Corporate Productions

Broadcast Pix systems are used by leading corporations for high impact business presentations, training, and events. Customers include Microsoft, Cisco, Hewlett-Packard, ConocoPhillips and Safeway. One corporation has 12 systems distributed throughout their organization which produce over 14,000 hours of live training television each year. Broadcast Pix combines a great switcher with Fluent workflow tools, including Fluent clips, graphics, watch-folders, multi-view and macros. Only Fluent delivers the file-based and network-based workflow tools to turn a switcher into a live integrated production system.  

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Broadcast Pix User Reports

Third Largest Energy Company Selects Slate 5016 System for New Digital Control Room

The Broadcast Pix Slate 5016 live video production system is helping ConocoPhillips create more compelling video, and do it more cost-effectively. ConocoPhillips is the third largest energy company in the United States. With headquarters in Houston and approximately 33,600 employees in 40 countries across the globe, effective and efficient communication is crucial to this major supplier of oil, natural gas, chemicals, and plastics.

CononcoPhillips Creative Services Video manager Larry Jones, who is based in Houston, and Paul MacFarlane, a producer/director based in Bartlesville, Okla., discovered Broadcast Pix at last year’s NAB Show. The company was planning to replace an aging analog system anchored by a Grass Valley 200 switcher. After watching a demo on the show floor, they decided to move forward with a Slate 5016, a 2 M/E switcher that includes a built-in Inscriber CG as well as clip store, graphic store, and multi-view monitoring.

“It seemed liked the best fit for us,” MacFarlane said. “It’s got everything inside it. You can sit down with one operator and do an entire show without any help.”

Systems integrator Digital Resources, based in Southlake, Tex., delivered the Slate 5016 in November 2008 as part of a larger studio infrastructure build out. MacFarlane said the Broadcast Pix switcher has not only improved the quality of the productions, but it saved ConocoPhillips thousands of dollars in additional equipment purchases.

The Creative Services Video department produces about 12 programs each month. While they are primarily delivered to branch locations over a private IP network, projects are also archived, distributed on tape and DVD, and accessible on the company’s Web site. Corporate videos for ConocoPhillips include training and information pieces that are shared across outlets all over the world, which helps reduce travel time and costs.

MacFarlane appreciates the Slate 5016’s ability to access clips from the company’s Final Cut Pro edit bays for use during shows. “It really took the burden out of the production, especially the pre-production,” he noted. MacFarlane also uses the switcher’s integrated audio control to manage a Yamaha 28-channel audio board during live production.

Currently, ConocoPhillips is shooting in SD using four Sony DSR-450 cameras. However, MacFarlane said the plan is to eventually move to HD production – and the company will be ready with Broadcast Pix. Not only is the Slate 5016 HD-ready, but it features AutoAspect, which allows the use of 16:9 and 4:3 content interchangeably (and without stretching video), and it is upgradeable to 3Gbps 1080p.

The five members of the Creative Services Video team have given a “thumbs up” to the Slate 5016. “It’s so easy to use,” MacFarlane said. “We’ve put it through its paces. It’s a wonderful system.”

MacFarlane also gave high marks to the Broadcast Pix technical support staff, which he said was really efficient. “They’re very easy to work with and very knowledgeable,” he added.

AT&T Internal Communications Advance with Slate 3000 Switcher at Heart of HD Flypak

On February 25, 2009 internal video communications at AT&T have advanced significantly thanks to two new mobile production systems featuring the Broadcast Pix Slate 3000 live integrated production system. Delivered in October 2008 by TV Pro Gear, a systems integrator based in Los Angeles, the new HD Flypak™ mobile production systems are used to produce and stream HD programming live to tens of thousands of employees.

In the past, AT&T relied on analog production systems in multiple cases, but its Internal Communication Media Division needed mobile production solutions that could be run by one person. “The Slate switchers are the only production switchers on the market with a built-in CG, clip store, and multi-view monitor. This is precisely why AT&T chose the Broadcast Pix Slate 3000 switcher,” said Chandos Mahon, Jr., TV Pro Gear senior vice president. “The Slate 3000 adds an integrated router for more I/O and redundancy. This cuts down integration time and saves the client money.”

While the Slate 3000 can handle up to 18 inputs and features PixButtons to identify each source, AT&T maintains a four-camera setup. In one configuration, a single operator controls three Panasonic AK-HC1500G “box” cameras with Fujinon HAS18x7.6BMD-DSE lenses. A second configuration uses the Panasonic cameras as studio cameras. In addition, a Panasonic AJ-HDX900 camcorder is available for studio or ENG use.

During its live webcasts, AT&T records its productions. Using the line out from the Slate 3000, the director can record to a DVCPRO HD VTR, plus record a QuickTime file to an external RAID for native editing using Final Cut Pro.

“The Broadcast Pix switcher has become the premier choice for an all-in-one professional HD switcher,” Mahon said.

Broadcast Pix Studio Excels in Microsoft's Xbox 360 Product Announcement

I want to let you know how absolutely happy I am with the Broadcast Pix switching system. We had planned to only use it for the webcast of the [Xbox 360] E3 Press Briefing, but while on site we promoted it to the main switching platform for the entire show, replacing the 16 input, $80K Sony SDI switcher we had upstream.

The switching package has been rock solid, and we've thrown a few curves at it and it kept on ticking. The quality through the box is spectacular and now that we are becoming very familiar with the interface we're really getting a lot out of the system.

- Senior Technical Director
The Production Network Seattle, WA May 2005