The studios at CTV Vancouver Island in Victoria, British Columbia recently went through a complete 16:9 SD to full HD upgrade which included re-wiring the entire station and replacing the control room switcher and studio cameras. The systems integration was performed internally by the Bell Media integration group (CTV Vancouver Island is owned by Bell Media).

After broadcasting in SD for 18 years, the equipment overhaul brought about a sudden and noticeable change to the station’s staff as well as viewers.

HXC-FB80 HD studio cameras, along with HXCU-FB80 CCU units and HZC-RCP5 camera remote control software were selected as the main studio pedestal cameras. Two cameras sit on Vinten pedestals and are equipped with Canon wide angle lenses. The cameras are used for CTV’s 5:00pm, 6:00pm, and 11:00pm newscasts.

The Sony FB80’s were brought in for testing after cameras from another vendor never properly white balanced during testing in the studio. “We contacted Sony after that, and they quickly brought in one of the HXC-FB80s for us to look at,” said Kyle Lancaster, director and multi-skilled journalist, CTV Vancouver Island. “We set it all up, had the cameras rigged up the same way, fired them up, white balanced them all, and it looked amazing – right out of the box without any tweaks. We put our new camera on TV that night and purchased three as part of our HD upgrade. Even before we upgraded, we could see the difference in color reproduction when we were just broadcasting SD.”

CTV mentioned that the true-to-life color reproduction was the first thing they noticed about the cameras’ performance. “It just pops on screen. The difference was immediate, and everyone was extremely excited about the change. We even got a few phone calls from viewers congratulating us on our new HD changeover,” said Lancaster.

“The color matching was excellent,” reported Kirk Duncan, multi-skilled journalist, CTV Vancouver. “There was barely any difference between the two camera settings and looks. Out of the box, they looked the same. That was my favorite thing about our new cameras – the ease with which they were set up and ready to go. The menus were easy to navigate. We went through and adjusted what we needed to change without additional assistance. We could figure it out, and everything really did look great right out of the box.”

As a small station without dedicated studio camera operators, ease of use is critical. “We don’t have the people to sit there and doctor the cameras with every shot,” explained Lancaster. We need cameras that you can white balance and are ready to go. Or add a couple of pre-sets and go. These cameras have been that for us and more. You’re able to pull them out, do your pre-sets and rest assured they’ll perform reliably every night.”

Thanks to the HZC-RCP5 software, the HXC-FB80’s can be controlled from remote locales as well as the local control room, which means the video supervisor for CTV nationally can digitally shade and color the cameras from CTV headquarters in Toronto. Optical filter wheels for neutral density and color correction can also be controlled using the application. Gamma functions enable the user to fine-tune tonal values as well as control contrast and detail.

When the cameras first arrived, the CTV video supervisor in Toronto tweaked the settings so that the new cameras were consistent with national CTV standards. He remotely adjusted one camera’s pre-sets for each newscast, and Duncan and Lancaster copied those presets to the other -FB80s. “We've got about four different recalls on each of the cameras. As we move the cameras around the studio over the course of each newscast, we can just recall the different settings that we need for each position,” said Lancaster.

The cameras at CTV Vancouver Island can also be controlled using the HZC-RCP5 camera control software running on a computer at the station. This enables the on-site technical director to control various camera pre-sets based on a specific set or shot and have access to all the shading and recalls. The TD switches and keys in graphics for the nightly newscasts from the Victoria-based control room.

“That's been a huge thing for us to be able to have our TD shade the cameras from his position,” said Lancaster. “On the virtual panel we see the shaders as they would appear if they were physical remote controls.”

The settings that CTV Vancouver Island employs are also affected by the facility’s giant row of windows. “At our studios, we’re shooting basically into a window,” explained Lancaster. “Our studio environment changes depending on the time of day or the weather. We needed a camera set up that could be easily adjusted to accommodate whatever changes nature may throw at us like cloud cover or a setting sun. The cameras can compensate for that and not make it as apparent that there’s a window behind our talent.”

Cypress, CA, October 19, 2018 – As a demonstration of the company’s continued commitment to the Latin American region, FOR-A® will highlight three of its most popular products – the HVS-490 and HVS-100 switchers and FA-9600 signal processor - as part of its participation at CAPER 2018, occurring from October 24-26th at the Costa Salguero Center in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

FOR-A will exhibit within the CAPER stand of partner SVC (Sistemas de Video Comunicación) in Booth D-10. The theme of this year’s booth is “No Boundaries.”  

“CAPER has traditionally been an extremely important part of our marketing strategy,” said Mario Rodriguez, FOR-A Latin America Sales Manager. “It allows us to connect with key customers from nearby South American countries, such as Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia and Ecuador. There are many who may not be able to get to Las Vegas for NAB or Amsterdam for the IBC, and CAPER is an ideal location and time for us to meet up and show them all the new technology we have that will benefit them now and in the future.” 

The HVS-490 live HD/4K-UHD, multi-effects production switcher is designed for use in any live environment, including mobile shoots, events, and in-house corporate productions. Event memory and macro functions make it easy to set up quickly for live performances. And FOR-A’s MELite™ technology eliminates the need for multiple switchers in a multi-monitor staging scenario.  

With integrated frame synchronizers and multi viewers, the HVS-490 reduces the amount of equipment required. Using multiple control panels, the system enables several operators to work on separate tasks. Using optional input and output expansion cards, the HVS-490 supports 40 inputs/18 outputs, 36 inputs/20 outputs or 32 inputs/22 outputs, including two-channel HDMI outputs. In 4K, it allows 10 inputs/six outputs, nine inputs/six outputs or eight inputs/seven outputs. It also has 16 channels of 2.5D DVE as standard and can be optionally expanded to a maximum of 32 channels.  

The FA-9600 multi purpose signal processor supports 4K, 12G-SDI, HDR and Wide Color Gamut. The unit features dual channel frame synchronization, extensive professional video format support, color correction, up/down/cross conversion, and offers 12G-SDI and HDMI terminals - opening the door to 4K production. The FA-9600 is ideal for use in mixed HDR/SDR environments, including production studios, live staging productions and mobile OB and up-link production trucks. The energy-efficient unit is a convenient 1U size, and the signal processor’s newly developed color processing circuit provides strong support in HD/4K production.  

The HVS-100 video switcher with Thunderbolt™ 2 I/O expansion cards will also be on display at CAPER. The HVS-100 is controlled via any tablet, handheld or laptop type device with a web browser as opposed to a ‘hard’ control panel. With its Thunderbolt 2 I/O expansion cards, users can transfer video content with a single cable through computers and interface with other devices, such as character generators, virtual studios and/or file-based/IP products. One cable allows transmission of 4 HD signal lines.   

In addition to the HVS-490, FA-9600, and HVS-100 w/HVS-100TB2 Card, a range of new FOR-A equipment will also be on display: the Insight Multi-Channel Video Server, ClassX content creation and graphics playout solution, MCC-4K motion-compensated universal standards converter, and Fujitsu IP-HE950 real-time video transmission gear.  

  2018 marks the 20th year FOR-A has participated at CAPER. FOR-A enjoys long-term relationships with several prominent Latin American broadcasters, including: Artear, Canal 7, Telefe, TyC Sports, Canal 9, ESPN, DirecTV, and FoxSports. 

* Thunderbolt is a trademark of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and/or other countries.

WUPPERTAL, GERMANY—HD Broadcast’s HD1 mobile production truck has received a new upgrade with the installation of Riedel Communication’s MediroNet real-time network.

The HD1 now features three MediorNet Compact Pro frames and six MicroN media distribution networks connected over a 10 Gbps optical fiber network for a fully redundant, decentralized routing matrix. Working with HD Broadcast’s previously installed Riedel Artist digital matrix intercom system, the MediroNet infrastructure combines fully integrated signal transport, routing and processing with communications.

The new MediorNet-based network infrastructure provides the HD1 truck improved flexibility and capacity through higher bandwidth and additional connectivity options. The fiber-based network also allows HD broadcast to minimize cabling, setup and logistics.

HD Broadcast CEO Constantin Novotny said in the company’s press release that the MediorNet infrastructure has helped create a foundation for an IP-based networking infrastructure and support for future 4K productions.