Hofstra University Installs CSI Products for Presidential Conference

Wall-mounted input/output enclosure with pre-wired video and audio inputs

Joe Giordano, video engineer at Hofstra University''s School of Communications, discusses using the Pure Digital Fiberlink 3440/3441 series from Communications Specialties. The all-digital fiber-optic transmission system for composite video, with four audio channels, was recently installed to provide campuswide television coverage of Hofstra''s Cultural Center''s 11th Presidential Conference, William Jefferson Clinton: The "New Democrat" From Hope, during which former President Bill Clinton addressed thousands of attendees.

Hostra University is located in Hempstead, N.Y., about 25 miles east of Manhattan. Offering both undergraduate and graduate programs in an academically challenging environment, the university boasts a nationally renowned faculty, state-of-the-art living and learning facilities, and exciting cultural programs and events. From the first journalism class it offered in 1948, Hofstra''s School of Communications has continued to expand. Today, it features one of the largest state-of-the-art non-commercial radio and television broadcast facilities on the East Coast.

Working under Chief Engineer Joe Valerio, Giordano and fellow engineer Victor Lazo support and maintain the school''s two television studios (and ancillary equipment) and 29 Avid editing rooms. While no two days are alike, a typical day usually involves a combination of equipment repair, troubleshooting problems, and providing engineering support to the students working on television productions and project editing.

Prior to installing the new digital fiber system, the university had only one analog fiber transmitter/receiver that was shuffled among four sites around campus as needed. Use of this gear had to be scheduled in advance, and it took two engineers (one at the transmit site and one back at the studio''s technical hub) to set it up and calibrate it. After the gear was used, the staff had to go back and retrieve the transmitter for use at another site and set it up and recalibrate it again. While the signal quality was passable, the engineers knew there was better equipment out there.

“In early 2005, we proposed purchasing four transmitter/receivers and permanently installing them at the existing sites, but we wanted something that didn''t need constant calibration and maintenance," Giordano says. "Our proposal was well received by the departments that would be using the gear [School of Communication, Sports and Special Events], but the cost was slightly higher than what the university wanted to spend, especially toward the end of a budget year. The proposal was filed away but not forgotten. But then the university decided to provide campuswide television coverage of the upcoming Clinton Presidential Conference, and the fiber project was not only revived, but expanded—and this time, approved.

“When researching our new system we were looking for a system that could provide compact transmitter design for easy wall-mounting, rackmountable receiver trays, high-quality workmanship, and quality of transmitted signals. CSI''s Pure Digital Fiberlink products met all of our needs, so we borrowed a transmitter/receiver over the summer and tested it in our existing fiber venues. We were quickly impressed with the excellent video and audio signal quality, and how effortless it was to set up.

“When the project to ‘fiber-up'' the campus was approved, CSI worked closely with us to ensure on-time delivery. Everything worked right out of the box and exceeded the university''s expectations, especially at the price point we were given. Other manufacturers we looked at were much more expensive. Many students at the School of Communications are just starting out in their career, so ease of operation was also important. And because Pure Digital Fiberlink products are manufactured here on Long Island, if we ever need support, it''s just a 20-minute ride away.

“We did the installation ourselves, and it was simple. We mounted the transmitters in a wall-mounted input/output enclosure and pre-wired the video and audio inputs to a custom-designed front panel fabricated by PanelCrafters [Liberty Wire & Cable] to our specifications. We made 10 enclosures and mounted them in closets and on walls at the various venues around campus (that was the toughest part!)

“Back at our Technical Operations Center, we rackmounted the receivers in a Pure Digital Fiberlink card cage and connected the video and audio outputs to patch panels, which feed our routing switcher. With a digital system, the engineers don''t have to calibrate a fiber path every time it''s used. What goes in comes out.

“When a team wants to broadcast from a site, they just go to one of the video/audio input panels we designed and mounted at the sites, power up the fiber, plug in their cables, and give us a call. We confirm their signal and route it to a TV channel or videotape recorder. The signal comes back to our Technical Operations Center and is sent out over the campus TV network. With 10 sites now online, we have a genuine fiber transmission network that will last for years.

“Installing the Pure Digital Fiberlink system was blissfully painless, and we don't anticipate any problems with our transmissions. We love the system''s simple, compact design, and it''s very power-efficient. During the Clinton conference, faculty members, some not specifically trained in video, commented on the
‘crispness'' and ‘clarity'' of the pictures from the remote sites, which is a compliment to our cameras and to CSI''s fiber products. We were also impressed with the audio quality. One change I would like to see is the addition of some sort of front-panel monitoring connections on the receiver, especially on the rackmount version.”

Initially, the equipment was purchased to broadcast parts of the Clinton Presidential Conference on the campus TV network. The highlight of the conference was a speech by former President Bill Clinton regarding his presidency, so all eyes were on the School of Communications to deliver the speech flawlessly. Other speeches and forums were being telecast, but Clinton''s was the big one, and Pure Digital Fiberlink came through. In addition to the live telecast, numerous recordings of his speech were made and each of them looked like the VTR was next to the camera, not a mile away. And every other speech or panel discussion looked just as good.

The students do live remotes from the sports venues as part of their television production curriculum, and the new system will make that immensely easier. Giordano anticipates more faculty-related transmissions (speeches, remote discussions, etc.) as well. Having 10 venues permanently wired gives the university a resource it never had before. With some additional fiber paths, it''s conceivable that a live broadcast could originate from the school''s studios someday.

Giordano recalls, “On one occasion at the conference, we transmitted timecode on one of the audio channels and we got no ‘bleed-through'' on the other audio channels. This simplified our tape logging process since the field producer was logging onsite and using the timecode generator, and we were recording it back at our facility with the same timecode.”

The new system allows the university to do more with existing television equipment than ever before. From a student''s perspective, they can use broadcast-grade equipment right up the line, from studio and portable cameras to routers and transmission systems. “From an engineer''s perspective, anything that works easily and seamlessly to the overall facility''s operation is a dream, especially these days,” Giordano comments.

Now that system has proved itself to the university, Giordano can see the campus radio station wanting to use it for its transmitter link and as a backup (or maybe primary) feed from the sports venues during game broadcasts. The TV side of the School of Communications fed the radio station with audio from most of the Clinton Conference sites, whenever its dry lines were unavailable. When the TV studios begin their transition to digital video, Pure Digital Fiberlink products will be a part of that upgrade. As Giordano says, “I don''t think there will be any near-term site expansion, but it wouldn''t surprise me if that changed.”

For more information, visit www.hofstra.edu or www.commspecial.com.