Georgia Southern University (GSU), in Statesboro, GA, has installed a Broadcast Pix Slate 5000 live video production system that’s being used to produce a weekly news program and other original student programming airing on a local cable channel.
The new Slate system replaced an analog Grass Valley production switcher that was more than 30 years old, said Kent Murray, assistant professor of multimedia communications in the GSU Department of Communication Arts. Murray chose the Slate 5000 after seeing it at the shared facility of WJCL, a New Vision Television-owned ABC affiliate, and WTGS, a FOX affiliate operated by New Vision through a local marketing agreement.
The stations are using the Broadcast Pix system to produce local news in HD. GSU produces its programming in SD with three Sony studio cameras, but Murray knew the university needed to start moving toward an HD future. The Slate system was appealing because it positioned the facility for an HD workflow while accommodating current SD needs, Murray said.
Slate’s built-in Fluent workflow tools also were appealing because they allowed GSU to eliminate three racks of equipment in the control room. Fluent Multi-View in particular allowed the school to use a single 40in Sony LCD monitor instead of individual CRTs, which results in lower energy consumption and less heat in the control room. GSU is also using Fluent Clip Store for easy access to news packages and roll-ins.
The new Slate, which was installed in February, has improved the school’s newscasts and helped students take new pride in their work, Murray said.