The results are in. Local stations can have access to whiz-bang touch-screen technology similar to what the national news networks use for a lot less money.
During last week’s mid-term election night coverage, KTBS, the ABC affiliate in Shreveport, LA, used Chyron’s new Touch GraphX to great effect with viewers. Anchors used the touch-screen graphics to highlight and isolate different races, spotlight competing candidates and move from those images to actual results. And the technology is substantially less than other established brand names in the category. The new Touch GraphX software is part of Chryon’s family of HyperX3 on-air graphics systems.
Touch GraphX is a cost-effective solution that allows on-camera talent to control the flow of graphics by simply tapping a flat-panel display. Chyron said that KTBS was the first in the country to use it to enhance its election night coverage during the Louisiana station’s live broadcast.
Dale Cassidy, chief engineer at KTBS, said the Touch GraphX system allowing the anchors to become an integral part of the graphic presentation, providing a competitive edge in the market. The staff was able to create all the graphics used on election night with only two days of preparation.
KTBS 3 installed its Chryon HyperX3 on-air graphics system, including the Lyric PRO 8 motion graphics feature set, during its upgrade to HD broadcasting. The station implemented the Touch GraphX feature especially for the Nov. 2 election. Unlike competing high-end touch-screen graphics solutions that require complex programming or scripting, the Touch GraphX system facilitates fast, simple association of graphics to hot spots on the screen. This intuitive interface combines with graphics creation templates to simplify preparation for broadcast and live operation by on-camera talent.
In preparation for Election Day, Chyron worked closely on-site with the KTBS production team to ensure smooth implementation within the existing broadcast workflow and to tune the station's graphic design for optimal presentation on the touch-screen monitor.