Weatherproof construction, pristine audio quality for entertainment and life safety drives customer decision to install Technomad products

BOSTON – Technomad LLC, a leader in weatherproof loudspeakers and audio systems since 1995, announces that its Vernal weatherproof loudspeakers are providing audio for narrated tours by Shoreline Sightseeing of Chicago on the waters of the Chicago River. More than 80 Vernal loudspeakers are installed on 18 boats, broadcasting clear speech with supplemental background music on boats ranging from 15 to 50 feet in length.

Shoreline Sightseeing is the premier boat touring fleet in Chicago, operating tours on the Chicago River and the Great Lakes that give visitors a historical overview of nearby architecture and other attractions. According to Chad Rice, Director of Fleet Management for Shoreline Sightseeing, the live and pre-recorded audio narrations are significant to the tours, and the audio is intelligible from the shoreline as boats pass more

(Billerica, Massachusetts)- Broadcast Pixâ„¢ announced today it has established offices in China in cooperation with ADC for distribution and support of its Slateâ„¢ integrated production systems. The new offices will be located in Hong Kong, Beijing, and Guangzhou to service resellers, integrators, and customers in the region.

“Producing compelling live video cost effectively is a must for many of our potential clients in China, and Broadcast Pix offers the best value in the market today for live video production,� said Arco Groenenberg, director of sales, Americas and Asia. “Broadcast Pix China will offer local customer support, training and sales support. We are extremely pleased to establish a local presence in this very important growth market.�

Mark Tsang will head up business efforts in Beijing and Guangzhou, while Lewis Ray will work in the Hong Kong office. Broadcast Pix China already has one dealer in Beijing, BLE, and more

WAYNE, NJ – KTWO, the ABC affiliate serving central Wyoming, transitioned to local news in high definition this month with the help of its new JVC GY-HM700 camcorders. The station produces five newscasts every weekday and two on both Saturday and Sunday, plus a weekly sports program.

Moving to an all-HD newscast and a tapeless workflow were two very significant steps for the station, which is owned by Silverton Broadcasting Co. LLC and serves the Casper-Riverton market (currently DMA #197). According to Terry Lane, chief broadcast engineer, the station doesn’t have the budget of stations in larger markets, so the transition to HD news has been an economic challenge.

This spring, KWTO purchased 10 JVC GY-HM700 camcorders, most of which will be used for ENG work. However, two have been designated as studio cameras. “Even adding a frame sync for each, they were a budget-friendly choice for our more

Video Crew Chronicles Historic Dive of USS Monitor for NOAA, Rutgers University

WAYNE, NJ –Diving professionals from Deep Explorers used a Fujinon XS13x3.3BRM wide angle lens to document an historic dive off the coast of Cape Hatteras, N.C., in June. In cooperation with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of the Marine Sanctuaries and Rutgers University Institute of Marine and Coastal Science, Deep Explorers gathered data on the wreck of the USS Monitor, a U.S. Navy warship that has been resting 230 feet down on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean for more than 150 years.

The company produced a series of video segments, entitled Graveyard of the Atlantic, which were posted on the NOAA website during the expedition. A Sony PDW F350 XDCAM camera paired with the Fujinon XS13x3.BRM lens served as the primary topside camcorder for recording interviews and stand-ups of divers and more

New Release Adds Support for DigitalGlobe Online Global Satellite Imagery Services

Bergen, Norway, Vizrt Ltd. (Oslo Main List: VIZ)- Vizrt announces that Viz Curious Maps 9.1—the latest version of its branded mapping and geographic animation software for broadcast—will be introduced during the company’s invitation-only “Amsterdam Sessions,� from September 10th-15th in the Hotel Okura in Amsterdam. Version 9.1 represents a major upgrade to Curious Maps, which is considered the defacto standard for creating and animating electronic maps.
“At a time when breaking news can erupt in any corner of the world, it’s imperative for broadcast journalists to have sophisticated, intuitive map building software capable of integrating high-resolution global satellite imagery,� said Ran Yakir, Head of R&D Israel, Vizrt. “Curious Maps 9.1 is unrivaled in its ability to build, label, and animate all types of colorful, appealing maps so that broadcasters can effectively illustrate and convey the geographical locations and terrain more

SEATAC, WA — Premier systems integration firm Advanced Broadcast Solutions (ABS) has completed its “Understanding the Bastard Child of Broadcast� tour, which provided free audio training to video professionals. Sponsored by Dolby, Genelec, Linear Acoustic, Sennheiser, and Yamaha, the tour visited six broadcast stations in Oregon and Washington in late July.

Led by Mark Miller, ABS Sales and Design Specialist, the educational sessions covered a variety of audio topics, including 5.1 surround sound, wireless microphones, loudness issues, and acoustics. Attendees included broadcast station personnel and independent content producers from the area.

“The reaction from attendees was very positive,� said Mark Siegel, President of ABS. “Audio never seems to be a priority until something goes wrong. Based on reactions we received from our attendees, continued audio education is both necessary and appreciated, from basic audio techniques to advanced topics like dialnorm.�

While the tour was considered a success more

MIAMI, FLORIDA – FOR-A Latin America, a leading manufacturer of video and audio systems for the broadcast industry, will showcase a range of products at the upcoming SET Broadcast & Cable Show Aug. 26-28, 2009, at the Imigrantes Exhibition Center in São Paulo, Brazil. FOR-A will exhibit in the booth of Tecnovideo (Booth #68), the company’s exclusive distributor in Brazil.

“The SET Broadcast & Cable Show has become a must-attend event for FOR-A,� said Mr. Hiro Tanoue, President, FOR-A Latin America. “Each year, the event draws a larger key audience of broadcast and video professionals from Latin America. We expect our products to draw a lot of attention at the show this year.�

At the show, the HVS-300HS HD/SD portable video switcher will make its Latin America debut. With a compact 1RU main unit, the 1M/E switcher is an ideal solution for use in flight packs, mobiles or more

(Billerica, Massachusetts)- When the Westlake High School Chaparrals open their football season on Aug. 28, the contest will be produced in high definition using its new Broadcast Pix™ Slate™ 5016Ghh integrated production system. The only high school in the Eanes Independent School District in Austin, Texas, Westlake recently upgraded its video production capabilities as part of a renovation of the school’s 25-year-old Westlake Community Performing Arts Center (PAC).

At football games, student members of the Westlake Technical Entertainment Crew handle all production aspects of the game coverage, from pulling cables to directing the show. Westlake students had been working with a makeshift control room setup at the stadium built around an old analog switcher and a basic graphics system. All video inserts, from bumps to commercials, were fed via a DVD player.

“It was pretty clumsy,� recalled David Poole, managing director of the PAC. “We were looking for more

PHOENIX, ARIZ.– Lakeshore Public Television, a PBS member station based in Merrillville, Ind., has made monitoring dozens of video signals easier in its new HD master control room with Plura Broadcast, a leading manufacturer of high-end professional LCD monitors for studio and field use. Three Plura PBM-147 47-inch LCD monitors are positioned side-by-side in separate equipment racks and controlled through a multi-image processor, which saves space in the facility and eliminates the need for individual monitors for each source.

One of three PBS stations serving the Chicago market area, Lakeshore PTV programming targets audiences in northwest Indiana. But unlike most public broadcasters, Lakeshore PTV emphasizes local news and sports coverage. As a result, the station’s master control features a high number of satellite sources that need to be monitored.

Henry Ruhwiedel, Lakeshore PTV chief engineer, said the Plura monitors provide excellent resolution and no visible artifacts, plus more

Services to be televised nationally on Trinity Broadcasting Network

CYPRESS, CA– San Antonio, Tex.-based Summit Christian Center (SCC) has recently installed an array of FOR-A products in its new worship facility, including two FOR-A HANABI switchers, an HVS-1500HS 1.5 M/E switcher and an HVS-600HS 1 M/E switcher, to serve at the heart of the facility’s video production system.

Five worship services are produced every weekend with contemporary live music. The church also schedules a variety of creative performances and pieces to coincide with holidays and special events. SCC began holding worship services in its new 2,500-seat facility in June 2008, and future plans include an expansion to seat 5,000 congregants.

At the church’s previous location, video production was limited with a four-channel composite switcher. According to Nathan Roberts, SCC technical director, the switcher upgrades were necessary because the church will be recording worship services for broadcast more