CBC/Radio-Canada consolidates automation, master control, and branding for regional stations
Jun 6, 2005 3:41 PM, Transition to Digital e-newsletter
Miranda Technologies’ channel branding and monitoring systems are a key part of a centralized and consolidated TV presentation solution implemented by la Télévision de Radio-Canada, the French-language broadcast network of CBC/Radio-Canada. The network has brought together automation, playout, master control, and channel branding for its 10 regional stations and one specialty channel at its Montreal headquarters.
The network's centralized presentation operations integrate Encoda’s station automation with Miranda's Imagestore branding processor and VertigoXmedia's CG, which together enable three operators to control as many as 10 channels. The Imagestore branding processor features capabilities including video and multi-group audio mixing, dual 3-D DVE effects, and the integration of multiple layers of graphics from the CG.
Another major challenge for the network was effective monitoring of the 11 independent channels generated from Montreal, as well as the off-air signals from all of the network's remote facilities. Miranda’s Kaleido-K2 multi-image display processors perform local video and audio monitoring in the Montreal playout center. Close integration between these processors, the automation, and the Omneon SPECTRUM media servers allows the operators to monitor the current and next clips via UMDs, along with associated clip timing information. The advanced monitoring wall also provides monitoring of closed captioning, and extensive video and audio alarm reporting.
Advanced remote monitoring of the outgoing and off-air feeds from all of Radio-Canada's French TV stations -- from Moncton to Vancouver -- is provided by Miranda's iControl system. Each regional transmitter output off-air signal is probed, and a thumbnail image is streamed back. A higher-quality full-frame-rate streaming signal can be brought back, on demand, to centralized operations in Montreal via the network's existing WAN infrastructure. The iControl desktop monitoring environment provides a geographic graphical view of the system, with thumbnail, status, and streaming video presented on demand from each of the regional transmission sites.
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