The BBC has selected the Snell & Wilcox Kahuna SD/HD multiformat production switcher to enable SD and HD coverage of the 2006 FIFA World Cup from studios and facilities in both Munich and Berlin. Snell & Wilcox will also offer 24-hour support for broadcast clients during the World Cup.
"The 2006 FIFA World Cup represents an important milestone for broadcasters such as the BBC, as the tournament promises to be one of the most watched productions of the year, as well as the first major event to be broadcast in both SD and HD," said Joe Zaller, vice president of marketing at Snell & Wilcox. "The BBC is originating SD and HD broadcasts from multiple venues across Germany, and our Kahuna production switcher will be key to integrating SD and HD sources into production and creating simultaneous SD and HD transmission feeds."
A 4-M/E Kahuna system in Berlin and 2-M/E system in Munich, both provided and installed by GearHouse Broadcast, will allow the BBC production team and switcher operators to choose from a wide variety of sources--SD and HD cameras, VTRs, graphics systems, etc.--regardless of their format, the company said. The Kahuna technology enables the integration of SD sources into high-quality HD productions without the need for outboard upconversion. The switcher offers simultaneous SD and HD operations in the same mainframe with the same control panel, enabling operators to allocate M/Es to either SD or HD sources, or to mix the two together on a single M/E.
Snell & Wilcox has created a dedicated support structure for broadcasters using its equipment to deliver 2006 FIFA World Cup broadcasts to viewers across the globe. The company will be available online and by phone. It said technical support will be complemented by the availability of service spares at Snell & Wilcox's German offices in Wiesbaden/Frankfurt and also in Munich.
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