SALT LAKE CITY -- Jan. 11, 2011 --Utah Scientific today announced that WDRB Fox 41 in Louisville, Ky., installed a Utah Scientific GS-4000 graphics station then deployed it a scant two weeks later to enable continual, up-to-the-minute display of HD results for more than 80 closely watched races in the most recent elections. The new GS-4000 works with Utah Scientific's MC-4000 master control switcher to support graphics, including fixed text, multiple text crawls, still and animated logos, sniping, and time and temperature displays.
"For our elections, the new Utah Scientific graphics station rocked," said David Callan, WDRB director of production. "We were down to the wire when we took delivery, but within three days, we had developed a working display. As we go forward using more intensive HD graphics, we're confident the GS-4000 is going to give us just what we need. In fact, we were so impressed, we bought two -- the second for our sister station, WMYO."
In April, WDRB upgraded to all high definition -- from cameras to satellite trucks to editing systems. For the May primary elections, the station had used another graphics system to upconvert displays from SD to HD, but the results were unattractive. As the November races approached, WDRB sought a better solution -- one that both delivered clean, crisp images and interfaced cleanly via serial cable with Avid(R)'s LeaderPlus(TM) election automation.
Relying on the Utah Scientific GS-4000, WDRB and Chris Harmon, product specialist for Utah Scientific, devised a LeaderPlus-driven dual display system that used one key and both fills to display the latest results of the biggest races every 90 seconds while smaller race results appeared at 10-minute intervals. The dual display could be simultaneously triggered with one keystroke via master control. For the elections and the future, another GS-4000 advantage is that it enables text and branding graphics to be created and saved via a simple, user-friendly composition screen -- with no sophisticated coding skills required.
"Our new GS-4000 is a complete, integrated SD/HD system for use with our MC-4000 master control switcher," said Tom Harmon, president and CEO of Utah Scientific. "Like all our products, it was designed to be a flexible and cost-effective solution that works well with legacy automation and a wide variety of other systems. We're glad to have been able to step in and help WDRB create good-looking HD graphics for the November elections and the future."
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About WDRB
WDRB-41, the Fox affiliate in Louisville, Ky., is currently the only Louisville station to broadcast all of its newscasts in 100-perecent high definition. Owned by Block Communications, Inc. of Toledo, Ohio, the station produces seven hours of local news per weekday, the most in the market. The most recent addition to its news lineup, "Fox 41 Local Evening News" Monday through Friday at 6:30 p.m., will premiere on Jan. 17, 2011. Additional information about the company can be found at www.fox41.com.
About Utah Scientific
Utah Scientific is the world's leading specialist in analog, digital, and HDTV routing switchers, master control switchers, and related control software. For more than 30 years, the company has provided industry-leading products and best-in-class service and support as recognized, again in 2009, by Frost & Sullivan with its Customer Service Leadership Award and demonstrated by the industry's first no-fee 10-year warranty. Additional information about the company can be found at www.utahscientific.com.
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