Entertainment
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Broadcast Pix User Reports
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New Zealand’s Westpac Stadium Upgrades Control Room with Broadcast Pix Granite 5000 Video Production System
With the world moving toward widescreen presentations and digital production workflows, officials at Westpac Stadium, a 34,500-seat multi-purpose facility in Wellington, New Zealand, decided to upgrade its video production capabilities with a complete retrofit of its control room. At the heart of the overhaul is a Broadcast Pix™ Granite ™ 5000 video production system, which feeds video and graphics to two large replay screens installed at the north and south ends of the stadium.
From day one, we have had a production room with capabilities in excess of what any other ground in New Zealand had. We are just ensuring that we keep up with technology changes and features available for our various clients. We are really happy with our new system, and Broadcast Pix has been absolutely fantastic with support.” - Craig J. Bain Westpac producer/director.
Westpac maintains a busy schedule of concerts and sporting events, and will host at least seven matches during the Rugby World Cup 2011 later this year. Before the upgrade, the 4:3 video production was stretched to fit the 16:9 replay screens. Through the Granite 5000, productions are produced in HD, then downconverted to widescreen SD for stadium replay (due to a fiber infrastructure that can only support SD). The 2 M/E capability of the Granite 5000 also allows Westpac to display a different presentation on each screen.
Gencom Technology, a global media technology solution provider and systems integrator with two offices in New Zealand, installed the Broadcast Pix system in December. Bernie Huynen of Gencom Technology said the company was tasked with a finding a solution that “could be operated by one operator for small events and up to three or four operators on larger events.” An on-site demo convinced the Westpac Stadium Trust that the Granite 5000 could handle the operational demands and again exceed the expectations of the clients, hirers, and patrons.
The Granite 5000 replaced an aging 16-input Ross analog switcher, Inscriber CG, and clip server. Using the system’s built-in Fluent ™ Multi-View, Westpac was able to reduce a large bank of CRT monitors to four dedicated 21-inch LCDs for the technical director. One of the monitors, showing all the sources is split to the CCU position, is used for camera shading. For visitors and other personnel, the control room also has three 42-inch LEDs on the wall, which are fed by a separate Harris multi-viewer. In addition, Gencom installed a separate Harris router for additional system redundancy.
Bain is particularly pleased with Fluent Watch-Folders, Granite’s built-in file management system, because he can access new graphics and clips that have been created during a live production. “It’s an amazing feature of the system. We’re loving it,” he explained. “Watch-Folders allow you to add content while the show is live. You can see it pop up and it’s ready to use.”
Broadcast Pix Powers ‘American Idol’ Contestant Hometown Live Event
Village of Mount Prospect Uses Its New Slate 1000 for Finale Viewing Party
Usually, the Television Services Department of the Village of Mount Prospect, Ill. (MPTV), uses its Broadcast Pix™ Slate 1000 video production system to produce live coverage of village board meetings and other local programming. But on May 26, 2010, the system became the cornerstone of a live American Idol finale viewing party on the Village Green outside Village Hall, where an estimated 5,000 people came to watch hometown hero Lee DeWyze win the competition.
According to Howard Kleinstein, cable production coordinator, Mount Prospect rented a 9×12-foot Jumbotron so the crowd could watch the live finale. For two hours prior to the broadcast, MPTV showcased footage from past show performances, as well as footage from DeWyze’s homecoming parade from earlier in the month, using the Slate’s Fluent Clip Store and a DVD player.
During the American Idol finale, the MPTV team displayed the show feed on the large screen, mixed with live images from its two Sony DSR-400 ENG camcorders on location. When the broadcast went to commercial, Kleinstein used Fluent Clips and Fluent Graphics to display video PSAs about MPTV programming, as well as graphics promoting local sponsors and coming events.
In an effort to minimize cable runs for the viewing party – the control room has no windows and is located on the third floor of Village Hall adjacent to the Village Board Room (similar to council chambers) – Kleinstein created a temporary control room on the main floor of the facility. The Slate 1000 was moved to a folding table and cables were run to the Village Green through an open window. A small LCD screen running Fluent Multi-View served as the program, preview, and source monitors.
Originally, Kleinstein thought he would be using the Comcast cable feed to screen the finale for the crowd. However, about an hour before pre-show programming was scheduled to begin, he was given an HD-SDI network feed from a satellite truck that was on location for the network. Kleinstein was able to convert the HD-SDI signal to composite, letterbox it for the 4:3 Jumbotron, and seamlessly combine his different sources (with different aspect ratios). “Without our Broadcast Pix, that would have thrown me for a loop,” he said.
Regular MPTV programming is produced and distributed locally in SD on Comcast and WOW! cable systems, as well as streamed live and on demand on the village’s Web site. Kleinstein hopes to upgrade the MPTV operation to HD in a few years. The Slate 1000, which replaced an old Trinity system from Play, Inc., was purchased from Roscor in Mount Prospect and installed by Television Services Department staff in March.
“We wanted something that was robust enough to be able to do CG work and clips and stills,” he said. “Broadcast Pix was able to do all those things – and be upgraded to HD without getting a whole new box.”
Kleinstein said the American Idol finale viewing party was a very positive way to showcase their village on national television. “The response was extraordinary. People were very happy with it,” he added. “The Broadcast Pix system worked flawlessly. We had no technical difficulties, and even the production team from Hollywood was impressed.”
With Broadcast Pix, Ole Miss Gets Two Productions in One
By Carolyn Braff
March 3, 2009 Courtesy of svconline.com
The University of Mississippi was one of Broadcast Pix’s first clients, having relied on the Studio 2000 switcher for six years. So, when the company came out with a 2-M/E version of its Slate production switcher, Ole Miss was understandably one of the first in line for the upgrade. Aside from new HD capability and an improved feature set, the new switcher allows the university to create two shows at once — in each of three venues.
“When we got our new $6 million high-definition Daktronics video board in the football stadium, we were looking at increasing the production value for our video content,” explains Shane Sanford, director of Internet services and graphic design for Ole Miss Sports Productions. “We also sell our ballgames to our fan base, as well as archive all our content for videos that we produce after the fact, so we were looking to increase our production value for all of those outlets.”
The Broadcast Pix Slate 5032hh 2-M/E HD integrated live-production system includes CG, DVE, still and clip storage, camera control, monitoring, a router, and 16:9 HD capability and will be used to produce both game-day content and feature videos at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium for football, Tad Smith Coliseum for basketball, and Oxford-University Stadium for baseball.
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Latin Music Star Juan Luis Guerra Selects Broadcast Pix Slate 1000 to Produce Live Concert in HD for Blu-ray, DVD Distribution
Juan Luis Guerra, a Grammy and Latin Grammy Award-winning musician from the Dominican Republic (DR), chose the Broadcast Pix Slate™ 1000 live production system to produce a live HD video recording of his Feb. 14, 2009, concert for distribution on Blu-ray and DVD. The concert, which took place at Estadio Olimpico (Olympic Stadium) in downtown Santo Domingo, DR, was part of Guerra’s “La Travesia” tour.
As a singer, songwriter, composer, and guitarist, Guerra has a unique sound that fuses meringue, salsa, bochata, and other Latin musical styles. With more than 20 million records sold worldwide, Guerra is a big draw throughout Latin America—and the 50,000 fans at his Valentine’s Day concert attest to his popularity.
Prior to the concert, Guerra and his son, cinematographer Jean Gabriel Guerra, decided to produce a DVD of the concert, and they turned to Broadcast Pix dealer AVL Tech to package a switcher and cameras for the event. AVL Tech provided the Broadcast Pix Slate 1000 HD/SD integrated production system and 18 Panasonic HD cameras, including AG-HPX500 and AG-HVX200A P2 HD camcorders, for the 720p/24 production.
“When they were planning the production, they knew there would be no second chances to capture the excitement of this live event. If there was a technical failure, the show would go on without them,” said Valentin Colon, president of AVL Tech, which offers sales, rentals, service, and AV integration throughout the DR and Caribbean. “With its ability to handle all aspects of this complex remote production, including input from a barrage of HD cameras, the Broadcast Pix Slate 1000 proved to be the most reliable means for producing a polished live HD show very economically right at the arena. When the concert ended, the video show was so close to finished, and of such high quality, that it required only minimal post production.”
Designed to satisfy the needs of even the most demanding live video production, the Broadcast Pix Slate 1000 integrates the functionality of a video switcher, multi-viewer, Inscriber CG, clip and graphic stores, Fluent™ workflow software, and aspect and format conversion into a single, budget-friendly system that can be run by a single operator.
“Since the Broadcast Pix system satisfied the needs of Juan Luis Guerra’s concert production, other Latin American bands have inquired about it, and are now planning to use it in their upcoming video productions as well,” said Colon. “The Broadcast Pix switcher offers an incomparable value to Latino producers seeking to produce live events in HD video.”
Tours by Sloan Selects Broadcast Pix 2 M/E Slate 5016HD
Live Production System for Live Performances by Donny & Marie Osmond
Tours by Sloan, a live event production company based in Las Vegas, purchased its Slate 5016HD switcher for use during live performances by Donny & Marie Osmond at the Flamingo Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The Slate 5016HD was first used for the performance during its engagement at the Hollywood Theatre in the MGM Grand Casino.
During the Donny & Marie show at the Flamingo, which has recently been extended to a two year run, the 2 M/E Slate 5016 HD will power video projection out to three LED screens positioned at the back of the stage as well as an ILite Barco 8mm display screen and two additional Panasonic 7700 projectors placed at stage left and right.
Simon Greaves, live event video director for Tours by Sloan, explained that the Slate 5016 comes with a set of features ideal for this particular production. Immediate access to all media including clips and frame stores ranks high, but multi-format capability was of greatest importance to Greaves.
“I’m dealing with 4x3 and 16x9 screens for this show, which can present a challenge when setting outputs with other switchers,” he said. “The Slate 5016 has built-in functionality to instantly crop or stretch an image as needed. I can also select parameters beforehand to specifically designate how I want it to handle each format. I don’t have to worry about images being distorted.”
The Slate 5016 can simultaneously process 1080i, 720p, SD-SDI, HD analog component, analog composite, Y/C, component, DVI and VGA inputs, with both synchronous and asynchronous signals, in both NTSC and PAL, and in both 16:9 and 4:3 formats without distorting aspect ratios. Slate HD models can output both 16:9 and 4:3 formats simultaneously. 
According to Greaves, the compact yet powerful design of the Slate 5016 offered additional benefit for the performance at the Flamingo. Two other shows take place at the casino on the same day as the Donny & Marie Show, making for tight quarters backstage. “Slate 5016’s built-in multi-viewer means we can reduce the amount of monitoring, establish a smaller footprint, and blend in beautifully.”
The show’s projection screens are controlled independently using “Fresco” router control software. Fresco, a Mac OS application that controls a variety of video devices, allows for switching screen inputs by creating presets and triggers different looks during the show through a MIDI keyboard.
“We’re definitely pushing this equipment hard and exploiting its output capabilities – putting one image across three screens and the like,” continued Greaves. “What we’re achieving with this system is what most people would with an Encore or Spyder (video layering system). I can create a highly dynamic show on a realistic budget.”
AV Enhancements at the Coliseum
The L.A. Coliseum embarks on a series of technical improvements — with dramatic results.
By Matt Wunsch
Courtsey of www.avtechnologyonline.com of New Bay Media Inc.
One of the ten largest college football stadiums in the country, The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is home to the USC Trojans, the six-time Pac 10 champion college football team from the University of Southern California. The Coliseum, with afield synthesis loudspeakersSix Meyer SB-3F sound field synthesis loudspeakers are mounted on each side of the main peristyle, along with six 700-HP subwoofers.capacity of over 92,000, operates under the Los Angeles Coliseum Commission, with a governing body comprised of representatives from the City of Los Angeles, the County of Los Angeles, and the State of California.
Last spring, the Los Angeles Coliseum Commission approved a series of improvements to the stadium in the form of incremental upgrades over the next five years. The upgrades, which began in May of 2008, include an overhaul of video and audio production services inside the stadium for the purpose of providing enhanced multimedia services to the capacity crowds in attendance.
According to Leo Caudillo, IT director at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the upgrades were finished just a week before the September 13, 2008 Trojans’ home season opener versus Ohio State, which USC won 35-3. Caudillo says the Coliseum was in desperate need of a technology update. “We spent about $1.3 million back in 1997, and that was on an all-analog system. There were an old CRT screens that had issues with cooling, and modules were popping out.”
Caudillo said the core of the AV upgrades includes a new HD/SDI control room system that feeds video and data to two new display screens. The refurbished control room includes a Broadcast Pix Slate HD platform. The Slate HD is an integratedHD/SDI controlproduction platform that includes a switcher, character generator, clip stores, still stores, monitoring, and a file-based server architecture to streamline the production workflow.
“The Slate HD provides a lot of flexibility,” Caudillo says. “It helps with computer integration and allows for multiple levels of control. With it, we are able to have a double broadcast, one to the internet and one to the videoboard. Slate HD includes 32 inputs, 16 of which are used to connect a variety of cameras, audio, and source equipment such as HD and SDI players for replay purposes during games. Six digital video effects, which are built into the Slate HD, allow for the production of multiwindow displays on each screen and the integration of XML data crawls for scores and other text-based information.”
“The DVE’s work very well for providing other game scores and video replays,” according to Caudillo. The dual-format digital production workflow can accommodate the two new display screens installed by Sign Methods of Los Angeles, including a 40-foot by 45-foot Optec LED display board, with 16mm resolution for 4x3 SDI; and a 215-foot LED panel at the west end that can accommodate 16x9 HD video.
“Optec was about $400,000 less than their competitors, and with a better warranty,” says Caudillo. According to Optec, each pixel is a separate replaceable module, so if a pixel fails or is damaged, rather than replacing an entire circuit board/module that usually consists of 64 or 256 pixels, each pixel module snaps in and out individually. This eliminates the typical “tile” effect that results when a large 16 x 16-pixel replacement module stands out from the surrounding modules because it doesn’t match the existing display’s brightness, due to variations in the degradation rate of the original modules versus the replacement module. Inside each pixel, there is an individual circuit controlling each LED lamp. With Optec’s advanced controller system, a technician can control brightness/color shadings down to each LED lamp level. The result is better color mix, contrast, higher virtual resolution, and longer LED life.
Dual outputs from the Broadcast Pix Slate feed the video to PremierViewProHD-LED video scalers from Calibre UK for image re-sizing. The images are transported as DVI signals over fiber to the appropriate display screens. “That scaler, when we run composite cameras during the day, modifies the signal and looks great. You have a beautiful high def signal overall,” says Caudillo.
Production contractors produce the video and audio during games as in the past, but without the lengthy set-up and breakdown times associated with bringing in external equipment. The production team can also log in to Slate remotely to integrate clips and other elements into the integrated server to set up a show, and then preview the show from an external location or inside the venue later after arriving at the stadium.
USC football games use a full production team, including four live camera operators and three control room operators; one director to operate the switcher and monitor the production, one technician to trigger clips and graphics, and one replay specialist working with external video sources.
On the audio end of the upgrade, Caudillo sounds equally enthusiastic about what has been brought in. “The old audio was very unsatisfactory. We had some old horns and subwoofers that were lacking in maintenance. There were bird droppings everywhere. And it was costing us $25,000 a game for equipment rental and labor just to do sound.”
That’s when Meyer Sound came in to supply the new stadium-wide sound system, which is operated from a separate Midas Venice 320 mixing board located in the same control room for USC football games. The showcase piece of the new system is the Meyer SB-3F, a self-powered loudspeaker incorporating a multichannel, highpower, class AB/H power amplifier and sophisticated control circuitry — all housed within the loudspeaker’s cabinet, which dramatically simplifies setup and installation.
The new system, which was budgeted at a total of roughly $725,000, is tied into the Slate HD for integrated audio control during smaller events, such as international soccer games. A single operator can control the entire Slate HD system for smaller events, using robotic cameras for image acquisition and Broadcast Pix’s Audio Follow Video feature to control the Meyer Sound system.
©2012 Broadcast Pix, Granite, Mica, Slate and Fluent are trademarks of Broadcast Pix, Inc.
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There are some unique challenges to these productions, and the Slates really rise to meet those challenges.”