Edward Gross with Forecast Consoles sits at the MASTERVision APC console. Changes abound as we move further along into the 21st century. These certainly include the changing landscape in broadcast control rooms—CRT monitors and associated gear are now museum relics and the broadcast furniture manufacturers have reflected this sea change in their designs. Such new designs with enhanced functionality and operator comfort were greatly in evidence at this year’s NAB Show.
Forecast Consoles introduced a new addition to its MasterRail product lineup, the MasterVision console. It’s designed especially to accommodate touchscreen technology and addresses the growing requirement for multiple monitors with the lowest possible sightline. Forecast also showed the latest upgrade for its SightLine monitor wall system; it’s based on single plane geometry and features “single Allen wrench” assembly of upright and lateral extrusions.
KAE spotlighted their collection of pull-out racks for VTRs, LCD panels and Macs and PCs.
Middle Atlantic Products’ display included demonstrations of its new height-adjustable Sit/Stand functionality for Middle Atlantic ViewPoint consoles. The Sit/Stand lift system provides pre-set height settings to help reduce operator fatigue and enhance user comfort. The company also showed its new VTC Series mobile videoconferencing/presentation cart system that feature equipment mounting space, support capability for single display screens of up to 80-inches or dual screen configurations of up to 70-inches and weighing as much as 250 pounds.
TBC Consoles brought along the latest in its popular TracSeries of consoles and monitor walls, along with its new models based on TBC’s IntelliTrac system that are specifically designed to accommodate integrated video production systems such as Grass Valley’s Ignite or Broadcast Pix’s Granite. They feature a “wraparound” design with monitor and keyboard placement to facilitate one-person operation.
Omnirax showed off their Phoenix line of broadcast furniture, which is constructed with the same components as the company’s Innova line, but is available at significantly lower prices.
Winsted unveiled its Spectrum console as well as the E-SOC Control Stations, which feature the company’s Versa-Trak monitor mounting system, lift-off access panels, an integrated cable management system and more. Winsted also showed off the latest developments in its EnVision Command console series that are available in single-, double-, or triple-tier configurations.
