NAB 2014: Furniture

LAS VEGAS—If you’ve been in this business for any length of time then you know that “broadcast furniture” doesn’t refer to the sofa in the station lobby, the news desk in the studio or that easy chair in the GM’s office. Broadcast furniture in the form of racks, consoles and editing and graphics workstations is a lot more subtle, but is still a major part of just about any broadcast operation.

Forecast Consoles’ Mastervision series FORECAST CONSOLES will highlight its MasterVision product line specifically developed for master control and network operation centers. It features a shallow base structure and slim-line countertop to reduce the overall console footprint and optimize operator interaction with touch-screen monitors and equipment. Its extremely low drop-wells and reduced wedge/turret profiles allow clear site-lines even when stacking multiple monitors. MasterVision is designed to be bay width independent, ensuring a correct fit in any environment.

TBC’s Monitor Frame SystemTBC CONSOLES will show its new Monitor Frame System which recognizes the industry trend towards large near-field displays fed by multiviewers. The frames allow mounting of displays up to 80-inches to existing desks or to any of TBC’s console units. They can also be used to mount multiple smaller monitors. TBC will also show its first SmartTrac console incorporating a full base unit for mounting computers or rack gear. Booth visitors should also look for the company’s fourth-generation IntelliTrac console that features an extremely low profile and light turret transitions. TBC will also demo a new low-cost basic console incorporating a simple lever height adjustment.

WINSTED will spotlight its EnVision Command consoles that are designed to offer a perfect balance of form and function for today’s control room. They feature a modular design and are available in single-, double-, or triple-tier configurations, with each tier supporting either 7.5- or 15-inch “slat-track” sections for mounting multiple video monitors for ergonomically correct viewing angles. Cable management in the consoles is also designed to be convenient and flexible for maintenance and upgrades. Work surfaces are covered in Winsted’s Marmoleum material which, in addition to being environmentally friendly also has antibacterial and antistatic properties. (Winsted can also provide EnVision Command products with their Endurance Edge, Comfort Edge and Corian work surfaces.)

CATEGORIES
James E. O'Neal

James E. O’Neal has more than 50 years of experience in the broadcast arena, serving for nearly 37 years as a television broadcast engineer and, following his retirement from that field in 2005, moving into journalism as technology editor for TV Technology for almost the next decade. He continues to provide content for this publication, as well as sister publication Radio World, and others.  He authored the chapter on HF shortwave radio for the 11th Edition of the NAB Engineering Handbook, and serves as editor-in-chief of the IEEE’s Broadcast Technology publication, and as associate editor of the SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal. He is a SMPTE Life Fellow, and a Life Member of the IEEE and the SBE.