|
|
 |
|
Production
|
 |
|
 |
 |
Automation helps part-time staff run Fairfax city channel
Nov 12, 2007
|
|
by Stephen Perry
|
When your average city government renovates its office space and meeting room facilities, rarely does adding an annex for the government TV channel make the cut. But Fairfax, VA, made it a priority as part of a $20 million dollar bond levy -- and integrated the TV facility with presentation displays in the council chamber as well.
Cityscreen 12 is the Fairfax PEG channel without the P or the E; it's all about the government. And Fairfax government meetings and city festivals are now broadcast from its new 600-square-foot annex on a new digital backbone using automation provided by NVERZION.
Like many PEG channels, staffing is in short supply. A manager and a producer/director, both part-time employees at 30 and 25 hours per week, respectively, run the show. So Rachel Roth, cable television manager for the city, looked for the system with the best ability to provide automation and still remain within budget. Professional Products, Inc. provided engineering, design, and installation services -- and created a system that can accomplish a lot with limited personnel.
The video technology build focused on two needs. First, the system had to provide the normal transmission out to the cable headend with minimal supervision. NVERZION's NControlite software package was chosen to provide playback automation of everything from video archives to informational graphics on the city cable channel.
The NControl feature of the suite provides for playlist sequencing automation. NBase serves as a database that keeps file clips and source tapes managed and organized. A database window that allows an operator to view, sort, and edit media database fields is called NView. And EMC-lite allows the control of the server, VTRs, and routers by NControl through Ethernet hookup. The NGest dub station software manages the frame accurate transfer of content while supporting backup devices, archiving, and file trimming.
In addition to playback, the NVERZION system records government meetings to a 360 Systems Image Server 2000 while switching on-air outputs as an automated master control operator. It also has the option to record a backup copy to a standard Panasonic DVCPRO deck.
 |
| Cityscreen 12's two part-time employees, cable TV manager Rachel Roth and producer/director Pete Dowty, rely on automation to help run the show. |
The system is switched to a manual mode during live meetings because they can last anywhere from one to four hours. Once a meeting ends, a technician just switches back to NVERZION's programmed schedule, such as a video bulletin board or previously recorded programming.
Cityscreen 12 airs Fairfax city council, planning board, and school board meetings on a regular basis. These meetings are also streamed live on the Internet and are archived with searchable indexing for citizens to watch on their computers at their convenience. During a live meeting, the right side of the screen shows the agenda while a small video screen plays on the left. The Internet feed is provided by routing an analog signal to the city, which has a media encoder streaming the channel 24/7.
Inside The Chamber
Inside the council chamber, several installed Hitachi cameras capture the action in the council chambers and a separate work session room. The NControlite suite integrates with a Ross Synergy 100 Digital Production Switcher in the control room, which is located a few feet from the council chamber. Inputs are monitored on a 46-inch Sharp LCD panel through a 16-input Avitech MCC8004 multi-image processor, which eliminates the need for multiple monitors.
An Avid Deko 550 CG provides graphics. Broadcast quality is evaluated on a dedicated monitor tuned to the on-air video signal rather than relying solely on the multiplexed one. A Harris Videotek VTM-3100 digital waveform monitor/vectorscope rounds out quality control technology.
In addition to the video system for the channel, Professional Products needed to design an AV system for use inside the council chambers, including audio equipment, lighting, and support monitors. A Crestron control system manages signals sent to the plasma screen monitors as well as the brightline lighting in the chambers, which is set for both live audience needs and TV. The dais features individual computer monitors that each government official can use to toggle between the Cityscreen 12 feed and computer or other inputs for presentations. They also have access to a ceiling-mounted Vaddio visual presenter (they use an ELMO visual presenter in the work session room).
In addition to their individual monitors, council and board members in the front of the room can see two Sony 50-inch plasma screen displays of the on-air program, while the audience can watch four additional 50-inch plasmas. A Sony 42-inch plasma screen monitor was installed in the hallway outside the room as well, and the work session room features four 42-inch monitors.
The Fairfax system is a "good example of how cost effectively you can bring digital technology to the city council level," said Chuck Heffner, senior applications engineer with Professional Products. "Older equipment is becoming antiquated, and this is a great example of how cost effective it is to migrate to a digital facility."
More Than Meetings
In addition to the new equipment, Cityscreen 12 maintains two DVCPRO decks and two D-9 decks for backup and archived content. (Until the recent upgrades, it was a DVCPRO house.) The channel uses a Leightronix MINI-T-PRO bulletin board system to display information when video programming is not on air. Informational slates and program announcements are put produced using the Pinnacle DekoCast. There’s also a small edit suite equipped with Final Cut Pro.
Upgrades to cameras, adding the new control room facilities, installing the backbone, and other improvements cost $603,000. Funding came mostly from the Cable Capital Grant Fund, which consists of PEG fees from the cable franchise with Cox Communications (Roth said she saved up franchise fee money for years.) Another source of money was a small portion of the $20 million 2001 bond issue that built the annex itself.
It was important to install the latest digital backbone while the new annex was being built, Roth said, even though a full transition to HD will take a few more years. She estimated that an additional two years would allow her to purchase some HD cameras, but she wasn't sure whether she would use them in the council chambers or on the channel’s remote production truck.
Cityscreen 12’s remote production truck from Bickford Broadcast Vehicles, purchased in 2002, already provokes envy from other localities. The truck is outfitted with Hitachi cameras that were rebuilt last year, repurposed for the truck after formerly serving in the council chambers. Cityscreen 12 covers concerts by the City of Fairfax Band, which plays several summer concerts.
The city also holds several major events each year, including a chocolate lovers festival in February and an Independence Day parade. Each event is covered by a freelance production crew using the channel's truck. The freelancers are mostly people who started with the city fresh out of college and then went on to work in news and other broadcast industry jobs. Roth said they keep coming back because it's like a family reunion for them and they “just enjoy doing it."
MORE INFO
360 Systems 360systems.com
Apple apple.com
Avid Technology avid.com
Avitech avitech.com
Bickford Broadcast Vehicles bickfordbroadcast.com
brightline brightlines.com
Cityscreen12 fairfaxva.gov
Crestron Electronics crestron.com
ELMO elmousa.com
Harris broadcast.harris.com
Hitachi hitachi.us
Leightronix leightronix.com
NVERZION nverzion.com
Panasonic panasonic.com/broadcastt
Pinnacle pinnaclesys.com
Professional Products, Inc. professionalproducts.com
Ross Video rossvideo.com
Sharp sharpusa.com
Sony sony.com/government
Vaddio vaddio.com
|
|
|
Government Video is part of the NewBay Media Community
copyright 2007© NewBay Media LLC.
810 Seventh Avenue, 27th Floor New York, NY 10019 T (212)378-0400 F (212)378-2160
|
|
|
