BILLERICA, Mass. — June 2, 2009 — Echolab Inc. today announced that WWAY-TV3 of Wilmington, N.C., has deployed the company's Overture2™ MD, a two-M/E video switcher with advanced features, including internal up/cross conversion, that yield a streamlined production operation, easily executed sophisticated effects, and outstanding image quality. WWAY is also relying on Echolab's Conductor touch screen interface to simplify and centralize production control.
"Cost was one of the primary factors in our decision to go with the Echolab Overture switcher," said Billy Stratton, WWAY chief engineer. "The fact that it's a 2 M/E switcher saved us money over a 3 M/E device. We do not miss the other M/E because Echolab's SuperSource™ crosspoint keyer lets our production personnel build effects and recall them with the push of a button. The Overture has also saved us money in our overall operation because the switcher is capable of upconversion to HD on the input, eliminating the need for purchasing, installing, or maintaining multiple conversion cards or devices."
WWAY-TV3, an ABC affiliate owned by Morris Multimedia, uses the Overture2 MD switcher for its live studio newscast and for taped shows including "Your Hometown Show," which features regional merchants. Southeastern North Carolina viewers saw an immediate difference when the Overture2 MD went on air in February 2009. Not only was it the last piece of the puzzle to bring about WWAY's HD production, it also has enabled WWAY directors for the first time to incorporate compelling visual effects such as 3D boxes and page-turn wipes into their programming.
Echolab's Overture2 MD production system features internal conversion and synchronization along with a comprehensive set of intuitive tools for producing high-quality programming and stunning effects. The Overture features four M/E keys and two downstream keyers to enable title keying for graphics, logos, and bugs. It also offers four channels of DVE with warp and lighting effects, accepts up to 32 multiformat analog and digital signals, and provides as many as 16 multiformat outputs.
Echolab's Conductor is a touch-screen software suite that enables automation and execution of complex tasks. During preproduction, Conductor can configure the switcher, build sequences, and assign them to soft buttons. On air, it becomes an extension of the control panel — executing sequences, loading graphics into the frame buffer, routing auxiliary outputs, and controlling third-party devices.
"Viewers are increasingly becoming sensitive to the quality of broadcast in local stations," said Ankit Patel, Echolab senior product manager. "The Echolab Overture MD video switcher will help WWAY-TV3 add an edge above others by making its productions look much more sophisticated. In a competitive market, that edge could make the difference between keeping a viewer and letting him slip away."
More information about the Overture series and other Echolab products is available at www.echolab.com.
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About WWAY-TV3
WWAY, Channel 3, is owned by Morris Multimedia. It first signed on the air in 1964, the second television station in Wilmington, N.C. It has been an ABC affiliate since its inception. Morris Multimedia is among the largest privately held media companies in the United States. Founded in 1970 in Savannah, Ga., by Charles H. Morris, the company today owns and operates over 90 publications, network affiliate television stations, and other media related ventures in nine states and the Caribbean.
About Echolab, Inc.
Echolab, Inc. is a leading provider of video production switchers and related tools that offer flexibility and on-air reliability for the production and distribution of digital media in a variety of formats. With products including its flagship Overture1™ and Overture2™ video production systems, Echolab delivers the robust functionality, reliability, and ease-of-use critical to professional-quality productions. Since its founding in 1974, the company has delivered more than 6,000 production solutions to a global client base including major broadcast networks and stations, corporations, educational institutions, houses of worship, sports arenas, entertainment venues, and military facilities. www.echolab.com
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