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North Carolina's WXII 12 Runs With Utah Scientific

Posted in: TECHNOLOGY WIRE
By [unknown placeholder $article.author$]
Mar 18, 2008 - 2:20:25 PM

Hearst-Argyle-owned WXII 12 in Winston-Salem, N.C., has deployed Utah Scientific's UTAH-400 routing switcher and the company's SC-4 Control System, along with associated control panels and soft panels, to enable the move from analog to digital operation and to take a step toward an eventual upgrade to HD. In addition, WXII 12 has deployed Utah Scientific's HD-2020 master control switcher. 

"I look at the station router as the power train in a race car," said John Norvell, director of engineering, WXII 12. "It may not cause anybody to 'ooh' or 'ah', but it's crucial if you plan on finishing the race. Having been a Utah Scientific customer for many years, we at WXII 12 know their gear just runs and runs. We've got total confidence in the router – and that gives us confidence about staying in the race." 

An NBC affiliate and one of the oldest television stations in North Carolina, WXII 12 selected the UTAH-400 router, a 288 frame (loaded 144 x 196 HD), to replace a Utah Scientific analog router that was still going strong after years of 24/7 operation. The new digital router is a key component of the station's more streamlined workflow, whereby SDI video signals with embedded audio from satellite feeds are routed to an Avid ISIS media server for ingest. The router connections afford edit bays using the Avid NewsCutter NLE easy access to all sources directly. WXII 12 editors and producers also appreciate the Utah soft panels because they provide flexible, GUI-based router control directly from the workstation.

"We've enjoyed a solid relationship with Hearst-Argyle over the years; in fact, I actually sold John some of WXII 12's original routing equipment many years ago when I was a regional sales rep," said Tom Harmon, president and CEO of Utah Scientific. "Our long-lasting support is why many stations in the group are turning to us as they move from analog to digital. They know they can rely on Utah Scientific."


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