special report HD transition
3sixtymedia has recently standardised on the
Snell & Wilcox Kahuna SD/HD multiformat
production switcher. Paul Bennett - director of
northern resources, ITV Productions - reports.
Versatile platform
for a move to HD
A
t 3sixtymedia, we produce auxiliary panel for a second operator. BBC’s mind-games quiz show
live entertainment All of this flexibility has given us the ‘BrainBox’. For the latter, our staff used
programmes for leading ability to increase the complexity and the Kahuna to create a composite of six
UK television broadcasters sophistication of our live entertainment stills, resized and trimmed to the
including ITV and the BBC. productions, and the feedback from our aspect ratio required by the graphics
A couple of years ago, we switcher operators has been positive. team. These same images were resized
started to upgrade our facilities at The Each of the switchers installed in and chroma keyed in seven additional
Manchester Studios, the old Granada TV Studio 8, Studio 12, and Studio 6 arrangements that could be accessed
site, by upgrading our systems and Throughout features a separate master auxiliary instantly during production with a
preparing for our clients’ inevitable
our shift into
panel, six remote auxiliary panels, four macro. Because we were able to create
demand for HD production. We
HD, we’ll be
channels of DVE, and an 80-input complex graphics quickly and deliver
searched the market for a solution that
able to
option. The 2-M/E Kahuna system them to graphics on a USB stick, it was
would provide the powerful switching
maintain a
installed in the Starlight Theatre fairly easy for us to add another
capability we required, as well as the ensures compatibility across all of our dynamic element to the programme.
flexibility to support future HD
high
switching systems and makes it easier While the on-air product has
operations. We chose to standardise on production for operators to work with a familiar benefited from our use of the Kahuna,
the Snell & Wilcox Kahuna SD/HD
standard
system anywhere in the facility. so too have our operations. We store
multiformat production switcher
without
During the many live productions at standard moves as part of overall
because we found that it offered the
best all-around package, and to date
adding
3sixtymedia, one operator typically cuts settings specific to each show,
the main show on the main panel transferring profiles among switcher
we have installed four Kahuna
significant
while a second switcher operator uses systems via USB stick. This quick means
production switchers at our facility, cost or a master auxiliary panel to switch floor of configuring the Kahuna for each
equipping three studios and the
complexity to
feeds and ISO records. Using a micro show and operator reduces setup time
Starlight Theatre on the Snell & Wilcox
our
panel, the second operator can run a and allows operators to use a familiar
system.
The Kahuna originally attracted our
production
variety of macros, switching different work surface on any of our Kahunas.
attention because of its ability to switch
operations.
layers of keying on and off as required As we move into HD production, the
by the director. Additional auxiliary Kahuna will require only a simple
to multiformat SD/HD operation
The value we
panels allow the director to perform upgrade to multiformat SD/HD
without requiring the purchase of realise ISO switching and enable engineering operation and internal conversion with
additional hardware and because the
through our
monitoring. Snell & Wilcox’s integrated FormatFusion technology, which will
system introduces a maximum delay of
only one frame. Furthermore, the open
investment in
IMPAKT DVE option offers our operators enable mixing of SD camera feeds,
architecture of the desk gives us huge
the Kahuna
a variety of powerful effects including graphics, handheld shots, and archive
spheres, slabs, zooms, warps, tiling, footage directly into an HD production
flexibility. The Kahuna has allowed us
switcher is
ripples, rolls and peels, fragmentation, with less than one frame of delay and
to achieve considerable efficiency in unmatched lighting effects, and corner pinning. negligible lip sync delay. Throughout our
adapting our studios and workflow to
within the
All of this flexibility has given us the shift into HD, we’ll be able to maintain
meet the requirements of a variety of
industry.
ability to increase the complexity and a high production standard without
live productions. The switcher’s sophistication of our live entertainment adding significant cost or complexity to
versatility enables macro-based productions. The Snell & Wilcox our production operations. The value we
remapping of every button on the switcher in Studio 6 has been used on realise through our investment in the
control surface and panel. To handle ‘The Jeremy Kyle Show’ for ITV1, and in Kahuna switcher is unmatched within
complex shows, we use a convenient Studio 12 it supported production of the the industry.
38 l ibe l January/February 2009 l www.ibeweb.com
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