetary concerns, required a cost-effective production facility with easy-to-install equipment. We soon settled on the Broadcast Pix 2000 system.

The Broadcast Pix system offered several benefits over competitive live production systems, notably its amazing versatility. Still, the cost savings were tremendous; we immediately saved up to $60-70K compared to traditional production switchers, not mention the separate graphics and monitoring systems that would be required for a traditional production crew. Staffing costs were also reduced since only one dedicated operator was required to run the system.



The system is housed in a dedicated production control room that ties to WPFO master control. TheBroadcast Pix suite also features a Mackie Onyx audio board, a Denon CD player, Panasonic monitors, and various synchronization components. This equipment is all instrumental in the final product we create for live broadcast. The system also offers plenty of analog outputs, 601 digital outputs, and component outputs for monitoring to provide maximum flexibility.

The Broadcast Pix 2000 switcher is designed like a traditional switcher, with all of the keying capabilities an operator requires to create a high quality on-air look. The learning curve was amazingly simple as the layout provides everything the operator needs with reduced complexity. The main switcher features a joystick to control two Sony BRC-300 robotic cameras at the radio studio for capturing video. Fiber-optic lines connect the two studios over a four-mile distance, using the RS-232 control standard with Broadcast Pix software to remotely control camera movements over a bidirectional data link. The operators can also recall camera presets through the switcher to manipulate specific live shots.

The news updates run approximately every 15 minutes in five-to-seven minute increments. Our operators produce news spots in between segments and incorporate them into the Broadcast Pix 2000, often obtaining stories from FOX News. They can also produce bumpers with a Denon CD player that connects directly to a Broadcast Pix input.

The Broadcast Pix 2000 offers Internet connectivity as a major benefit. Co-host Ray Richardson often has political guests call in or appear on the set. Our head operator, Brian McArthur, creates files of political guests and recalls them through the switcher. The graphics are created using the system’s internal Inscriber graphics system. Brian can connect to the Internet, download headshots and related graphical information (such as titles), and create files for future use. He often builds graphics on the fly for immediate live broadcast when new guests appear without warning.

The fiber network features several audio and video channels to feed the material originating at WLOB back to the WPFO studio. The audio is run through the Mackie board and we manipulate the levels to create the best possible quality for the television broadcast. The audio is split two ways: it feeds the Mackie after passing through an audio distribution amplifier and an audio delay, which synchronizes the audio with the Broadcast Pix-produced video. A second parallel feed is sent to a Leitch frame synchronizer to time all programming elements as they are sent into the master control switcher. This setup allows the video and audio to be routed separately to master control while being perfectly synchronized.

Monitoring is achieved by connecting the Broadcast Pix system’s component outputs to Panasonic LCD displays, which is another benefit for our space limitations. The monitors are used for Program and Preview monitoring, while the computer monitor provides a complete look at the Broadcast Pix system for live show production, WLOB communications (usually instant messaging or e-mail), and Internet access for building graphics on the fly.

The Broadcast Pix 2000 is an extremely versatile system that has provided our station with a cost-effective, technically sound entry into live production. Our expectation is that in addition to helping us continually improve the quality of our broadcast, this system will eventually help us achieve new revenue streams as the quality of the show’s content improves.

Dave Cox is Chief Engineer with WPFO-TV. He has a rich background in broadcast engineering, dating to his work in the service with Armed Forces Radio and Television. He has since built a resume of RF and studio engineering at call letter stations.