The Weather Channel has put two Snell & Wilcox Kahuna SD/HD multiformat production switchers at the center of its $60 million HD upgrade.
Installed in two newly retrofitted HD production control rooms, two Kahuna systems handle SD and HD sources and graphics as the network moves toward completion of a new HD production studio, which went live this week. The first live content aired through the HD studio was switched by a Kahuna, which will serve as the main HD production switcher for all of The Weather Channel’s fully produced shows.
The project involved construction of the new HD studio adjoining The Weather Channel’s existing building and also included the upgrade of equipment within the older facility. In operation since January, the two Kahuna systems enable the network to provide a high-quality SD feed and to get HD-capable control rooms to air prior to the network’s HD studio launch.
“The Kahuna switcher is essential to our HD rollout, providing powerful switching capabilities in SD and, going forward, offering the robust performance we require for our shift toward full HD production,” said Michael Smereski, chief engineer at The Weather Channel. “In addition to providing format flexibility, the Kahuna gives our operators the tools they need to produce increasingly complex shows in a highly dynamic environment.”
