Bigger and automated

As part of a total system conversion from analog to digital that should be completed by May 2003, KRMA-TV Denver replaced its single-channel, manually operated, tape-based master-control system with a four-channel automated master-control system SDI with AES audio. The PBS station also installed an HD edit suite for a program broadcast in HD called Spirit of Colorado. The conversion is a cooperative effort of Rocky Mountain PBS, which comprising KRMA-TV, KRMJ(TV) Grand Junction, KTSC(TV) Pueblo, and Denver's other PBS station and KRMA-TV's partner in an operating agreement, KBDI-TV.

"This is a trend-setting master control, which is going multichannel to provide server-based, automation-controlled master-control services for four Colorado stations," explains Rocky Mountain PBS Director of Engineering Bud Rath. "That is the industry trend, and we are among the leaders in this movement. Among other things, we can now do faster-than-real-time transfers from the video servers to the archive system, and vice versa."

The automated, multichannel system allows a small operations staff to provide master-control and satellite-record services, along with a digital tape-based archive system, for all four stations. It includes four Grass Valley Group M-2100 switch engines, three Grass Valley XP Profile video servers and Ampex DST-812 near-line archive storage. The system is driven by Encoda master-control automation, assisted by Novus Development systems for satellite recording and archive management, along with Avalon Archive management tools. The Grass Valley SMS-7000 digital routing switcher is configured 128x128 SDI/AES.

"To meet the needs for HD broadcasting, we installed a 400-square-foot digital edit suite, featuring the Sony HDVS-7150 HD video switcher, three Sony HDW-500 HD videotape recorders, a Sony DMX E-3000 digital audio mixer and a Pinnacle HD-500 Deko character generator, all under the control of a Sony BE-2000 edit controller," says John FitzRandolph, engineering vice president for the facility's system integrator, Beck Associates, Austin, Texas. "It is capable of producing full-band HD programming in the 1080i format."

System tri-level sync is provided by an Evertz 7750 SRG-HD sync generator. Included in the Sony HDVS-7150 high-def video switcher is an integrated Sony DME-7000 digital video-effects generator. All the monitoring in the room is in HDTV. Audio support comes from DAT Sony PCM-7040 and 360 systems Digicart II. Down conversion to standard definition is accomplished via a Sony DVW-500 Digital Beta- cam BTR. "We put in a 42-inch plasma display for the convenience of the producer to view the editing," adds FitzRandolph.

The next step will be the conversion of the production-control facilities, which will include a new Sony DVS-7250 switcher with DME, a Grass Valley SMS-7500 router, and a digital audio mixer. "Still-store and CG support are provided by Pinnacle digital boxes, which are integrated with each other and with the graphic facilities via an in-house LAN," says Rath. Studio cameras are Philips LD-10Ps, featuring a switchable aspect ratio, configured for SDI output.