Hearst-Argyle selects Sony gear for DTV station upgrade

Independent station group Hearst-Argyle, based in New York City, has signed a two-year deal with Sony Electronics to supply SD digital video switchers to seven of its stations nationwide. Two additional Hearst-Argyle stations have also adopted Sony's DVCam format for electronic news gathering (ENG).

"The agreement gives these seven Hearst-Argyle stations a common control surface," said Steve Jacobs, senior vice president of broadcast and production systems for Sony's Business Solutions and Systems Company. "It also means that a technical director at one station can build an effect that becomes available to all."

The seven stations, which will standardize its operations on the new DVS-9000 SD switcher, will now have an easy upgrade path to HD operation by simply exchanging chasis frames. The switchers will be installed by June at KOAT-TV in Albuquerque, N.M.; WYFF in Greenville, S.C.; WKLY-TV in Louisville, Ky.; KETV-TV in Omaha, Neb.; WESH-TV in Orlando, Fla.; WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh, and WXII in Winston-Salem, N.C.

The new DVS-9000 switcher uses the same modular control panel and operational software as Sony's established multi-format MVS-8000 switcher. The DVS-9000 switcher provides up to four M/Es, 80 digital video inputs, 56 outputs and eight high-quality, full-function digital effects channels, each with video and key.

In addition, following flagship station WCVB-TV in Boston Mass.,, two additional Hearst-Argyle stations - -WMUR-TV in Manchester, N.H. and WGAL-TV in Lancaster, Pa .- -will take delivery of more than 75 DVCAM videotape recorders in the next two months for their ENG operations. The format offers high-quality digital video imagery that will improve the stations' on-air look and the i.LINK* (IEEE 1394) interface to speed up the transfer of digital material between compatible equipment.

For more information visit www.sony.com.

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