YLE uses ON-AIR Systems Channel in a Box

Finnish broadcasting company YLE has invested in two more playKast systems from ON-AIR Systems. YLE chose ON-AIR solutions ahead of Finland's analogue switch off, and has since upgraded its existing playKast systems to the latest version with Matrox X.mio cards.

Mark Errington, ceo at ON-AIR Systems, said: "playKast proved to be the best choice for YLE ahead of the country's switch from analogue to digital. The 'channel in a box' solution has proved to be so reliable and easy to use that they've decided to upgrade their original ON-AIR systems, as well as investing in two new ones."

Finland switched off its analogue signal at the end of 2007 and to prepare for this, YLE needed a solution that would support them in the move to digital. The process was completed within eight weeks and the systems were sold and installed by ON-AIR Systems' reseller in Finland, Mediatrade.

The playKast systems YLE upgraded are being used to deliver local TV news bulletins from seven studios. Led by project manager Jyrki Vaara, the YLE team together with Mediatrade, designed a chromakey studio featuring remote controlled cameras, multiple still stores and keyers into a single, easy to use package at the heart of which is ON-AIR's playKast.

Each story, news anchor segment, camera position and background graphic is programmed into the system through scheduling software, and playKast then delivers commands to a router and vision mixer. playKast also records the newscasts that are then transferred to YLE's production centre in Helsinki for their national news.