As the capabilities and features of broadcast equipment improve and costs go down, it's becoming increasingly feasible to equip a low budget broadcast start-up or production house with a professional set-up for studio and film content development.
Spescom Media IT has put together an entry level pro solution that costs a fraction of what broadcasters used to lay out - and will enable the creation of quality content, easily and quickly.
The solution includes all the equipment necessary to operate a television studio for the creation of newsdesk and magazine programmes, as well as filming of in-house productions, external interviews and footage.
"This is ideal for start-up regional or local broadcasters, or for news teams that need to go onsite to record footage or do interviews," says Thomas Makore, MD at Spescom Media IT. "It also meets new trends head on. Speed of content creation - and repackaging - and quality of content created is becoming vital. Driving this is the move to HD and the global trend to IPTV and Mobile TV. To stay relevant, content creators and broadcasters need to be able to move quickly to meet consumer needs."
A typical studio, such as a news studio, will require three HD cameras, video editing and audio final mix facilities, a server transmission system with automation for playout, explains Makore. "In addition, an electronic news gathering (ENG) kit would be required for external news gathering, interviews and footage. This usually comprises a tripod, lights, camera, microphone and lapel mike. The technology that Spescom Media IT has selected for inclusion in the package, although entry level, meets all these requirements."
The big attraction is the entry-level costing. "We can tailor an entry level package to meet specific needs - and budgets from R2.8 million to R5 million," says Makore.
The Spescom Media IT "entry level professional" solution includes:
* Three Sony EX 3 HD cameras;
* A data video HD studio mixer;
* Miller camera pedestals; and
* PlayBox Technology's playout solution.
This combination of technologies is supported by Spescom Media IT's engineering expertise and insight into broadcast technologies. "It's a standardised but tightly integrated solution that fits the pocket of smaller operations, while also giving them a stable, reliable technology platform which will easily scale to meet future requirements," says Sean du Toit, Group Executive Head: Africa.
This standardised solution cuts down on engineering and solution design time and costs, but because it comprises world-class technologies and solutions that are built on open standards, upgrading or adding to this base solution to meet their specific requirements is a cinch.
Concludes du Toit: "In addition to being ideal for smaller operations, this solution is suitable for the extension or expansion of a station (eg, the addition of a new studio) or as a disaster recovery solution. It will also serve as a starting point for broadcast organisations that are migrating to High Definition (HD) and digital environments, giving them the ability to create HD content and leverage the efficiencies of a digital environment being critical to future competitiveness in the broadcast arena."
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