Broadcast Pix Introduces New Redundancy System for Non-Stop Production

May 20, 2008 - PRLog -- An announcement from Broadcast Pix regarding the company’s participation at this year’s InfoComm Expo follows, please contact me if you would like to arrange a one-on-one meeting at InfoComm with Broadcast Pix executives. Thank you very much for your consideration.

Broadcast Pix™, the company that redefined the production switcher as a live integrated production system, will unveil a new redundancy system for its Slate™  HD and SD families at InfoComm Expo (Las Vegas Convention Center, Booth #N6517 June 18-20).  The new redundancy system further enhances Slate’s industry leading on-air reliability, and is now included on the new 2 M/E (mix/effect system) Slate 5000 switchers. It is a $1,500 option on all 1 M/E Slate models.

The new redundancy system includes auto-back software and additional storage to maintain a back-up copy of all system software, including switcher, CG, multi-view, shows, graphics and memories. As users build new shows and create and import new graphics, everything is automatically backed up weekly, daily or even hourly.  The new redundancy system also includes redundant power for the workstation with instantaneous auto fail-over and removable media drives that enable clip data to be easily replaced or changed on plug-in trays containing 500GB removable drives.  Each drive can hold 30 hours of QuickTime or MPEG clips.

“Staying on-air, all the time, is critical for live production,” said Ken Swanton, President of Broadcast Pix.  “Manufacturers of previous live integrated production systems did not always appreciate this. Broadcast Pix systems are designed for non-stop production, and today’s announcement further extends our leadership position.”

Today’s new announcements add to the many redundancies already built into Slate switchers. With a conventional switcher, a drink spilled on the panel will stop a show, but Slate has many back-ups to its physical control panel, as its mouse can be use to switch on a “soft” version of its panel, its keyboard can be used, or it can switch by clicking directly on its multi-view monitors. If the Slate workstation should ever stop, or even be unplugged in the middle of a show, a camera will always stay on air, and with an integrated router, the cameras can still be switched from the panel - thanks to a redundant control system. Most Slate models also include redundant power supplies for their control panel and any integrated router.

About Slate Switchers  Every Slate switcher is a complete integrated live video production system, including production switcher, multi-view monitoring, Inscriber® CG (character generator), clips stores, and aspect and format conversion, with optional control of robotic cameras, audio mixers and other studio devices.  The award winning Slate 5000 was introduced last month at the NAB convention in Las Vegas, and is the first 2 M/E integrated production system.  Slate 100 models are priced from $14,400 in HD, which provides HD-SDI 1080i and 720p formats as well as SD-SDI and analog.  Optional I/O includes DVI and VGA inputs from a computer, HD analog component inputs from a Blu-Ray, and high-resolution output to a projector in DVI, VGA or (via HDMI) in 1080p. Unlike conventional production switchers that only accept video inputs, Slate systems also accept clips and graphic inputs as files, including QuickTime (DV, DVCPRO, and H.264-Mpeg4) and MPEG2 as well as animations from all popular animation packages.  This file-based architecture streamlines live production workflow by seamlessly integrating the live production system with edit bays.  

About Broadcast Pix Broadcast Pix is the leader in combining technologies from the computer and live television equipment industries to create an innovative family of live video production systems. Broadcast Pix systems are a fraction of the cost of conventional live video production solutions, yet retain their fast action control and non-stop, on-air robustness.  They can be run by a single operator instead of requiring a team. Customers include over 800 leading broadcasters (including CBS, NBC and ESPN), webcasters, cable stations, stadiums, corporate, education, religious and government studios in over 50 countries. Broadcast Pix is based at 3 Federal Street, Billerica, Massachusetts, with offices throughout North America and in Europe.. See www.broadcastpix.com.  

Broadcast Pix and Slate are trademarks of Broadcast Pix, Inc.  Patents pending.

Editor’s Note: Color product photographs are available upon request.

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