WRGB the CBS affiliate for the Albany, N.Y., market began local high-definition operations on Jan. 13 with a Ross Video Synergy MDX production switcher. The event marked the airing of the first HD local newscast in upstate New York and also coincided with the date that WRGB (operating then as W2XB) began television transmissions 80 years ago.
The multiformat switcher had been installed the previous year and was operated in standard-definition mode until the HD transition date.
“We already had experience with Ross, so our decision to upgrade to the MDX model was an easy one” said Fred Lass, WRGB director of engineering. “We were already trained on Synergy, so we knew when it was time to go HD that the conversion would go smoothly.”
WRGB originates 30 hours of local newscasts weekly. The station first began operations in 1928 in a 12-square foot room, and today operates from a 50,000 square-foot facility.
