Advanced Broadcast Solutions First Customer with Broadcast Pix Slate 2 M/E Live Integrated Production System

July 14, 2008

Source: Broadcast Pix

Broadcast Pix, the company that redefined the production switcher as a live integrated production system, today announced that Advanced Broadcast Solutions (ABS), a Seattle-based systems integration firm, is the first customer to take delivery of a Slate™ 2 M/E (Mix/Effect System) live integrated production system.

Broadcast Pix launched the Slate 5000 switcher series at the NAB convention in April 2008 of this year. The new switcher was delivered and installed on ABS's multiformat HD mobile production unit in June 2008, as the first of six Slate 5000 switchers that Broadcast Pix delivered in June.

ABS previously placed an order for a Slate 3016 1/ME switcher, which Broadcast Pix also installed on the new ABS truck. Until now, the Slate 3016 switcher had been the centerpiece of the multiformat mobile unit, which hit the road in mid-May 2008. On May 17, 2008, the ABS truck was used by KHQ-DT, in Spokane, WA, to produce its first live HDTV telecast—"The Lilac Parade;" and on May 31, 2008, it was used by KGW-DT, in Portland, OR, to produce "The Starlight Parade," also broadcast live in HDTV.

In terms of ABS's configuration, the Slate 3016 and Slate 5016 serve two different control panels driving the same switcher processor engine. ABS intends to have both control panels networked to the Slate switcher processor, giving customers the option of using either the 1/ME or 2/ME control panel, or both concurrently if desired.

"While the Slate 3016 control panel with 1 M/E is ideal for smaller productions, having the larger 2/ME Slate 5016 control panel available opens the door to bigger productions that expect to see a large, traditional 2/ME switcher with all the bells and whistles," said Mark Siegel, president of ABS.

"We actually designed and built our mobile unit around the Broadcast Pix Slate switcher because of its obvious price/performance. Because of next-generation architecture, all the Slate switchers pack a tremendous amount of power and functionality within a very compact, integrated switcher for a fraction the cost of competing switchers," Siegel continued. The Slate 5000 series HD/SD switchers start at approximately $45,000 but offers functionality comparable to switchers in the $250,000 range and beyond.

The Slate 5000 series, the industry's first live integrated production system to integrate 2 M/E functionality, allow a single operator to run all aspects of a sophisticated 2 M/E live HDTV production, including the switcher's built-in Inscriber graphics system, animations, clips and effects, logo generators, and aspect ratio converters, as well as robotic cameras and audio mixers.

"Both the Slate 3000 and 5000 series switchers access and control almost the same functionality inherently built into the switcher. But because the Slate 3000 has a smaller 1 M/E control panel, the operator can't access all the features and capabilities quite as easily as can be done on the 2 M/E Slate 5000, making it ideal for smaller, simpler productions," said Ken Swanton, president of Broadcast Pix.

"With its larger control surface, the Slate 5000 has twice as many buttons and controls laid out for fast, easy access, including a second bank of controls for the additional M/E (mix/effect system). This provides operation comparable to the industry's larger, higher-end switchers, so operators can quickly set up more complicated keying, layering, and effects for a more dynamic, compelling live show," Swanton added. "And unlike any conventional switcher panels, the Slate 1 M/E panel has a device control bank for graphics, clips and other parts of the integrated studio, while the new Slate 2 M/E panel has two of these innovative device control banks.

The ABS truck, which is a 24-foot mobile unit, was designed specifically to support the needs of broadcasters in the Pacific Northwest; however, the truck's market also extends to production companies, houses of worship, and theatrical and musical events. With the ability to take in and output virtually any video signal, the truck is outfitted with the latest gear including: three Thomson LDK-4000 Triax HD cameras with 14-bit A/D conversion and 22-bit processing; a Roland RSS M-400 48-channel 18-bit digital audio mixing console; and a fully configurable multi-viewer LCD monitor system.

"As a systems integrator, I have found that—more important than the Slate switchers' low price tag—customers are especially pleased that a single operator can handle all aspects of a live production, which helps hold the line on production personnel and crews costs without compromising the quality of the live show," Siegel said. "Also, operators who have worked on 3.5/ME and 4/ME switchers in large HDTV trucks are blown away by the capabilities and ergonomics of the Broadcast Pix switcher."


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