SALT LAKE CITY -- March 14, 2011 -- Three Media General broadcast stations, WBTW in Myrtle Beach, S.C.; WJHL in Johnson City, Tenn.; and WKRG in Mobile, Ala., have implemented Utah Scientific Dot.Box master control and routing to support cost-effective multichannel operation in the context of playout upgrades to HD.
"At Media General, we look for solid equipment that gives us bang for our buck, and that's Utah Scientific. With the Dot.Box, we got all the functionality we could ask for in a master control and routing switcher combination. It easily handles both SD and HD content, and it's scalable so we know we have the ability to grow the system," said Matt Heffernan, general manager of broadcast operations at Media General. "Another plus for us was the Utah Scientific MCP-GUI because it works so well with our centralized master control system. There are other systems out there, but for us the choice of Utah Scientific came down to functionality, scalability, support, and price."
Media General uses a hub-and-spoke approach for centralized monitoring and control of its stations, with the hub for its ABC, CBS, and CW affiliates located in Spartanburg, S.C., and the hub for NBC affiliates in Columbus, Ohio. Utah Scientific's MCP-GUI software controllers at the hub can control the switcher in the event communication is lost with the automation system.
The Utah Scientific Dot.Box comprises a UTAH-400 HD/SD routing switcher and two MC-400 master control processor boards with MCP-400 master control panels -- everything necessary to put two SD/HD switchable channels on air. Both WBTW and WJHL are relying on 64x64 frame routers based on scalable architecture wired for the easy addition of I/O and master control channels.
"Dot.Box makes multichannel operation easy to implement, manage, and maintain -- all at a surprisingly low cost," said Tom Harmon, president of Utah Scientific. "Like a lot of broadcasters today, Media General appreciates the benefits associated with adding sub-channels to their service offerings. We developed Dot.Box as a single all-inclusive package with everything necessary to realize the rewards of multichannel operation."
Like all Utah Scientific products, the Dot.Box system is backed by the company's no-fee, no-hassle 10-year warranty with around-the-clock support. More information is available through Utah Scientific representatives and resellers and at www.utahscientific.com.
# # #
About Media General Media General is an independent, publicly owned communications company situated primarily in the Southeast with interests in newspapers, television stations, and digital media. The company's operations include 18 network-affiliated television stations and their associated websites. Media General's mission is to be the leading provider of high-quality news, information, and entertainment in the Southeast by continually building its position of strength in strategically located markets.
About Utah Scientific, Inc. 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.
ENDS
