Archive of the Switchers Category

Huntsville, Alabama – PESA has expanded its PESA PRO line of professional AV routers with the new PRO-3GSDI-1616 Routing Switcher. It supports all common SMPTE and ITU standard serial digital video signals, as well as embedded audio and other ancillary data required for HD-SDI and DVB/ASI broadcast sources. For digital cinema high definition video distribution requirements, it can be configured to switch SMPTE 372M dual-link HD-SDI in configurations up to 8×8.

The PRO-3GSDI-1616 supports standard data rates from 50Mbps to 3Gbps and video transports up to 1080p/60. All inputs are auto-equalized. With standard SMPTE formatted outputs, each signal is auto-sensed and re-clocked to the appropriate transport stream. Signals can be re-clocked up to 100m for 1080p/60. For non-standard formats, re-clocking circuitry can be set to bypass mode. Two independent reference inputs allow easy selection of genlock from a black burst or tri-level sync source.

Two models are available: the PRO-3GSDI-1616-C and the PRO-3GSDI-1616-PB, which includes a local pushbutton control panel. Both models feature an internal power supply and can have multiple remote control panels added via an Ethernet interface.

The PRO-3GSDI-1616’s compact 1 RU frame design features front load, hot swappable card sets, and includes space for an optional redundant power supply and controller module. It is also compatible with PESA’s Cattrax™ graphical user control interface. Cattrax is an intuitive GUI control system that supports comprehensive configuration, diagnostics, and monitoring of the PRO-3GSDI-1616 as well as the full line of PESA router frames. The software is installed on a host PC running the Windows® operating system and communicates via an Ethernet port located on each router.

Positioned at a more competitive price point, the PESA PRO line includes several new features that make it an attractive package for small to mid-size video switching environments. The PESA PRO line is ideal for SD-SDI, HD-SDI, and 3G-SDI switching applications in digital cinema, telemedicine, O&P, high-end presentation rooms, satellite imaging, military command centers, and simulation/visualization environments.

“With almost four decades of proven performance in high-quality broadcast switching products, PESA continues to innovate with cost effective products like the PRO-3GSDI-1616,” said Dan Holland, PESA vice president of product marketing. “It’s loaded with features normally found in larger router systems, but it fits perfectly in small to mid-size venues where rack space is at a premium.”

The PRO-3GSDI-1616 has an MSRP of $5,995 and is available now.

About PESA

As a leading provider of audio/video connectivity, PESA offers a wide selection of routing switchers, matrix switchers, extenders, converters, media extenders, and signal processing gear to support government, military, industrial, commercial, broadcast and mobile truck applications. PESA offers one of the widest ranges of AV products – from large scale fiber optic routing to single-point CAT-5 DVI extenders – each with the integrity and innovative high performance technology expected from PESA. Our products are available around the world from a leading team of channel partners offering local support and installation and all of our products are supported by 24/7 technical support. To learn more about our technologies and services visit www.pesa.com. PESA is located in Huntsville, Alabama with regional offices throughout the United States.

All products mentioned herein are trademarked property of their respective owners.

Press Contact

Mark J. Pescatore
Pipeline Communications
561-531-3106
mark@pipecomm.com

Company Contact

Dan Holland
VP, Product Marketing
256-726-9200
dholland@pesa.com

Billerica, Massachusetts – Broadcast Pix™ today announced that the Department of Communication at Far Eastern University (FEU) in Manila, Philippines, recently renovated its video production facilities with a Granite™ 1000 Video Control Center. The new Broadcast Pix system is part of an upgrade to HD production for FEU’s television production classes.

While Granite has been primarily used for class productions, there are plans to produce a live cable broadcast during the upcoming semester. According to Babsie Morabe, associate professor, FEU Department of Communication, students like the new system, which replaced an aging Videonics switcher. “The industry is moving toward HD production,” he noted, “and the students need to be armed so that when they apply for a production job, they are already well versed in HD.”

Located in the Arts Building, the new production studio is housed in a space that had been previously used as a stockroom. Solid Video Corporation in Makati City, Philippines, supplied and installed the Granite system, and FEU began using it for classes in 2011. The upgrade also included new Sony HD cameras in the studio and HD control room monitors.

Budget was a primary consideration in choosing Broadcast Pix, but Morabe said the university’s technical team was also impressed by its functionality. For example, FEU relies on Fluent-View™, Broadcast Pix’s built-in, customizable multi-view to provide images and status information for cameras, clips, graphics, and key layers. “We don’t need a lot of monitors anymore,” Morabe explained. “It’s very efficient.”

Morabe also praised the other integrated tools, including the Harris Inscriber GS CG. “It is a very powerful tool for video mixing and live broadcast integration,” he added. “It greatly improved our productions, since we can come up with real-time graphics anytime.”

About Broadcast Pix Broadcast Pix is the leader in live video production systems. Its Video Control Centers™ empower operators with patented techniques that combine cameras, clips and graphics to create compelling live video. The integration of a multi-format switcher, clip store, graphics system with a Harris or Chyron CG, and device controls provides the lowest cost of ownership at a fraction of the cost of a conventional control room to buy, staff and operate. Systems range from compact systems controlled by a touch-screen or voice-automation to sophisticated 2 M/E control panels. Customers include leading broadcast, corporate, education, religious, government, webcast, entertainment and mobile studios in more than 110 countries. Learn more at www.broadcastpix.com.

Broadcast Pix, Granite, Fluent, and Video Control Centers are trademarks of Broadcast Pix, Inc. Patented.

# # #

Upgrades Include Touch-Screen Control, Voice-Automated Control, Virtual Sets and Automated Graphics

Billerica, Massachusetts – Broadcast Pix™ today introduced its Video Control Center™ 3.0 software for its Granite™ and Mica™ Video Control Centers. The new 3.0 software features the first optimized production control on a touch-screen, first voice-automation control of switching and graphics, powerful virtual sets that anyone can customize, and automated, dual-channel graphics that include Daktronics scoreboard integration. The company will ship 3.0 in March, and will demonstrate all of its features at the 2012 NAB Show (Booth SL6424), which runs April 16-19 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“Video Control Center 3.0 provides more production control than ever to help our customers create great live video,” said Ken Swanton, CEO of Broadcast Pix. “Not every TD prefers a traditional control panel – for many, our new comprehensive touch-screen controls are a more intuitive way to switch. We’ve also added support for VOX, our truly revolutionary product for voice-automated video production. Our virtual sets enable anyone to create their own look. And our new graphics automation is great for elections and sports, and it includes Daktronics integration.”

While Broadcast Pix is known for its innovative panels that control both video and file-based content, the new touch-screen controls enable operators to control all of these elements on surprisingly affordable touch-screens. New touch-screen friendly joystick and knobs control robotic cameras and picture-in-picture (PiP) box sizing, while new layering controls simplify placing content into key layers and moving them front to back. There are also new switcher transition controls and enhanced controls for selecting the built-in clip store, animation stores, and Harris or Chyron graphics system.

The new virtual set software enables up to eight cameras to have virtual backgrounds plus three key layers on top for PiP, titles, and animated logos. Up to 3 PiP boxes on an animated background can each contain a virtual set and any can be zoomed out to full screen. A simple eyedropper tool is used for chromakey setup. Broadcast Pix provides several backgrounds, but any photo can be used. Plus, the built-in image editor can crop and blur an image to simulate depth of field.

Video Control Center 3.0 also supports VOX™, the new voice-activated video production option that eliminates the need for an operator for some live productions. VOX adds advanced video-follow-audio capabilities by working with Broadcast Pix’s built-in Fluent™ Macros to select camera presets, roll clips and animations, add or remove graphics, and execute PiP compositions. VOX software enables complete control over timing, and a host override panel is included. VOX has been used to add video to radio station broadcasts, and is ideal for broadcasting meetings of all kinds on television, the internet or projection.

Also new for Video Control Center 3.0 is support for Fluent Rapid CG™ 2, the second generation of Broadcast Pix’s optional software that automatically integrates databases, RSS feeds, and custom action buttons into templates to streamline the creation of data-intensive CG graphics. A free upgrade for current Rapid CG customers, Fluent Rapid CG 2 delivers faster updates including clocks by-the-second, offers dual-channel capabilities to update two different on-air graphics at once, and supports EZNews news titles. Also announced today is support for Daktronics scoreboards, allowing all scoreboard elements to automatically update multiple Rapid CG templates at once. Supported scoreboards include baseball, basketball, football, hockey, lacrosse, soccer, and volleyball.

Other new Video Control Center 3.0 standard features include an integrated timer, which creates a countdown (or count up) of a show, so it is easy to keep track of how much time is left in a production; enhanced Sony camera control to support 12 cameras and 16 presets each; faster clip selection on AJA KiPro recorders; fade-to-black controls; multiple digital clocks; faster redraw time for customizing the Fluent-View; ViewCast streaming appliance control is now included; and some bug fixes are included in 3.0.

Broadcast Pix also announced a partnership with CyberTouch, a Newbury Park, Calif.-based company that designs and manufactures industrial touch-screen monitors, which provides premium touch-screens to Broadcast Pix customers in North America.

Video Control Center 3.0 is a free upgrade to all Granite and Mica customers, and a Beta version is available for download at www.broadcastpix.com. VOX is available now, with Daktronics support available in April.

About Broadcast Pix Broadcast Pix is the leader in live video production systems. Its Video Control Centers™ empower operators with patented controls that combine cameras, clips and graphics to create dynamic live video. Inside is an integrated multi-format switcher, clip store, graphics system with a Harris or Chyron CG, and device controls. It provides a low cost of ownership at a fraction of the cost of a conventional control room to buy, staff and operate. Systems range from compact units controlled by a touch-screen or voice-automation to sophisticated 2 M/E control panels. Customers include leading broadcast, webcast, projection, corporate, education, religious, government, entertainment and mobile studios in more than 100 countries. Learn more at www.broadcastpix.com.

Broadcast Pix, Command Center Control, Fluent, Granite, Mica and VOX are trademarks of Broadcast Pix, Inc. Patented.

Billerica, Massachusetts – Broadcast Pix™ today announced that North Coast Church is using a Granite™ 1000 Video Control Center™ to produce HD coverage of services and provide live feeds to multiple “video venues” on its main campus in Vista, Calif. David Hepburn, video production specialist, said 11 of 26 services each weekend are shared live via fiber and HD-SDI to a café and other venues across campus, some of which still require an SD feed.

“The beauty of the Granite for us – and the main reason we bought it – is that it has all the outputs we need,” Hepburn said. “It was a cost effective solution, and a big thing for us was multi-def.”

Beyond live campus distribution, the church records several versions of its services for a variety of needs. One feed, for example, provides on-demand streaming for the church’s Web site, www.northcoastchurch.com. (Hepburn hopes eventually to provide live streaming for the Web as well.) The church has satellite campuses in Fallbrook and Carlsbad, Calif., each of which receives a copy of the Vista campus Saturday night service for local playback.

Unlike many other churches that strive to create a broadcast-like presentation of their sermons through multi-camera production, North Coast Church uses a single Sony HD camcorder and simply tracks the pastor. Hepburn said the idea is to make the experience less like watching television and more like being a part of the live congregation.

As a result, Hepburn said, North Coast Church uses minimal graphics and almost no clips during productions. The few lower-thirds that are used are created in Photoshop and easily transferred to the Granite via Fluent™ Watch Folders. “For me, having a switcher that’s connected to my network just makes my workflow simpler,” he added.

In the control room, which is housed in the same building as the main venue, Granite’s built-in Fluent-View feeds two 55-inch LCD monitors. Hepburn said the customizable on-screen layout is simplified for his crew, which is mostly volunteers who have not been extensively trained in video production. “It’s easier for them to see what’s going on and execute properly,” he said.

North Coast Church moved into its current Vista facility in July 2010 and has been using its Granite system since December 2010. The system was installed by VMI, Inc., an integrator with offices in California and Washington. “As a church, we had to be realistic about the costs involved,” Hepburn noted. “Granite – that’s one area where we didn’t have to sacrifice to get a great product.”

About Broadcast Pix Broadcast Pix is the leader in live video production systems. Its Video Control Centers™ empower operators with patented techniques that combine cameras, clips and graphics to create dynamic live video. The integration of a multi-format switcher, clip store, graphics system with a Harris or Chyron CG, and device controls provides the lowest cost of ownership at a fraction of the cost of a conventional control room to buy, staff and operate. Systems range from compact units controlled by a touch-screen or voice-automation to sophisticated 2 M/E control panels. Customers include leading broadcast, corporate, education, religious, government, webcast, entertainment and mobile studios in more than 110 countries. Learn more at www.broadcastpix.com.

Broadcast Pix, Fluent, Granite, and Video Control Centers are trademarks of Broadcast Pix, Inc. Patented.

Crystal Vision will be showing its latest multi-functional interface products on Booth N1815 at NAB2012 – six new modules designed for embedding, synchronising, up and down converting and delaying 3Gb/s, HD and SD signals as well as transmitting them over longer distances. The multi-functionality of these 4 x 10.5 inch boards saves the broadcast engineer rack space and money: TANDEM 310 can embed and de-embed both digital and analogue audio simultaneously while decoding Dolby E, SYN-A 3G mixes an embedded audio synchronizer with an AFD inserter, Up-Down-AS 3G combines a dual converting up/down/cross converter with two synchronizers, and AVDELAY 3G replaces separate video and audio delays. All additionally include integrated fiber input or output connectivity in a single frame slot for further multi-functionality, while most work with four groups of audio and feature sophisticated handling of Dolby E.

TANDEM 310 is a combined embedder and de-embedder for 3Gb/s, HD and SD sources with the ability to embed and de-embed a mixture of up to eight AES and analog audio channels at the same time, which makes it a powerful and flexible platform for a multitude of embedded audio applications. With TANDEM 310 Crystal Vision releases for the first time a 3Gb/s-capable embedded audio product that can embed and de-embed analog audio – making the product ideal for studios where microphones make analog audio popular. To embed or de-embed the audio up to two piggybacks can be fitted to the main board, depending on how many audio channels are required. The HD-AIP2 piggyback is used for embedding two analog stereo pairs or four mono channels, the HD-AOP2 for de-embedding two analog stereo pairs or four mono channels and the DIOP4 for embedding or de-embedding four AES stereo pairs – with four bi-directional AES ports available on each DIOP4 piggyback. Analog and digital piggybacks can be mixed to create a hybrid system – ideal for those using analogue microphones with digital audio mixers. TANDEM 310 includes full audio routing, audio and video delays, audio and video processing and integrated fibre input/output connectivity. TANDEM 310 can also be optionally fitted with a Dolby decoder – a top board which connects directly to the main board through an expansion connector, allows a Dolby signal in the embedded video input to be decoded and either output as analog audio or re-embedded, and includes a stereo down mix from 5.1 surround sound. TANDEM 310 will be shipping in June.

Two new video synchronizers designed to suit different applications will be making their exhibition debut at NAB and are both shipping now. SYN 3G is a cost-effective way to get a robust video frame synchronizer which works with 3Gb/s, HD and SD sources. Designed for applications without embedded audio, it can synchronize sources timed to a different reference (taking its timing from the external analog reference and automatically synchronizing sources between 0 and 1 frame) or correct any processing delays. It includes cross-locking, output timing adjustments (including three frames of additional video delay), manual and automatic freeze, a video proc-amp and integrated fiber I/O connectivity. SYN 3G provides four video outputs which saves an engineer who needs to send the synchronized signal to multiple places the expense of having a distribution amplifier on the output. SYN 3G is the most cost-effective of Crystal Vision’s three 3Gb/s-capable video synchronizers.

The second new video frame synchronizer is SYN-A 3G, designed for synchronizing 3Gb/s, HD or SD sources containing up to four groups of embedded audio. Like the SYN 3G, it can synchronize sources timed to a different reference or correct any processing delays, and includes the cross-locking, output timing adjustments, freeze, video proc-amp, integrated fibre and four video outputs. SYN-A 3G also features a tracking audio delay with additional AES and Dolby E delays available on top of the tracking, as well as audio resampling and audio routing between all four groups. It includes excellent Dolby E handling: it can synchronize video containing Dolby E, standard AES audio or a mixture of the two in the same audio group – making it ideal for those working in mixed Dolby E and AES environments. It will separate the Dolby E and linear AES and synchronize both types in the appropriate way before re-embedding the audio, and will also automatically align Dolby E with the guardband. SYN-A 3G can also be used as an AFD inserter, with SMPTE 2016 AFD data added to a signal to describe the aspect ratio to downstream equipment. It can embed one of 16 AFD codes into the signal for the down converter to read, with the code describing which areas of the screen contain a picture and which areas are black ‘padding’.

Crystal Vision’s best-selling products are up and down converters, and the new Up-Down-AS 3G is a synchronizing up/down/cross converter which allows engineers to synchronize sources timed to a different reference or correct any processing delays while up and down converting. Up-Down-AS 3G allows flexible up, down and cross conversions between 3Gb/s, HD and SD sources containing up to four groups of audio and provides an output picture quality that broadcasters standardize on, thanks to motion adaptive video de-interlacing, Crystal Vision’s acclaimed proprietary down conversion, adjustable detail enhancement and noise reduction. It can perform two different conversions simultaneously and give out co-timed dual outputs that remain unchanged in format thanks to the intelligent internal routing – ideal for a television channel which requires HD and SD copies of the same input material. To keep the output valid at all times Up-Down-AS 3G has two full framestore synchronizers downstream of the converter which means that it gives a continuous clean output in the two desired formats even when the input standard changes, important for the MPEG encoder which requires a continuously stable video input. Whatever format or timing the signal arrives with, the broadcast engineer will get timed signals in two desired formats to use in his system. The numerous features include cross-locking, output timing adjustments, aspect ratio conversion, tracking audio delay, Dolby E handling and guardband alignment, audio resampling, AFD insertion and reading, audio routing, integrated fibre, timecode conversion, and transport of both teletext and closed captions between the different definitions.

AVDELAY 3G is an audio/video delay designed for correcting large lip-sync errors on incoming 3Gb/s, HD or SD signals containing up to four groups of embedded audio that have a big timing difference between the video and audio paths. This timing difference can be caused by sending the video and audio signals back to the broadcast station by different methods (such as by satellite for the video and via Skype or ISDN for the audio), potentially resulting in multiple seconds timing difference between the vision and audio commentary when they arrive back at base. On AVDELAY 3G the audio and video delays are independently adjustable, allowing the user to change the relative audio/video timing by several seconds in either direction. The board provides ten seconds of video delay in SD, five seconds in HD and two seconds in 3Gb/s, along with ten seconds of audio delay. The video delay is adjustable in seconds and frames, while the four audio delays are adjustable in seconds, video frames and milliseconds. AVDELAY 3G provides sophisticated handling of Dolby E audio, which is automatically aligned with the guardband of the outgoing video, and can include integrated fiber input/output connectivity. AVDELAY 3G is a unique one-board solution that replaces separate audio and video delays, making it both more cost-effective and easier to control.

With Crystal Vision’s fiber products more popular than ever before, the new FTX-L 3G fiber optic transmitter has been designed to transmit 3Gb/s, HD or SD signals over large distances in a robust, reliable and space-saving way. Meeting the SMPTE 297-2006 short-haul specification allowing operation with single-mode and multi-mode fibre, the FTX-L 3G is dual channel, which brings financial and rack space savings with up to 48 channels possible in a 4U frame. It has two independent 3Gb/s, HD or SD inputs, each with one optical output, and can transmit a serial digital signal down a fiber optic cable – making it the perfect companion product to Crystal Vision’s FRX 3G fiber optic receiver. The FTX-L 3G includes two customer-requested input loop-throughs, available on a Crystal Vision fiber product for the first time. These loop-throughs can be used to distribute the input video to equipment such as a picture monitor, or alternatively for system checking: if a signal path has a good input and a faulty output, the engineer can use the spare output to check each stage of the system without breaking any of the connections, and so work out which equipment or cable is broken. Crystal Vision can additionally provide CWDM lasers for the FTX-L 3G – allowing the broadcaster to get multiple signals through one fiber by using a different wavelength of light for each signal and saving them money and rack space.

Based at Whittlesford near Cambridge in the UK and with an office in the USA, Crystal Vision provides digital keyers, picture storage modules and a full range of interface equipment including converters, synchronizers, distribution amplifiers and audio embedders to the professional broadcasting industry worldwide.

www.crystalvision.tv

Woodland Park, NJ – FSR, manufacturer of audio and video switching, control products, and connectivity boxes, has appointed Griffith Sales Associates of Marietta, GA as a manufacturer’s representative in the southeastern US. Jan Sandri, president of FSR Inc., made the announcement today from headquarters in Woodland Park, NJ.

“Griffith Sales is a seasoned, professional organization that is thoroughly familiar with the requirements of the regional markets that they serve,” commented Sandri. “We are confident that their industry and product knowledge will prove very advantageous for our customers. We are delighted to welcome Griffith Sales Associates to the FSR family.”

Added Scott Hough, Griffith Sales Contractor Division Manager, “Griffith Sales is excited to be representing FSR in the Southeast! For over 25 years, Griffith Sales has been representing the best product lines in the industry. FSR has a great reputation for quality and service and we are proud to be working with them.”

Griffith Sales territory comprises the Southeast US, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi. Griffith will sell, service and support FSR’s entire product portfolio that includes floor, wall, ceiling and table boxes; switchers and scalars; audio and video switchers; interfaces, plates and cables; and CAT-5 and fiber transmission systems.

Griffith Sales can be reached at 770-919-1030 or sales@griffithsales.com .

About FSR
FSR, established in 1981, manufactures a wide variety of products for the audio / video, education, hospitality, government, and religious markets, including AV floor, wall, table, and ceiling connectivity boxes, as well as a full line of interfaces, distribution amplifiers, matrix switchers, seamless switchers and CAT-5 solutions.

All FSR products are designed and manufactured in its Woodland Park, NJ facility. The company is an Energy Star Partner and complies with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to demonstrate its deep commitment to preserving the planet. FSR offers live 24/7 technical and sales support throughout the country from expertly trained technicians and sales representatives. For more information: http://www.fsrinc.com.

###

FSR Contact: Jan Sandri
973-785-4347 • mailto:sales@fsrinc.com

Press Contact: Desert Moon Communications
Harriet Diener
845-512-8283 • mailto:harriet@desertmooncomm.com

Billerica, Massachusetts – With galleries dedicated to animals and habitats throughout the Pacific Ocean, the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, Calif., is the fourth largest aquarium in the United States. Last year, the nonprofit organization launched a marine biology videoconferencing pilot program anchored by a new Broadcast Pix™ Slate™ integrated video production system. So far, the aquarium has delivered more than 50 live presentations to classrooms across the country.

The aquarium already had an active education department, with a staff of more than 40, plus three classrooms and a 160-seat presentation theater. But for many students, the facility is too far away to visit – and with California’s current budget issues, field trips are not feasible even for many in-state schools. Sarah Swain, Aquarium of the Pacific education technology and media coordinator, said the aquarium wanted to broaden its outreach, but also wanted to maintain the creativity and interactivity of its classroom lessons in its videoconference offerings.

“We didn’t want to be a talking head sitting in front of the camera,” said Swain. “Our goal was to bring our programming to students who can’t come to us.” The vast majority of the aquarium’s distance learning programs are designed for K-12 students, though Swain is investigating potential programs for additional audiences.

A storage closet at the aquarium was converted into a small videoconferencing studio and outfitted with the Broadcast Pix system, which was purchased from VMI, Inc., and installed by RBL Engineering in September 2011. The studio and pilot program were funded through a grant from The Roddenberry Foundation.

There is no separate control room; one instructor operates the Slate and monitors the production through the built-in Fluent-View multi-viewer, while a second instructor conducts the class. The setup allows the instructors to switch between a webcam, document camera, video clips, and still images to produce compelling HD videoconferences. The distance learning programs rely heavily on chromakey to create unique live visuals, while prerecorded footage is accessed from the Fluent™ Clip Store during lessons. Swain has also incorporated live feeds from cameras installed in exhibits throughout the aquarium.

In the aquarium’s classrooms, instructors rely on customized DVDs for clips, but Swain said there is no convenient way to replay clips during a lesson if a student has a question. She prefers the Slate, which makes it easy to access and replay clips or still images instantly.

For the instructors, the move to videoconferencing required some adjustments from traditional classroom teaching, none bigger than learning to use the Broadcast Pix itself, as they had no previous video production experience. Swain admitted there was a learning curve at first, but the instructors are now comfortable with their “directing” duties.

“It’s been a really neat team building experience,” Swain added. “We’ve all really enjoyed learning how to use this piece of equipment. I love the flexibility. It’s a really unique tool.”

About Aquarium of the Pacific The Aquarium of the Pacific is a nonprofit institution that is dedicated to instilling a sense of wonder, respect, and stewardship for the Pacific Ocean, its inhabitants, and ecosystems. For more information on the Aquarium visit www.aquariumofpacific.org .

About Broadcast Pix Broadcast Pix is the leader in live video production systems. Its Video Control Centers™ empower operators with patented techniques that combine cameras, clips and graphics to create compelling live video. The integration of a multi-format switcher, clip store, graphics system with a Harris or Chyron CG, and device controls provides the lowest cost of ownership at a fraction of the cost of a conventional control room to buy, staff and operate. Systems range from compact systems controlled by a touch-screen or voice-automation to sophisticated 2 M/E control panels. Customers include leading broadcast, corporate, education, religious, government, webcast, entertainment and mobile studios in more than 110 countries. Learn more at www.broadcastpix.com.

Broadcast Pix, Slate, Fluent, and Video Control Centers are trademarks of Broadcast Pix, Inc. Patented.

Two More Drewry Stations Upgrade as Group Standardizes on Utah Scientific more

WAYNE, NJ – JVC Professional Products Company, a division of JVC Americas Corp., today announced that the Church of Champions in Houston recently purchased four GY-HM790U ProHD camcorders, along with a KM-H3000U production switcher and DT-V24G11Z 24-inch studio monitor.The new equipment is being used to webcast weekly sermons and other projects.

With its growing footprint – it has locations in Texas, Georgia, New Jersey, Colorado, and Hawaii – the 23-year-old Church of Champions felt it was time to replace its outdated SD system. “We needed a more sophisticated way to reach our members, so we decided it was time to make the logical switch from SD to HD,” said David Grigsby, creative pastor at the Church of Champions.

The church produces live coverage of sermons on Sundays for its Web site, www.champ.tv. Three of the four GY-HM790U cameras, positioned on the left, right, and rear of the church, have full studio configurations. The fourth camera is a handheld unit used on and around the platform and altar. All four ProHD cameras are equipped with KA-M790G multicore studio modules.

Grigsby is pleased with the image quality of the HD cameras and the performance of the switcher. He said the new JVC system has greatly improved the video production of Sunday services, and he plans to produce more sophisticated projects. In fact, the church first used its new JVC system on Sept. 30 for its “Thinking Out Loud” webcast.

“It was an online roundtable discussion with pastors and ministry leaders from six other ministries, where we discussed various topics that dealt with church and ministry leadership,” Grigsby explained. “We had roughly 600 viewers, most of whom were church leaders. The new JVC system worked flawlessly, and we are very pleased with what we felt was a successful first event.”

Grigsby hopes to produce roughly six webcasts a year similar to the “Thinking Out Loud” event. The Church of Champions also plans to provide worship and sermons for other locations throughout the nation and the world, as it expands its multi-site capabilities. Other projects in the pipeline include coverage of the church’s community groups, called Champions Life Groups, which meet every week in different locations around the area to discuss the Bible and Christianity. “We want to enable our members in different cities to join these groups virtually,” Grigsby said. “We’d also like to do some electronic newsgathering.”

An ideal solution for multicore or fiber-based facilities, the GY-HM790U offers an innovative modular design and a redesigned studio adapter sled. Its three, 1/3-inch progressive scan CCDs produce 1280×720 and 1920×1080 images, and its proprietary MPEG-2 encoder supports 1080i, 720p, and even SD (480i) for operations that have not yet made the move to HD. The compact, shoulder-mount camera is also an outstanding choice for ENG applications, with a dual card slot design that records to low-cost, non-proprietary SDHC solid-state media cards in ready-to-edit file formats (.MOV and .MP4) for major NLE systems.

ABOUT JVC PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTS COMPANY

Headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey, JVC Professional Products Company is a division of JVC Americas Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of JVC Kenwood Corporation. JVC is a leading manufacturer and distributor of broadcast and professional video and audio equipment, security products including IP network cameras and recorders, premium front projection systems for home theatre use, and projection displays and optics used in aviation simulators. The JVC Technology Center provides advanced technology in support of major JVC business alliances. For further product information, visit JVC Professional’sWeb site at http://pro.jvc.com or call (800)582-5825.

Billerica, Massachusetts – January 31, 2012 – Broadcast Pix™ today launched an online user forum, www.broadcastpix.com/forum, to foster communication between live video production professionals from a variety of markets. The new public forum encourages users to share information about the company’s Granite™, Mica™, and Slate™ integrated production systems, as well as its Fluent™ workflow tools and the new VOX™ system for voice-activated video productions.

“Broadcast Pix has a very enthusiastic user community that is spread out across more than 110 countries. Our new user forum is an ideal place for those customers to come together, discuss our products, and share production tips,” said Paul Lara, marketing director. “Plus, it’s an ideal venue for producers and directors who have not yet used one of our systems to get information from an experienced user base.”

About Broadcast Pix Broadcast Pix is the leader in integrated live video production systems. Its systems provide the best control surface for combining cameras, clips and graphics to create compelling live video. These surfaces offer Command Center Control™ of the built-in multi-format switcher, clip store, graphics system with a Harris or Chyron CG, and device controls. Its Fluent™ workflow enables files and data to be easily incorporated from other parts of the studio. Broadcast Pix systems are a fraction of the cost of a conventional control room to buy, staff and operate. System range from compact systems controlled by a touch-screen or voice-automation to sophisticated 2 M/E control panels. Customers include leading broadcast, corporate, education, religious, government, webcast, entertainment and mobile studios in more than 110 countries. Learn more at www.broadcastpix.com.

Broadcast Pix, Mica, Slate, Fluent, and Command Center Control are trademarks of Broadcast Pix, Inc. Patented.