SALT LAKE CITY — Jan. 7, 2009 — Utah Scientific, a leading manufacturer of routing switchers and related products for the broadcast industry, today announced that Arizona Public Media® (AZPM) has expanded, upgraded, and proofed its legacy UTAH-400 router for 3-Gbps HD. The UTAH-400 routing switcher at AZPM may have been manufactured and installed in 2003, but like all Utah Scientific products, it was engineered to meet the HD demands of today and tomorrow. The recent HD plug-in upgrade at AZPM is further testimony to the many advanced design features of the UTAH-400, which is the first 3-Gbps-capable routing switcher.
"The routing switcher is the centerpiece of our technical infrastructure and as such is a 20-year investment," said David Ross, AZPM director of engineering and technical services. "When we were shopping in 2003, we were looking for future-proof design of software and hardware coupled with guaranteed service and support. We had been orphaned in the past by manufacturers who claimed their products would bridge the digital transition, so we were very sensitive to design. When we bought the UTAH-400, we did so with confidence. Our confidence is borne out every day by the router's solid, reliable operation, and it has been reaffirmed by the plug-in upgrade to 3-Gbps switching."
AZPM is the nonprofit public media organization of The University of Arizona® and includes PBS stations KUAT Channel 6 and KUAS Channel 27, as well as public radio, AZpublicmedia.org, and award-winning local television production. Its facilities are on the campus of The University of Arizona in Tucson. At AZPM today, the UTAH-400 router and a Utah Scientific MC-2020 master control switcher support five broadcast streams of unique programming channels, plus local HD production and editing.
The router AZPM purchased in 2003 was the second UTAH-400 ever delivered. Populated 64 X 64 SD, it was selected as part of AZPM's conversion of master control to an all-digital operation, which was the first step in its overall digital conversion. The public broadcaster installed the Utah Scientific MC-2020 SD for master control at the same time, with the aim of implementing a simplified, single-format master control workflow that would expand incrementally with the addition of inputs and outputs and MC-2020 processor frames.
That plan has worked as envisioned, and today AZPM's UTAH-400 router is populated 112 X 96 SD video, 24 X 24 HD, with one HD 2020 and four SD 2020 processors.
In late 2008, when AZPM again needed to expand the HD portion of the router, the broadcaster anticipated local production's eventual transition to 1080p video and opted for 3-Gbps I/O cards to accommodate it. Utah Scientific engineers simply swapped out the plug-in I/O cards for the new multirate 3-Gbps HD cards. No other modification to the UTAH-400 router was required.
"At Utah Scientific, we know our customers buy for the long term, and that's why we engineer for the long term," said Tom Harmon, president and CEO of Utah Scientific. "Our routers are built to be adaptable and scalable for the most demanding applications now and in the future. Other manufacturers trumpet their latest routers' readiness for 3-Gbps, but our UTAH-400 routers have been ready for more than five years."
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About Arizona Public Media
Arizona Public Media® (AZPM), the member-supported nonprofit public media organization of The University of Arizona®, includes PBS stations KUAT Channel 6 and KUAS Channel 27; digital TV channels 6-1 PBS Digital, 6-2 V-me (en Español), 6-3 Create, KUAS Channel 27-1 PBS HDTV, 27-2 KUAT Kids, and 27-3 PBS World; the UA Channel (Cox 116/Comcast 76); classical music station KUAT-FM 90.5; NPR affiliate KUAZ 1550AM/89.1 FM; Ahora (en Español) on KUAZ-HD2; and a variety of online activities under the umbrella AZpublicmedia.org. AZPM also produces award-winning original local programs from studios on the campus of The University of Arizona.
About Utah Scientific, Inc.
Utah Scientific, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of analog, digital, and HDTV routing switchers, master control switchers, and related products including a full range of software for controlling and managing switching systems. The company has been serving the broadcast industry for 30 years with industry-leading products and best-in-class service and support as recognized by Frost & Sullivan with its 2005 Customer Service Leadership Award and demonstrated by the industry's first 10-year warranty. Additional information about the company can be found at www.utahscientific.com.
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