All HD Master Control and Ross OverDrive News Automation
In 2012, Integrated Media Technologies, Inc. (IMT) modernized the master control infrastructure of West Virginia Media's (WVMM) eight television stations in the state's four DMAs utilizing Ross Video, Utah Scientific, Harmonic and other industry leading vendors, allowing for the transmission of HiDef content. The Phase I modernization included a two station upgrade of WTRF's (Wheeling) and WOWK's (Charleston) news production control rooms, utilizing the Ross OverDrive solution with Vision Switcher, and XPression CG, controlling Telemetrics robotics with Panasonic cameras. The fully automated news systems allow WVMM to provide stunning HD newscasts to their viewers.
The recently completed Phase II project allowed for WBOY (Clarksburg) and WVNS (Beckley) to automate their news production control rooms with Ross and Telemetrics camera robotics, as well. WVMM implemented the Omneon MediaDeck servers for news packages and clip playout. They've taken advantage of the Harmonic Carbon Coder transcoding system, too, providing a gateway for field produced content to be loaded into the servers, thereby maintaining a file-based workflow.
Bray Cary, President and CEO of WVMM stated, "All four news operations are now identical with respect to technology, workflow and operation. This was a primary objective when we began the process of modernization." Bray Cary went on to say, "The Ross automation systems are allowing us to generate news productions with higher quality and greater consistency from what we had been achieving with our previous systems. We are in very competitive markets and our new automation and fully HD master control systems provide us with a clear edge."
An integral part of the Phase II upgrade was the addition of Harmonic's Video-Over-IP (VOIP) equipment, which allows WVMM to transmit all content between stations in HD with high bitrates and low latency. WVMM selected the Harmonic Ellipse HD encoders and ProView 7000 decoders for this task. Encoders and decoders were installed across all stations, including remote news bureaus. This capability allows WVMM to leverage their television stations' statewide news programs, and to share all content between all stations.
IMT's VP of Business Development, Tom McGowan stated, "WVMM's selection of Harmonic's Electra series multiplexers allows WVMM to broadcast multiple channels over the same carrier. In each of the four markets the dot.2 channel carries another network affiliation. By incorporating the Harmonic Electra multiplexers all dot.2 channels are now broadcast over the air in HD. "
ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA MEDIA
West Virginia Media Holdings is a media chain in West Virginia. It operates eight television stations in each of state's four DMAs, as well as a weekly newspaper. The broadcast group was founded in 2001, and shares reporting among the stations in order to better cover the state. WOWK handles most coverage of state government affairs and Marshall University sports, while WBOY handles most coverage of West Virginia University sports.
http://www.wvmh.com/
ABOUT INTEGRATED MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES, INC. (IMT)
IMT is a digital media and technology company with offices in Los Angeles, San Jose, Dallas, and NYC. In 2011, Inc. Magazine ranked IMT as the 25th fastest growing private company in the Technology Services industry. IMT serves the broadcast, telecommunications, media & entertainment, IT, institutional, commercial real estate and hospitality sectors with a broad range of solutions designed to drive new value and efficiencies from technology.
Learn more at: http://www.imtglobalinc.com tel: 877.761.9770
