Mediaworks’ TV3, based in New Zealand, has become the first television network in the country to migrate its studios and future news broadcasts to a Grass Valley Ignite HD automated production system.
The file-based system, which went on the air in September, is tightly integrated with TV3’s ENPS newsroom system and provides the staff a high degree of production control. It has also significantly improved the news and current affairs channel’s on-air look.
The terrestrial TV network uses the Ignite HD system daily to produce more than nine hours of original news programming per week. The system is designed for live production automation applications, where a single operator can run an entire multicamera production. More than 100 systems have been sold worldwide to date.
TV3 staff currently uses several Grass Valley Edius workstations and numerous Grass Valley K2 media servers to handle all SD and HD program playout, in addition to Avid AirSpeed servers running under Ignite control.
The Ignite system can be ordered with one to four M/Es, up to 32 control ports, and is scalable from 24 to 96 video inputs and 24 to 96 audio inputs. The control room system offers an integrated Grass Valley Kayak HD video switcher and audio mixer that allow a single operator to run an entire newscast.
