Newsbytes
VideoPropulsion chose the Tektronix MTM300 MPEG Multistream Transport Monitor to test MPEG-2 transport streams for their video-on-demand services.
Paxson Communications Corp. has purchased a MediaView 40 six-channel standard-definition ATSC solution from Thomcast and the convergent systems division of Harmonic. The equipment allows Paxson to broadcast six distinct digital signals over a standard NTSC channel.
Harmonic has completed its acquisition of the DiviCom business of C-Cube Microsystems, after the recent spinoff of C-Cube's semiconductor business. Harmonic will continue to provide open-system solutions for delivering video, voice and data over cable, satellite, telco and wireless networks.
Avstar has changed its name to iNEWS to reflect their commitment to providing media-rich content forthe Internet and interactive markets in addition to continuing to support traditional TV and radio broadcast journalists.
Slingshot Networks, a digital media storage and delivery company providing webcast and television production services, purchased 11 E5425 mobile contribution encoders from Tandberg Television to upgrade three of its mobile production trucks. DST was chosen to integrate the encoders with the other new equipment in the trucks.
Tandberg also announced it will move its Americas' corporate headquarters to the Central Florida Research Park. The move is expected to be completed by the first of the year. Tandberg's new address is 12633 Challenger Parkway, Orlando, FL, 32826.
CBS Newspath used Tadiran Scopus' Codico series for its coverage of the Democratic and Republican national conventions. With Tadiran Scopus digital video compression architecture, CBS was able to transmit up to 15 simultaneous channels, so local affiliates could tailor convention coverage to their local markets.
Benedek Broadcasting Corp. installed FastBreak Automation Systems from Sundance Digital in three of its stations: WILX in Lansing, MI; WTRF in Wheeling, WV; and WHOI in Peoria, IL. The systems will be used to control Leitch VR 400 series video servers for commercial and program storage and playout. The new systems are in addition to the Sundance automation systems currently operating in more than 10 Benedek stations.
Intergraph and SGI have formed an alliance in which Intergraph will purchase $100 million in SGI products over three years.
SGI will also acquire assets including Intergraph's Zx10 family of ViZual workstations.
Seachange International's Broadcast MediaCluster is providing multichannel digital video server support for a new interactive music museum in Seattle. The museum, the Experience Music Project, celebrates American popular music with interactive video exhibits and multimedia presentations.
Metropolis-Intercom in Chile is also using the Broadcast MediaCluster to digitally record and play Cinemax, Cinecanal and HBO from Miami. Seachange's Movie System is being used to automate the delivery of multiple pay-per-view channels.
Schneider Optics, a provider of lenses and filters in the motion picture and television industries, recently purchased the North Hollywood company Century Precision Optics.
RT-SET and Peak Broadcast recently merged to form a new company with a new name, vi[z]rt, reflecting their new integrated line of virtual studios and broadcast and webcast graphics.
Before the merger, Fox Sports Net purchased 10 Antero on-air 3D graphics systems from RT-SET to provide its new information and revenue generation systems and a Talus Enterprise module for real-time Web-based content entry.
The United Nations chose a remote camera control system from Radamec for the United Nations building in New York. Four cameras will be used to supply world TV media with live feeds from the United Nations: one studio camera system in the General Assembly and three pan and tilt heads in the main conference room.
Philly TV News WTVE, an all-news broadcast and cable network in Philadelphia, selected the Associated Press' ENPS to replace AP's NewsCenter system as its newsroom computer system.
Tokyo Broadcasting has purchased $700,000 worth of Panasonic DVCPRO50 4:2:2 digital component equipment for use in three of its United States news bureaus.
KAMU-TV on the Texas A&M's campus is using Parkervision's Studio One system to record classes for distance learning with two-way interaction throughout Texas and the United States, as well as for training journalism students.
Leitch announced that British Sky Broadcasting will add a second Leitch VR digital video server system for their "Enhanced Sports" coverage in Isleworth, London.
IMMAD ECVS also purchased more than $1 million worth of Digibus and related products from Leitch for EchoStar Communications Corp.'s direct broadcast satellite facilities.
Canadian all-business news network Report on Business Television (ROBTv) also purchased two Leitch server systems worthover $500,000. The systems will be used for news editing, playback, and commercial and long-form broadcast.
Harris announced orders worth $9 million for its new DiamondCD solid-state UHF DTV transmitters. Twelve television stations in the United States, inluding seven in the nation's four largest media markets, have purchased the transmitters since their introduction at NAB2000. Stations purchasing the DiamondCD include WPIX and WXTV in New York, and WGN and WGBO in Chicago.
TCI International recently contracted with KCSM-TV, a PBS affiliate broadcasting from the campus of the College of San Mateo in California, to supply and install a model 888 DigitalPLUS Wideband UHF Digital TV slot antenna. The antenna allows simultaneous broadcast of two or more UHF channels.
The model 888 antennas also successfully completed field strength testing at WRLK-TV in Columbia, SC. The antenna was found capable of transmitting on two or more UHF channels simultaneously, on any channels between 14 and 69, without any adjustments.
Andrew provided its STACKER optimized antenna structure for two Capitol Broadcasting stations - WRAL-DT and WRAZ-DT in Raleigh, NC. Andrew also supplied two RF systems, one for use on Channel 53 (WRAL-DT) and the other at WRAX's Channel 49.
Plainview Batteries recently purchased the assets of Energex Systems Corp., adding Energex's line of batteries and chargers for professional video cameras to PBI's battery manufacturing and marketing capability.
San Antonio NBC affiliate KMOL recently upgraded its control room with Grass Valley Group's Kalypso Video Production Center and 8900 Series modular products, a $500,000 purchase.
The new equipment will serve KMOL's digital production switching requirements and analog-to-digital signal conversion needs in the production of on-air newscasts.
Dielectric has acquired Davicom Technologies' low-power FM and TV antenna product line. The horizontally, vertically and circularly polarized FM antennas and horizontally polarized "Band III" VHF antennas will enable Dielectric to better serve international and low-power broadcasters.
Nasdaq has purchased three high-definition plasma displays from Hitachi for its Marketsite, a 96-monitor video wall displaying graphical stock quotes in real time. The screens are located in Nasdaq's New York studio and visible from Times Square. Nasdaq has plans to add three additional displays in the near future.
Hitachi also supplied three Z-3000W digital 4:3/16:9 switchable cameras to KLCS-TV, a full-power PBS instructional station owned and operated by the Los Angeles Unified School District. The cameras were purchased to replace KLCS' Hitachi SK-970D studio cameras as part of a remodeling project.
Inscriber Technology will be working with Microsoft Corp. to adapt Inscriber's video graphic products for the Microsoft TV platform. Inscriber's products will have an Interactive TV option allowing broadcasters and cable operators to directly insert interactive links into the broadcast signal.
Solid State Logic provided three Avant digital consoles to Crawford Audio. The consoles will be used in conjunction with an SSL Hub Router to form an all-digital SSL audio network for 5.1 mixing of DVD, HDTV, DTV and commercials.
Sportvision has chosen fiber optic gyros (FOGs) from KVH to ehance stabilization of the first-down line inserted on the field by Sportvision's 1st & Ten system for televised games. Three gyros on every camera will provide precise measurements of camera movement in order to provide greater positional accuracy in the creation of the lines.
The systems will also be used in 1st & Ten systems utilized by ABC, ESPN and FOX football broadcasts.
JVC's D-9 equipment was recently chosen by KXII-TV in Sherman, Texas, and WSIL-TV in Carterville, IL, for news operations.
The new 21,000-seat LDS Church conference center in Salt Lake City will utilize Fujinon HA66x9.5 lenses on its high-definition Sony cameras. The lenses will be used for assorted projects including the LDS Church's Semi-Annual Conference in October.
Digital audio technologies from Fairlight have been recently purchased by RAE Creative in Charlotte, NC. The Fairlight Prodigy fully integrated digital audio production system will work with the MFX3-plus workstation already installed at the facility.
The BBC ordered 21 ADP-1000 SDI data processors from Eyeheight Limited. The processors will be used to display active format descriptor (AFD) information on line 11 of the video frame. The data can then be distributed through a studio or broadcast network to tell program directors the aspect ratio and AFD of the source program.
Turner Sports uses Abekas 6000 for Wimbledon Turner Sports signed a deal with Turner Network to provide coverage of Wimbledon for three years. The network used Accom's Abekas 6000 server for coverage of this year's tournament. Turner's use of the server is part of its transition to tapeless coverage of outside broadcast events.
Turner had used the server for the Winter Goodwill Games in the United States in a VTR replacement role. For Wimbledon, the Abekas 6000 server was used to supply the Production Graphics Room, edit suite and the live studio. The system worked in conjunction with the bank of digibeta machines currently installed in Turner's machine room for recording live action on the courts. Turner Sports plans to use tape only as a backup for next year's coverage; all recording and playback will be through the servers. Coverage of the 2001 tournament will incorporate up to four of the servers, with one dedicated to on-air use.
Turner editors were able to access events still being recorded for editing, since material was recorded on the server 10 frames after live recording. The editors used the material to prepare evening highlight broadcasts and in multi-venue record and playback.
Irish music mixed with AMS Neve Atlantic Video recently used its AMS Neve Logic 3 and AudioFile editing system to complete post work on a 90-minute PBS special focusing on the influence of Irish heritage on American music called "Irish American Gala."
The special was filmed and recorded live by WETA-TV in Washington, D.C., and centered on a concert at the Kennedy Center featuring Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris and Steve Earle. Music for the program was mixed at Windmill Lane Recording Studios in Ireland, while video edits were done at Atlantic Video. In order to synchronize the video and audio before posting, the Logic 3 console and AudioFile were utilized to put together the final mix right before the program hit the air in Ireland.
PESA's Tiger and Cougar routers will play a role in NEP's coverage of the 2000 Olympic Games. The routers will be used in NEP's ND1 and ND2 trucks to route audio and video to recorders and display devices covering gymnastic, track and field events.
The routers were chosen for their size per crosspoint, which enables them to work well in the limited space of a mobile environment. The Tiger matrices are housed in 12- or 8RU chassis and the Cougar matrices in a 3RU chassis for space efficient installation.
WWFE creates high-volume of graphics The World Wrestling Federation Entertainment's graphics department creates graphics for a range of weekly TV programs and over a dozen international tours and pay-per-views, as well as sponsorships, national promotions and commercials from their TV facility in Stamford, CT. Silicon Graphics' Octanes are used for the hybrid broadcast/post production operation, along with software including Discreet's Flames, Alias/Wavefront's Mayas and Avid's Matadors.
