Comcast Corp. has selected a Studer Vista 8 live production and broadcast console for a new production control room it is building at its Los Angeles facility for G4 video gamers network.
The new all-digital production system comprises the Vista 8 control surface, DSP Core and D21m input/output rack, plus a monitoring frame and CPU. G4's new Vista 8 can accommodate 32 analog microphone, 32 analog mic/line and 48 AES-format digital inputs with routing to user-configurable analog and digital outputs.
"We also plan to use the Vista 8's built-in audio router to handle I/O selection," E! Entertainment Director of Engineering David Gaudino said. "Our main router currently only handles video connections, so that function within Vista 8 will be very useful and is sufficient for our needs."
In addition to analog sources, the facility is equipped with Sony Digital Betacam (DigiBeta), 360 Systems DigiCart replay systems and a disc-based server that replays audio and video sources.
Gaudino, who is supervising the installation project, said when they saw the Vista 8 with its Vistonics interface at last year's NAB show, "we were sold." The Vistonics user interface allows access to rotary controls as well as an instant visual display. The Channel controls consist of a TFT screen with integral rotary controls and buttons, plus a touch-screen area immediately below.
New Jersey-based Diversified Systems is handling the system integration for Comcast, working to infrastructure designs developed by Gaudino and E! Entertainment/G4 staff. Comcast operates E! Entertainment Television and owns G4.
