Video Technics NewsFlow enables HD news for small markets

KYTX-TV Channel 19, in Tyler, TX, and KMSB-TV Channel 11, in Tucson, AZ, were both looking for a solution to enable them to produce high-quality, professional news broadcasts. Having budgets typical of stations in small markets, both stations’ needs were met by the suite of products offered by Video Technics.

Mark Rivers, president and CEO of Video Technics, said, “We were happy to deliver a full-featured HD news production solution for KYTX that includes proxy browsing, low-res editing and MOS playback support with their newsroom computer system. In addition, KYTX takes advantage of our NLE plug-in support for Adobe CS4 and a real-time HD upconversion feature using the Apella HDS video server. This allows them to tap their legacy SD media library on demand.”

KYTX uses JVC’s GY-HD250 ProHD cameras for electronic newsgathering in the field with the DR-HD100 hard disk recorder. The London Broadcasting Company station serves Tyler, Longview, Nacogdoches and Lufkin, TX, and produces 28 hours of weekly news programming, including a daily morning news show and a nightly program. KYTX made the switch to HD on April 23, 2009.

For KMSB, owned by Belo, the path to HD content started with the use of the Apella SDS. Andy Tuggle, vice president of sales and marketing for Video Technics, said, “KMSB needed a straightforward workflow for news and wanted to take advantage of their existing tools including EDIUS, Grass Valley’s nonlinear editor, and Avid iNews, in their newsroom. Within their budget, the Apella SDS video server, MOS proxy browsers for Avid iNews and the VT HotFolder application for exchanging a variety of file formats, including EDIUS files, was so simple; it was the right solution for them … For KMSB, the ability to use VT Proxy Editor to review raw media and proof edited content directly on their newsroom desktop was a huge benefit.”

KMSB plans to unveil a new four-hour local morning news program this fall, in addition to its current 9 p.m. newscast hour.