Archive notice: This article was originally published on September 14, 2009. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Deutsche Welle TV in Berlin has commissioned the Cologne systems house Wellen+Nöthen to optimize live studio workflows by supplying and integrating three new digital production switchers.
In three control rooms, Wellen+Nöthen’s new multiformat-capable Sony MVS-8000G switcher family with 3-ME control panels will be installed. The existing switchers will be removed, and the new systems—with 80 inputs and 48 outputs each—will be integrated into the video, control, and tally environment. The entire renovation is being carried out in a tightly scheduled window during DW-TV’s ongoing on-air operations, and operators and technicians will be trained by Wellen+Nöthen and Sony specialists during the changeover.
As part of building an HD-ready production infrastructure, MDR has also contracted the company to integrate HD-SDI-capable signal transport. Between the Central Equipment Room (ZGR) and the signal handover room at the Leipzig TV center, a number of Evertz fiber converters (21 converters each) will be installed. These make it possible to convert signals between HD-SDI and fiber (LWL) paths in both directions.
The ZDF’s monitoring for its mobile production unit is also being upgraded. The broadcaster has ordered 52 new Sony displays, and a new monitoring setup—including two high-end Sony BVM-L230 23-inch Full HD monitors, ten Sony LMD-2450, ten Sony LMD-2050 and 30 Sony LMD-1750-LC displays—was already rolled out first at the Berlin Athletics World Championships in 2009.
For the 2010 Winter Olympics, MDR will for the first time lead ARD-wide Olympic production across TV, radio, and web. Around 300 hours of live HD coverage from Vancouver are planned, while HDTV will also improve both picture and sound quality with 5.1 Dolby Surround broadcasts.
