BILLERICA, Mass. -- March 25, 2008 -- Echolab Corporation, a leading provider of professional video production switchers and broadcast tools, today announced the latest release of the Conductor™ control integration system, a touch-screen software suite that automates complex tasks and program elements to support fast, accurate, and creative production of the best programs possible. By giving users simple, centralized control over critical production systems, Conductor adds speed and power to the live production workflow.
"In today's fast-paced production environment, it can be difficult for technical directors to express their creativity during production of a live show," said Echolab President Nigel Spratling. "We developed Conductor to increase and consolidate control while reducing the complexity of production, thus giving the operator time to introduce more dynamic elements to the program with complete confidence."
During preproduction, Conductor allows the operator to configure the switcher, create complex sequences, and assign functions such as M/E presets to soft buttons. While on air, the system becomes an extension of the control panel, serving as a touch-screen interface with soft buttons that can execute sequences, recall M/E presets, and control third-party devices.
Conductor's graphics tab gives users access to a powerful two-channel still store, and all images loaded and available for use are represented by thumbnail images in a preview window. The operator can access these graphics at any time during the show, simply loading the still image into the main frame buffer or into an unused switcher input with a frame buffer enabled. An illuminated tally marker indicates if a frame buffer is on air, thus preventing accidental loading of graphics directly to air. The Conductor accepts graphics even during production. With two Ethernet ports, Conductor can be safely connected to the switcher and the company network. All standard graphics formats, such as JPEG, BMP, and GIF, can be transferred from any computer on the network to the switcher's main frame buffer. For simple productions, the flexible graphics storage replaces the need for a dedicated clip store.
The Sequence Editor tool integrated into Conductor enables the operator to prepare a sequence that can, with a single touch, launch a series of events, from simple M/E preset recalls to elaborate effects that fire GPO triggers and control third-party devices. Sequences can be created either directly within the Sequence Editor tool or through the recording of control panel activity that can then be edited or reordered to achieve desired event timing.
While on air, Conductor's integration interface facilitates communication with video servers, VTRs, and character generators through its intuitive touch-screen interface. As a result, a single operator can control all of these devices from one point without assistance.
Conductor provides graphical configuration tools that make it easy to name sources, assign sources to crosspoint buttons, and set up tallies and GPIO triggers. The intuitive aux tab of the Conductor enables quick routing of sources to auxiliary outputs. Descriptive labels provide immediate access to input sources, enabling users to assign sources to auxiliary outputs to suit their preferences. Any of the auxiliary outputs can be locked to prevent accidental changes and resulting playout errors.
More information about the Conductor control integration system and other Echolab products is available at www.echolab.com.
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About Echolab
Echolab Corporation is a leading provider of video production switchers and tools that offer flexibility and on-air reliability for the production and distribution of digital media in a variety of formats. The company's products include the Overture1™ and Overture2™ video production systems, MultiPlayMD™ multichannel instant-replay system, MegaKeyMD™ clip player/mixer/keyer, and Conductor™ control integration system, all of which provide functionality and ease of use critical to professional-quality production. Echolab is online at www.echolab.com.
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