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Posted by blackburst@aol.com on 03/01/07 14:34
Just a note for any other pros who do a lot of live production:
I'm all jazzed about a new switcher I bought for my TV studio. This is
not a commercial, almost a test report.
It's called Broadcast Pix Slate 2100, and it's part of a new breed of
devices called "IPS" - integrated production systems. It's basically a
switcher, but it integrates a whole bunch of things that used to
require peripherals.
It can be bought in different configurations. Mine has 8 inputs. It
can be SDI on all 8, but 1-4 also allow composite, y/c, or y/pb/pr.
Outputs are also SDI or the usual analog selections. It is comprised
of a workstation, tactile panel and break-out box. You add a VGA
monitor (or two) and a blackburst generator. I opted to add a Planar
touchscreen monitor.
The switcher is pretty straightforward. It looks like one m/e buss,
but by giving the controls multi-uses, one can do several layers of
effects. Lke most digital switches, you can pre-program all sorts of
effects or even entire panels for instant recall. Cuts, a zillion
wipes, dissolves and several types of keys, including a very crisp
chromakey.
In conjunction with the switcher are built-in DVEs, so you can do
double- or triple-boxes and the like (2D, not 3D). Up to three live
sources on the screen at any given time.
But there are also the internal sources: This thing has a built-in
Inscriber Title-Motion CG, which can include animated graphics. It
also has DDRs or clip store: You ingest your clips and they go into
the play mode when you transition to them - 2-4 hours of storage of
uncompressed video, for stings, opens, closes, commercials, PSAs, roll-
ins, B-roll and the like. Or even animations to use under double boxes
or CGs. Did I mention the still store? It can store many pages of
JPGs.
You usually send sync to your sources, but this unit will also resolve
unlocked sources like remote feeds or consumer DVD players (as long as
you preview them first.)
Redundant power supplies on both the panel and break-out box, and a
failsafe connection between the panel and BoB, bypassing the
workstation. Razor-sharp video, which looks MUCH better on a WFM/VEC
than my older Panasonic switcher, even with my old cameras.
A very nice piece of gear, and the company was very helpful anytime I
phoned in setup questions. One thing we really needed here was eye-
candy, a "look" similar to broadcast TV networks, and now we have it,
and at a scant cost. This unit alone cost half of what I would have
paid for traditional components. A bit of a learning curve, but I'm
catching on very quickly.
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