Cutting Edge

The Associated Press Broadcast Technology division introduced SnapFeed, software designed to allow a laptop computer to be used as a remote feed station. It requires a laptop with Windows 2000 or XP, 20GB memory and a Windows Media 8 encoder. The server side requires partitioning into C and D drives, Windows Media Player 7.1, Microsoft Message Queue Service installed, Microsoft IIS installed with FTP service, and Microsoft SQL Server 2000 or MSDE 2000. Once the software is installed, video can be edited and compressed on the laptop and then sent to the server via dial-up, ISDN, DSL, cable or even Inmarsat connection.

WCNY-TV Syracuse, N.Y., has selected Leitch's AgileVision DTV system to help the PBS station make the transition to digital. Installation and testing are complete, and the system is meeting the station's initial DTV demands, according to Vice President, Engineering, John Duffy. AgileVision can handle splicing and statistical re-multiplexing of HD or SD content as well as data and logo insertion and PSIP.

Thomson Multimedia revenues for the third quarter were $2.277 billion, up from $2.143 billion for the same period last year. The Digital Media Solutions division reported revenues of $664 million, up from $452 million. The newly acquired Grass Valley Group, Panasonic Disk Services, VidFilm, Still-in-Motion, Southern Star Duplitek and Victoria Films accounted for about $150 million of the sales.

Odetics Broadcast has introduced Airo-PBS, an automation system designed specifically for PBS stations. It uses a Windows interface and supports PBS traffic integration, PBS-specific metadata, archiving, multichannel DTV management, media transfer and automated satellite ingest. The key to the PBS application is the use of other technology used by PBS, including ProTrack planning and traffic system, Scout program management, SGL Archive Manager, and Triveni Digital PSIP and DTV stream-management products.

Public-relations newswire company MultiVu is using Pathfire's Digital Media Gateway (DMG) to deliver video news releases, B-roll, public-service announcements and other video content to stations that use Pathfire DMG. The DMG uses digital IP multicasts to distribute content to dedicated video servers where stations can access the content in individual files.

Petersen Productions, based in Traverse City, Mich., recently used Media 100's 844/X editing system for the creation of eight television spots in the first month of the system's use. The system has real-time transfer modes and a set of motion graphics tools that make it easier for the facility to experiment with different looks for a spot. The system also supports unlimited layers of compositing and text with multiple applied effects.

XETV(TV) San Diego has installed Ensemble Design's Avenue Signal Integration gear. The station purchased a 3RU frame of the system and installed a variety of analog-to-digital conversion gear, including the submodule for TBC/Frame Sync control. The control provides all the functionality of a standalone time-base corrector.

New Jersey-based system design and integration firm A.F. Associates has formed the Entertainment Solutions Group in an effort to address new markets like theme parks, hotels, theaters, and sports and recreation facilities. The group will be appropriately headquartered in Orlando, Fla., with Howard Schlieper serving as director.

XM Satellite Radio has been doing more than just spinning records. A Sony Oxford console has helped in producing and mixing live concerts and studio recording sessions. XM Director of Broadcast Engineering Ed Schwartz says automation, multiple equalizers, Snapshot settings and ease of navigation make the console attractive. He also says the MADI buses on the console make it possible to bring in ancillary devices. Already, the console has been used on more than 30 hour-long concerts, ranging from rock to jazz and even classical and big band.