Winner of newsroom technology
Submitted by
Azzurro Systems Integration
Runner-up:
WFTV-DT
Submitted by Grass Valley
NY1 News, Time Warner Cable's 24-hour news channel in New York City, is one of the most advanced newsgathering operations in the world. The station recently worked with Azzurro Systems Integration to upgrade and consolidate its master control environment. The consolidation allows the broadcaster to provide multiple distribution streams from a single master control area using three master switcher systems. All feeds are distributed in both HD and analog. HD feeds are converted to ASI streams and analog video and audio in the final stage prior to transmission. One feed carries normal NY1 News programming and is distributed to Manhattan, Bronx, Staten Island, Brooklyn and Bergen County, NJ. A second master switcher feeds a local insert to Queens, and the third system provides Spanish programming. Local ad insertion capability has been built into the system. Internal routing and distribution is accomplished via HD-SDI with embedded audio channels.
Programming for each feed is switched with an Evertz QMC-2 HD-SDI master switcher. The master switchers each control an Evertz Topaz 16 x 16 routing switcher, which provides subswitching for the program, preset, bypass and key feeds to the master switcher. Sources feeding the Topaz switchers include Omneon server ports providing inputs and outputs to and from a central storage system. The system has 16 bidirectional channels, 32 playout channels, and storage for 1250 hours of DV50 material and four audio channels. Additionally, an Omneon MediaDeck provides backup, central routing switcher outputs and additional sources. The MediaGrid active storage system provides 126TB of raw capacity using high-bandwidth content servers, 57TB of available storage with a replication factor of 2:2, and storage for 2035 hours of DV50 material and four audio channels. A Dalet Enterprise Edition automation system controls the server systems and switching.
