Archive notice: This article was originally published on September 14, 2009. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
At IBC, Cologne systems house Wellen + Nöthen announced several new projects for public broadcasters.
Deutsche Welle TV (DW-TV) in Berlin has commissioned Wellen + Nöthen to optimize live-image operations by supplying and integrating three new digital picture switchers. In three control rooms, the new multiformat-capable Sony MVS-8000G switcher generation with 3-ME control surfaces will be installed. Existing switchers are being removed, and the new units—with 80 inputs and 48 outputs each—are being integrated into the video, control, and tally systems. The full rebuild is taking place in a tightly synchronized window during DW-TV’s live broadcast operations, with Wellen + Nöthen and Sony training staff on the new equipment during the switchover.
For MDR, Wellen + Nöthen is implementing HD-SDI-capable signal transport as part of a broader HDTV-ready production infrastructure. Between the central technical room (ZGR) and the signal routing room at the Leipzig television center, Evertz fiber converters with 21 units each are being installed to convert between HD-SDI and fiber links in both directions. MDR also plans to modify the main control-room video wall, upgrading the Evertz multiviewer setup and replacing the existing wall with one designed for the new 42-inch Panasonic plasma displays.
MDR will take the lead for the 2010 Winter Olympics within ARD, producing roughly 300 hours of live HD coverage from Vancouver for ARD core and digital channels. As a result, sound and picture quality are both expected to improve, with coverage also available in 5.1 Dolby Surround.
ZDF has also moved its mobile production unit upgrade forward. The broadcaster ordered 52 new Sony displays, and the 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 first deployed during the 2009 Berlin Athletics World Championships.
