Snell has secured a deal with China Central Television (CCTV) to install five Kahuna SD/HD multi-format switchers in core HD production studios within the network's landmark new headquarters building in Beijing. Snell regional partner CSS provided systems integration and installation for the project.
The distinctive new CCTV building has become one of the city's most recognizable architectural projects, encompassing more than 197,000 square meters in eastern Beijing. The studios are at the programming heart of the facility and are responsible for HD production of a variety of programs. When complete, the CCTV building will have a broadcasting capability of 200 program channels.
For the largest studio, CCTV has installed a 4-M/E Kahuna switcher with at least 48 input sources, four keyers per M/E, and 24 AUX bus outputs. An additional 1-M/E control panel provides secondary production capabilities for. A second studio has a similar configuration with a 3-M/E Kahuna switcher, while three more studios —dedicated to live sports productions — feature a 2-M/E Kahuna switcher with 3-D DVE and color-correction capabilities.
"For the technology infrastructure to support the new CCTV studios, it was important that we selected international brands with a strong reputation in the industry for power, reliability and performance," said Lun Han, general manager of system engineering for CSS. "The Kahuna met all of these requirements and performed well in our evaluations, and it was already well-known to CCTV for high reliability, innovative technology and a friendly and intuitive user interface."
The new CCTV building is one of the world's most high-profile and ambitious new broadcasting facilities. When operational, the iconic building will bring state-of-the-art production capabilities to Chinese broadcasting.
