KQED-TV expands viewer programming with new digital technologies

KQED-TV, a public broadcaster in San Francisco, is engaged in a comprehensive program to transition to HDTV and integrate the latest digital technologies into its operations to expand programming services for its viewers. As part of the station’s plan to digitally transition the majority of its locally produced programs to HD, National TeleConsultants upgraded KQED’s production control room to HD and built a second, smaller HD/SD control room to enable concurrent production work in two separate studios.

The upgrade included Sony HDC-1000LW and 1500L cameras in the studio as well as a monitor wall in the control room that combines rear-projection display cubes from Clarity with Evertz display processors, and Sony LCD panels for preview and program.

The station currently has two Avid uncompressed HD edit suites with Avid Unity storage. Avid DNX encoding on the DS Nitris system and the Unity server improve production workflow, enabling producers to remotely access proxy video for quick logging and editing of local HD programming acquired with Sony’s XDCAM HD tapeless camcorders. KQED transitioned two additional Avid suites to Avid Adrenaline platforms; those rooms have the ability to edit Avid HD compressed projects.

KQED’s HD transition is part of the station’s ongoing plan to leverage the latest digital technologies to expand its programming services. Central to this strategy is the recent redesign of the station’s master control. The redesign enables the station to output multiple, simultaneous over-the-air and cable channels. Previously, National TeleConsultants migrated KQED from manual control of one 20-hour-per day analog SD channel to a fully automated, serverbased facility outputting six 24-hour-per day digital channels (one of which is in HD) feeding both Comcast (via fi ber) and the KQED transmitter.

KQED also plans to feed programming for Northern California PBS sister stations KTEH-TV in San Jose and KCAH-TV in Monterey/Santa Cruz. (KQED has just completed a merger with these two stations). This initiative is encouraged by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and PBS in markets where public stations overlap. The plan is expected to garner effi ciencies in all three stations’ broadcast operations by eliminating duplication of effort.