WORCESTER, Mass. -- Dec. 18, 2007 -- Telecast Fiber Systems today announced that the criminal justice network Court TV®, to be re-named truTV effective Jan. 1, 2008, is using the Telecast Ethernet Viper portable fiber optics broadcast production system for high-quality digital video transmission of court proceedings. With the Viper system, Court TV has been able to leverage the high performance, superior signal quality, and easy installation of fiber for live on-site coverage of numerous civil and criminal trials, including such recent high-profile cases as last month‘s O.J. Simpson pre-trial hearings in Las Vegas and the Duke University lacrosse case.
Both of Court TV‘s satellite news gathering (SNG) trucks are equipped with Telecast Viper systems with Ethernet support, giving remote production crews the ability to create fiber networks on the fly that can easily adapt to the variations in equipment, networking configurations, and physical layout found in different courtrooms. Over a single cable, Court TV can transport numerous feeds from inside the courtroom, including cameras, audio, and A/V equipment such as projectors, out to the SNG vehicle for transmission. Likewise, the Viper system can bring communications feeds for equipment such as headsets into the courtroom via fiber. In addition, Viper‘s Ethernet support gives Court TV the ability to deploy high-speed Internet via fiber to on-site production crews, a critical communications requirement for cases that might last weeks or even months.
“Flexibility is a huge factor when doing live coverage of court proceedings. No two courthouses are alike, and there‘s no standard configuration for broadcasting and A/V equipment,” said David Foote, supervisor of SNG services for Court TV Networks™. “With the Telecast Viper system, we don‘t have to figure out how to get big bundles of copper wire through fireproof doors and other physical barriers -- instead, we‘re able to drop a single thin fiber line to handle all of the audio and video feeds from the courtroom. And with fiber, there is no degradation in signal quality even over long distances.”
“With Court TV‘s implementation, it is easy to see why Viper is the most widely used fiber optics system for mobile television broadcast production,” said Richard Cerny, president of Telecast Fiber Systems. “Viper makes it easy for production crews to go into a new, unknown site and configure a temporary network for live coverage of an event with the highest available transmission quality and without the restrictions of traditional copper wire.”
More information about fiber optic systems from Telecast is available online at www.telecast-fiber.com.
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About Court TV®
Court TV®, a Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. company, provides a window on the American system of justice through distinctive programming that both informs and entertains. Effective Jan. 1, 2008, Court TV will be re-named truTV, with a growing lineup of original series that are designed to target an audience of viewers who want first-person access to exciting, real-life stories. Seen in 86 million U.S. homes, Court TV Networks™ is comprised of Court TV News™, which provides live trial coverage in daytime; Court TV: Seriously Entertaining™ in prime time, featuring investigative drama, expert reality, and compelling nonfiction series; and Court TV Extra™, a subscription Web-based service offering viewers an interactive opportunity to watch multiple live trials on the Internet, while accessing the tremendous resources of Court TV Online™. The Court TV Web sites can be accessed via www.courttv.com and www.courttvnews.com.
About Telecast Fiber Systems, Inc.
Telecast Fiber Systems, Inc. is a leader in portable and fixed fiber optic systems for television broadcast production. The company‘s video, audio, and communications systems are used worldwide by TV networks, teleproduction companies, sports venues, and various private, educational, and government and military organizations to extend range, simplify cabling, and reduce labor costs and set-up time. Telecast systems accommodate all television production signals, including NTSC/PAL video, SDI and HD/SDI video, analog and AES/EBU audio, HD and triax camera interfaces, and intercom and data signals. More information can be found at www.telecast-fiber.com.
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