Pacific Television Center Los Angeles Upgrades Master Control Room And Studios As Part Of Complete HD Facility Initiative

Improvements at New York and London Branches Support Global Renovation Plan

LOS ANGELES, CA, MARCH, 28, 2012 - Pacific Television Center (PacTV), a Los Angeles-based independent global transmission and production company, recently completed a major renovation of its master control room (MCR) in Los Angeles, significantly enhancing the company's monitoring and transmission capabilities. As a result of installing five new workstations-the old MCR staffed just two-and a total of 12 screens, the redesign has enabled PacTV to increase the number of feeds it monitors from 64 to 162, with the company projecting it will monitor 240 feeds once the monitoring wall is fully populated later this year.

"Over the last few years, our client roster has grown significantly worldwide, and along with it, our need for increased staff and monitoring resources," says Richard Neri, president, Pacific Television Center. "Moreover, this redesign has created a very functional space in which our team can collaborate more effectively on multiple projects."

The redesign of the MCR also features new custom-made consoles by High Tech Furnishings and multiple Evertz 7867VIPA multi-image display processors. In addition, PacTV will now be able to monitor its feeds utilizing four new quality-control stations, which has made a big difference in productivity. Finally, PacTV installed a new OmniTek high-definition waveform scope that also measures Dolby E streams.

As part of the entire build-out of the facility, which is designed by Robert Ward & Associates, PacTV recruited Veneklasen Associates to design the acoustics in two of the three studios in Los Angeles. The studios have been fully upgraded to HD, soundproofed with new acoustical treatments and equipped with new Sony HXC100K HD cameras. Moving forward, architect Robert Ward has been commissioned to establish and maintain consistent design across all PacTV facilities.

PacTV is also in the process of upgrading studios in London and New York. In London, the company is currently building a second HD-capable studio, which will be ready in time to support its broadcast clients, for coverage of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebration in June and the major global sporting event that kicks off in July. The new studio will be equipped with a Sony HXC100K HD camera. To support these upgrades, the studio control room in London is also being enhanced, under the guidance of AbsoluteCad.

PacTV New York is also reconfiguring its MCR, in order to support a more collaborative work environment. Upgrading from one to three workstations and installing a new monitoring console has allowed for more efficiency and streamlining of daily duties. The New York facility has also graduated to a fully HD-capable, 96 x 96 router, along with a second studio, makeup room and a new green room. Mancini Duffy Architecture is overseeing the New York project, while SIA Acoustics is handling the acoustical treatments in the new studio.

"Communication is at the heart of our business and PacTV is fully committed to providing our clients with the best possible service in all of our facilities," adds Neri. "In order to achieve this, all three of our MCRs communicate using a Trilogy intercom system. In addition, we have four more intercoms deployed at clients and vendors in Auckland, New Zealand, and Sydney, Australia. It is our goal to create a seamless broadcasting community around the globe."