feature audio for video
Jeff Halapin, director of engineering at WBAL-TV,
Feature sponsored the NBC affiliate in Baltimore, discusses his
by Dolby
channel’s success in transitioning to HD news
broadcasting.
Monitoring success
at WBAL-TV
W
e began our live HD supporting our HD broadcasts was and it works. I’ve been working in the
news broadcasts at designed, integrated, and built by field for more than 24 years and never
WBAL-TV at the Communications Engineering, Inc. had a Wohler system fail. The Wohler
beginning of 2009 (CEI), and we worked closely with the monitoring systems now installed at
and currently company to address the many issues WBAL-TV meet a range of monitoring
produce more than inherent in upgrading from SD to HD needs across our HD operations,
30 hours of news and local production and broadcast. providing the functionality we require
programming each week. The launch Among the most significant in compact, space-saving designs.
of HD news was the culmination of a challenges of the HD transition is Our HD upgrade expanded existing
project through which we replaced the managing audio. It poses a technical facilities through the design and
entire core infrastructure and headache at the station, and it is often construction of a new HD video control
upgraded the control room and studio the broadcaster’s largest single source room, audio control room, HD news
at our facilities. Over a six-month of viewer complaints. In today’s production studio, a core equipment
period, we took our studio down to multichannel environment, we’re room, and a video control area, and
bare walls and rebuilt it, while working with so many different we introduced a variety of Wohler
maintaining the SD path for ongoing
WBAL-TV.
formats - PCM audio, stereo, Dolby 5.1 systems across these areas. We
production, and established network- Photo courtesy of and E - that getting monitoring right installed a Wohler RM-2440 LCD video
quality HD throughout our operations.
Communications
can be a real bear. As we upgraded to monitor, which provides four 4-inch
Engineering, Inc.
The HD digital production system now
(CEI).
HD, it felt as though we’d need 50 displays in 2 RU, in the camera control
different monitors to figure it all out, area to provide a view of robotic
but the Wohler Technologies camera positions on the studio floor.
monitoring systems we integrated The RM monitor displays give us quick
bring all those formats into a single and convenient monitoring of our HD
system. In fact, we went with Wohler camera sources. Two MON4-2W/HR
gear for just about all of the high-resolution video monitors provide
monitoring we do at WBAL-TV. camera confidence monitoring over
The team at CEI recommended that four 4.3-inch LCD screens in 2 RU.
we use Wohler audio and video Mounted within a cylinder, both of
monitoring systems, and I knew from these monitoring products allow our
my own experience with the operators to adjust the viewing angle
company’s products that we could rely as desired.
on them. While Wohler gear is not the Installed at five director and
least expensive, I’ve always had great producer positions, Wohler’s VMDA-4
luck with its quality. I just plug it in, four-channel stereo audio monitor
26 l ibe l may/june 2009 l
www.ibeweb.com
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