WETA, the public broadcaster serving Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia, has chosen Communications Engineering for a comprehensive HD upgrade of its production center.
The project, which is being designed, planned and integrated by CEI, will enable the HD production of "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer" at WETA, marking a significant milestone for PBS and national news broadcasting.
WETA became one of the first stations in the country to broadcast HD in 1999, and in 2002, began four-channel digital multicasting. In 2006, WETA was the first to broadcast simultaneous HD and three SD channels on a 24/7 basis.
Having designed and built many of the broadcast facilities at WETA, including all of the HD and digital facilities implemented during the past 15 years, CEI has extensive knowledge of the WETA infrastructure.
The HD project includes numerous upgrades throughout the WETA production center, including:
- a new HD video control room featuring a Sony MVS8000A switcher;
- a new digital audio control room featuring an SSL C100 5.1 surround-sound console;
- six new Sony HDC1000LW HD studio cameras;
- Fujinon lenses;
- three upgraded Avid HD edit suites;
- an expanded Avid Unity storage system;
- four Sony XDCAM HD field camera systems;
- two Sony XDCAM HD studio decks;
- Omneon video servers, storage and archive equipment;
- expanded Grass Valley HD routers;
- a Barco multiple rear-projection display wall; and
- QC/QA workstations.
The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2007.
For more information, visit www.commeng.com.
