theibcdaily SWR on air with Astra Studio 2 Aveco By Heather McLean
The Südwestrundfunk (SWR), a member of the German ARD consortium and the second largest broadcasting organisation within the ARD, is now on air with Aveco’s new studio automation solution, Astra Studio 2, which the business is showcasing at this year’s IBC. SWR’s three production
control rooms, which are all configured differently, can
now control any of its four studios. In a tender, the project group at SWR was looking for a file-based studio automation system that met its requirements and budget to automate its studio productions. SWR was specifically looking for a flexible studio automation system that enabled a single operator to control all the devices in the studio, but also could have some equipment manually controlled by the operations staff in the control room.
Products integrated into the solution by system integrator Wellen & Nöthen included Annova’s OpenMedia advanced newsroom system, Vinten and CameRobot robotics, Sony video mixers, Lawo audio mixers and an MA Lighting grandMA lighting control console. “ASTRA Studio 2 is
uniquely able to support the complex processes that we have in our virtual studio where we produce our news shows,” said Udo Fettig,
Take total control of 3D
Microfilms By David Fox
Microfilms is showing a new side-by-side 3D rig and a new 3D remote control panel at IBC. The new RCP 3D allows access to all of its rig’s new functions from the OB van via
IP, including full lens control (zoom, focus and iris), and telecentricity corrections, auto alignment procedures and zoom scale matching, live correction of vertical disparity, and live access to all 3D parameters – all in either auto or manual mode. All Microfilms’ 3D rigs provide
realtime telecentricity correction and lens matching throughout the entire zoom range. Its Total Control II system should be ready to shoot in 20 minutes and the company claims that “a single technician can easily manage three rigs”.
After adjustment settings have been locked in by a
project manager for SWR. “Studio 2 now has control of the camera robotics, the camera movements, and the virtual studio system. For other productions, we use Studio 2’s basic features for a lower level of automation. Of special interest was Studio 2’s Preproduction Mode which lets us stop the recording, set a new splice point in the timeline view and then continue with the recording. Being able to combine production automation with studio
stereographer, Total Control is capable of automatically calculating in realtime the inter axial base and convergence offset, accounting for focal length, focus and iris. The Euro Media Group has moved its entire 3D shooting package to Microfilms Total Control II, and used the system on such events as the Roland Garros French Open tennis and the Olympics. 11.E71
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automation and do preproduction at the same time with the same system made this an easy decision.” ASTRA Studio 2 is
Aveco’s second generation of studio automation and comes with three major enhancements: a new user interface with multiple workspaces that span multiple monitors; a new preproduction mode for easily making corrections in a show; and new journalists tools to enable them to take advantage of all the features in the hardware without having to understand the technical details of the equipment. 3.B67
Under control: One of Microfilms’ 3D rigs using the Total Control II system