NY1
Maintaining 100-percent operational capability during construction of its two new production control facilities was vital for NY1 News, Time Warner Cable’s flagship news channel in New York City, but other requirements also ranked high on the priority list. The network was also determined to maximize resources and minimize budgets by repurposing existing systems to accommodate a new design.
This project required a complex coordination of efforts to integrate into an existing system without interruption. It was carried out in phases to allow NY1 to always have three of its four control rooms active during the renovation. NY1 opted to work with Azzurro Systems Integration (ASI). ASI commissioned a team of professionals with expertise in live environment system builds and responded with a detailed plan describing each task, a timeline defining expectations and a design taking full advantage of all available opportunities. Both rooms were built from the same plans with virtually identical equipment complements. Since the same crews and designs were used, economies of scale regarding drawings and cable run sheets were realized.
ASI located and protected any existing cabling deemed usable, and removed unusable equipment and wiring. Existing digital A/V routing switchers and demarcations were repurposed to suit the new configuration. Each room was fitted with a TBC console, a Sony 8000G switcher, a Wheatstone D8 audio mixer and Shotoku robotics. Monitoring was accomplished with eight 47in portrait-oriented displays fed by an Evertz MVP multiviewer system, each monitor fed with an independent output. These displays comprise the main monitor wall and provide program, preview and signal repeat monitoring. Several quad and dual LCD displays were installed at strategic locations in the consoles for isolated monitoring of VTRs and cameras. A 42in LCD display, also fed by the multiviewer, provides repeat monitoring for the audio operator.
Control Room N, the center for integration of daily programming elements, has the ability to monitor 56 inputs of which 16 are HD. AES/EBU digital audio and analog audio inputs accompany the video, as required. The configuration can be static or modified to accommodate changing needs. Where applicable, visual monitoring of audio is provided via a bar graph display overlaid on the video source. Wohler audio monitor panels provide confidence monitoring.
Critical signal measurement monitoring is accomplished via Harris rasterizers. Another rasterizer supplies critical signal quality control and troubleshooting. Six 19in LCD monitors located within the ceiling soffit facilitate competition monitoring. A Wheatstone D8 matrix-based audio mixer meets the current, as well as future, needs of NY1. Chyron LEX2 systems and Ross Video SoftMetal servers are available to the production switcher for graphic element integration. Each has its own keyboard, mouse and monitor wired through the new Avocent KVM switch to furnish maximum flexibility and redundancy. A Dalet newsroom automation system communicates with a Chyron LEX2 system for lower-third and full-screen graphics, and also with an Omneon server for playback, recording and trimming of video segments.
- Post & network production facilities
Submitted by Azzurro Systems IntegrationDesign teamAzzurro Systems Integration: Marc Bressack, exec. VP; Bill McKnight, VP/GM; Scott Buchholz, dir. of eng.; Ray Bucceri, proj. eng.; Frank Riccardelli, proj. lead
NY1: Steve Paulus, RVP TWC local news division; Joe Truncale, VP ops. and eng.; Gunn Isarankura , sr. dir. of eng.; Michael Chan, sr. dir. of ops.; Brad Shapiro, sr. dir. of ITTechnology at workAvocent: KVM switch
Chyron: LEX2 graphics
Evertz: MVP multiviewer
Harris: Rasterizers
Image Video: TSI-100 tally system
Ross Video: SoftMetal multichannel servers
Samsung: 19in displays
Shotoku: Robotic camera system
Sony: 8000G digital production switcher, 47in displays, 42in displays
TBC: Consoles
Wheatstone: D8 matrix-based mixer
Wohler: Audio monitors
© 2010 Penton Media, Inc.
