WRAL-DT in Raleigh-Durham, NC, will build its automated HD newsroom on the foundation of BitCentral Précis high definition end-to-end play-to-air news production system.
Précis will also integrate and enhance the station's existing 24-hour news service.
WRAL was one of the first stations in the United States to secure a commercial license to broadcast high definition television in 1996 and the first to broadcast a completely HD newscast in 2000. The station took its entire news operation HD in 2001.
The BitCentral Précis News Production system is a fully integrated end-to-end play-to-air digital news management solution capable of ingesting multiple analog or SDI sources into the station's digital workflow. It allows the news team to gather, edit and file stories remotely. The new HD option allows broadcasters to work with all standardized modes of HD, including 1080i content from ingest to actual play-out.
As part of deal, WRAL has secured an HD content server capable of storing 1000 hours of HD broadcast footage, a redundant HD and SD play-to-air server, eight non-linear I/O edit suites, three newsroom desktop non-linear edit suites and several SD-to-HD ingest stations.
Additionally, the Précis play-to-air system will be tightly integrated with Pro-Bel's automation system and ENPS' newsroom system for WRAL's 24-hour news channel.
The system is expected to be online in January 2006.
For more information, visit www.bitcentral.com.
