LLC, designer and developer of high quality, cost effective multiviewers and signal processing equipment announced that KOIN, the CBS affiliate in Portland, Oregon has installed several TAHOMA Multiviewers for its Master Control and Newsroom multi-image display processing and monitoring.
In July 2010, KOIN, a New Vision Television station debuted its newscasts in high definition. In preparation for the move to full HD, KOIN opted for Apantac’s TAHOMA platform of high-definition Multiviewers for their HD Master Control and News Production.
In the HD newsroom, the TAHOMA-LX Series of Multiviewers provide KOIN with a hardware/software solution to display 64 HD input images over three large LCD displays. The two TAHOMA-LX32HD Multiviewers tightly integrate with a Grass Valley Ignite integrated production system providing KOIN with a seamless and complete news production and monitoring workflow. All UMD and Tally information is provided to the TAHOMA Multiviewers using a serial or LAN protocol. One of the three high resolution Multiviewer outputs is split and fed into the Technical Operations Center using an Apantac MT HOOD DVI Extender with local monitor output (DVI-1-EM).
The TAHOMA-LX Multiviewers include a built-in 32x32 routing switcher, and with dynamic assignment or by simply recalling presets, KOIN users can quickly assign inputs to different displays, or display inputs more than once. This integrated Multiviewer and Routing Switcher architecture provides advanced flexibility for visually monitoring signals, and simplifies installation, maintenance, and cabling.
In its HD Master Control room, KOIN installed three TAHOMA-LI-16HD Multiviewers, each of which accepts 16 high definition inputs for display across three large LCD displays. The TAHOMA-LI Multiviewers provide active and passive input looping capabilities. Live camera sources or transmission sources are fed into a Utah Scientific routing switcher, which assigns the sources to the displays and both integrate with a Florical automation system. The TAHOMA Multiviewers provide a central and automated monitoring solution, which includes on-screen indicators for UMD / tally status, and source labels.
Apantac’s TAHOMA platform of Multiviewers utilizes an easy to use skin technology, which allows KOIN to customize the on-screen display of graphics including; borders, labels, fonts, tally LEDs, clock faces, logos, embedded audio, discrete audio meters and audio / video alarms. Video windows on the display may include multiple labels, and support UMD, OMD, IMD and standalone labels. TAHOMA Multiviewers can be controlled several ways including; via the front panel buttons, a simple preset panel, the Apantac ASCII protocol, via a Control Module with GPI inputs assigned to presets, and the Apantac Director software - a configuration and control application. Plus, all Apantac Multiviewers include an integrated CATx extender for extending sources up to 115 feet.
“The Apantac TAHOMA Multiviewers have proven to be an optimal monitoring solution for us with regards to cost, space, redundancy, flexibility and scalability,” comments David Bird, Chief Engineer for KOIN. “The image quality from the TAHOMA is exceptional and the solution has contributed greatly to the HD upgrade of our Master Control and News Production infrastructure.”
