Don Bargman
DAVENPORT, IOWA—When the Grant Group made the decision to go HD, beginning with our two stations in Davenport, we saw the transition as an important opportunity. Not only would we be able to give a new, up-to-date look and feel to the stations, but we'd also have a chance to update key aspects of our operations.
NEEDED BETTER GRAPHICS SYSTEM
One of these areas was branding graphics, as our branding approach had been entirely manual. With our HD makeover, the plan was to automate much of that work, particularly playout. We thought we could achieve that by just using the graphics capability of our server, but it became apparent that its functionality was limited and just too clumsy for our application. We needed a standalone graphics platform to provide greater flexibility.
We'd had our eyes on Pixel Power graphics systems for years, as they're easy to use and provide an on-air look that, in my estimation, is not equaled. However, we did a careful comparison between Pixel Power's LogoVision and others and opted for that system, as it delivered the cleanest keys, really distinguishing itself from the pack.
LogoVision supports multi-layer static and animated logos, clocks, text crawls, multiple tickers, DVE moves, and many other graphic elements. Multichannel audio processing is available, with group mix, shuffling, automated ducking and an option for internal clip capability.
Pixel Power had us up and running very quickly, and just two days of training gave our operators the knowledge they needed to bring the system on air with the confidence to explore its capabilities.
LogoVision has proven to be very versatile, interfacing with a wide range of data sources and file types. We wanted a system that would interface easily with the creative tools used by our production department. LogoVision gives us effortless access to After Effects or any other file we throw at it. This makes it much easier for departments to submit material to us that we can take to air.
We've also been able to eliminate the manual work going into school closings and similar crawls. LogoVision ingests RSS feeds, keeping our crawls up to date and eliminating the repetitive data entry that used to slow us down. This enables us to better serve as a timely, informative news source.
LogoVision also provides a variety of user interface options. We chose touch screens with large buttons, which makes things very easy for our master control operators and provides them with clear feedback indicating the results of any action.
Overall, LogoVision has had a profound impact on our day-to-day operations. The ability to trigger graphics directly from our playlist has completely changed the way we allocate our time and resources. LogoVision provides us with a versatile platform for enhancing the capabilities at each of our stations and for sharing material in our station group.
Don Bargman is director of engineering for the Grant station group and chief engineer at KLJB-TV and KGCW-TV in Davenport, Iowa. He may be contacted at dbargman@kljb.com.
For additional information, contact Pixel Power at 818-276-4515 or visit pixelpower.com.
