TULSA, Okla.—In March, KOTV, the Griffin Communications-owned CBS affiliate in Tulsa, deployed a For-A FVW-700 telestrator to enhance its newscast weather segments.  

“When a meteorologist does a ‘First Forecast,’ ‘Final Forecast,’ or ‘Severe WX’ presentation from our WX Pod position, he or she will use the telestrator to help reinforce or further illustrate what they are communicating,” said John Quesnel, director of production for KOTV/KQCW.  “The meteorologists can also call up a live video feed from any of our seven skycams, 10 weather trackers or 15 live units to help point out or illustrate a key weather item.”

The FVW-700 helps KOTV clarify conditions for viewers regardless of the weather. “During non-severe weather, it could be used to point out weather phenomena or highlight certain weather data,” he said. “During severe weather, this could be storm path, timing, speed, direction, etc.”

The station also plans to use the FVW-700 to accentuate its ability to tell news stories as well as to cover local high school and college football, said Quesnel. 

Part of a duopoly with CW affiliate KQCW, KOTV produces 50 hours of live news per week, including 12 hours for KQCW.

KOTV uses a touchscreen with the FVW-700, but the telestrator also can support annotation using up to two wireless tablets via Wi-Fi for additional production flexibility.

More information is available on the For-A website.

CYPRESS, Calif.—For-A has announced that Mobile TV Group over the last year has added four FVW-700 telestrators to its fleet of live production trucks.

Mobile TV Group is a provider of live production services, helping out with sports broadcasts for the NBA, NHL and MLB, as well as other types of projects. The FVW-700 helps deliver engaging sports content, according to David Morris, For-A western regional sales manager.

The FVW-700 is available in three configurations to fit specific needs, including 4K, HDMI and all-in-one models. Users can draw freehand, as well as add straight lines and graphics. Numbers, still images and animations can also be placed over video. 

FVW-700 advanced tools include automatic freehand formation, which uses a noise reduction algorithm to allow sharp angels as well as shaped smooth objects, and edge joining, which uses an edge-rendering algorithm that recognizes edges of lines drawn as outlines of a larger shape that joins them.

There is also a wireless tablet option for control of the FVW-700 via the network, allowing multiple operators or commentators to draw on the screen remotely and simultaneously.

“Telestrators are an important part of live sports coverage” explained Nick Garvin, COO of Mobile TV Group. “We’ve been standardizing with FOR-A telestrators in our mobile units for years because they are reliable and easy to use.”

For more information, visit www.for-a.com.  

CYPRESS, CALIF.—The release of For-A’s FVW-700 4K/HD telestrator is now official, as the company has announced it has shipped the product out to its first batch of customers. What these customers are getting is a full-feature telestrator that features a touch-screen computer monitor or wirelessly connected tablet to annotate and draw on video.

The FVW-700 is able to allow multiple users to control the system simultaneously. It offers advanced algorithms for smoother telestration, including automatic freehand formation with noise reduction, which allows smooth objects to be shaped and sharp angles to be achieved. Advanced edge joining and a chroma keyer is also featured. The unit has a wireless tablet option.

For-A is offering the FVW-700 in four models to fit specific needs, including 4K, HDMI, Thunderbolt 2 and all-in-one models.