TV Technology - January 7, 2009 - (Page 31)

Video Servers & Recording/Controllers USER REPORT Omneon Streamlines VPT Operations by Joseph Tymecki Director of Engineering Vermont Public Television (VPT) COLCHESTER, VT. play it out in the appropriate format on one of our four channels. FORMAT AGNOSTIC ermont Public Television (VPT) is a PBS member station that reaches viewers across the state and in bordering regions of New York, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and southern Quebec. Early in 2008, we began a rebuild of our facility to house a digital master control operation, along with new storage, editing and monitoring systems that supported a tapeless workflow. These HD-capable systems have not only facilitated a far more streamlined workflow, but also are providing a foundation for our shift to HD along with PBS on the national level. The shift to file-based operations was designed to improve both internal workflow and the use of assets. Our Omneon Spectrum media server system provides a versatile and scalable platform for ingest and play-out. Though the decision to invest in an Omneon Spectrum system was made before I became a part of VPT, I understand very well the reasons behind this choice, having worked with the Spectrum at other stations. It gives us the freedom to play out any asset on any channel without worrying about format. As a result, we can accept programming from PBS in either SD or HD, always recording the highest resolution possible, and then V The Spectrum’s internal up/down/cross-conversion capability allows us to treat each stored asset in the same manner—regardless of its format when first received at our facility, whether from PBS, acquired locally, or transferred from our Final Cut Pro editing systems. The Omneon TrackTool inserts AFD information into clips to tag odd aspect ratios. With this capability, our staff can Because we can record audio embedded into the video, keeping track of all 10 audio channels is not an issue. We’re also planning to take advantage of the server’s closed captioning tools, as its unique file-based architecture facilitates offline captioning of local programming. TIGHT AUTOMATION CONTROL All four channels of our program streams are played out from the Omneon Spectrum system under the control of Crispin automation. The tight integration of the systems made their installation the easiest part of the project. VPT maintains a large volume of archived material, with some 10,000 hours of footage dating back to the 1960s. We plan to integrate a Crispin archive system with the Omneon server and our automation system, archiving new programs and, on Master control operator Mikaela Shea performs duties an as-needed basis, in the new VPT digital master control facility. converting old programs to file-based ensure that the aspect ratio is appro- assets for nearline storage or providing priate for the play-out channel. The long-term storage on Blu-ray. server’s multichannel audio capabiliA simple expansion of our 7 TB ties also simplify our workflow, as we Omneon system will accommodate record a full surround audio mix, SAP, the migration to HD and continued descriptive audio, and a locally cre- play-out of SD channels as long as we ated stereo mix along with HD video. need to. The Spectrum is a great fit for The Omneon Spectrum server system us because of its modular, formatindependent design. The system has made our original investment “futureproof” and is supporting a smooth, easy upgrade to HD. Joe Tymecki is VPT’s Director of Engineering based in Colchester, VT. He recently joined VPT following management and engineering positions with national and local broadcasters. He may be contacted at jtymecki@vpt.org. For additional information, contact Omneon at 408-585-5140 or visit www.omneon.com. © Ron Clark, VPT www.tvtechnology.com • TV Technology • January 7, 2009 31 http://www.omneon.com http://www.pixelpower.com http://www.pixelpower.com http://www.tvtechnology.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of TV Technology - January 7, 2009

TV Technology - January 7, 2009 NFL Enters a New Dimension Mobile DTV Looms Large in 2009 Contents A ‘Flexible Framework’ Doing More With Less ‘X’tra-Streamlined Finish Line in Sight for BAS Transition Ahead of the Relocation Curve DTV Transition Survival Guide ENG and the Lines of Communication DTV Transition Survival Guide Who Do We Really Work For? Obama to Expand Internet Access The Wizard Takes a Holiday The Solid-State Disk Revival To Light the Ear... or Not Hulu Gets It Right—the First Time User Reports—Video Servers & Recording/Controllers Reference Guide Product Showcase Classifieds Marketplace TV Tech Business

TV Technology - January 7, 2009

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