Tristar Products, Inc. Selects FOR-A Hanabi HVS-1000 Switcher

Tristar Products, Inc., recently purchased FOR-A’s HVS-1000 HANABI switcher based upon its
multi-format capability, price point and high-quality production value.

Tristar
Products is home to several soundstages with HD multi-camera capabilities. The
company uses the space to create infomercials for a host of celebrity-endorsed
products, such as long-time fitness guru Jack LaLanne’s Power Juicer and former
wrestling star, Terry “Hulk” Hogan’s Ultimate Grill. The HVS-1000 is located in
a state-of-the-art digital control room, and the switcher can be routed to
control any set within the facility.

The
HVS-1000HS supports 1080i, 24p, 720p, and standard definition formats. This is
an important feature for Tristar because they also produce outside projects on
a for-hire basis. “There’s only a short list of switchers that were capable of
doing what we needed,” explained Tristar Products Technical Director John
Rybacki. “But none fell anywhere near the price point that worked for us.
FOR-A’s HVS-1000 gives us the best of both worlds: high quality, an unbeatable
track record, and versatility to go between HD and SD as needed.”

Tristar
has successfully completed more than half a dozen projects since the
installation of the HVS-1000. The response from Tristar customers has been
overwhelmingly positive. “This switcher works very well with our cameras and
our set up. It helps us give our clients exactly what they want,” said Rybacki.

Rybacki
said when it came time to convert their facility to HD, the company gave
careful consideration to the equipment selected. According to Rybacki, the
reputation of FOR-A and the HVS-1000 fell in line with Tristar’s dedication to
high standards. “Not only were we dealing with a highly regarded manufacturer,
but the HVS-1000 is a solid switcher with an established reputation,” he
explained.

Currently,
Tristar has four HD cameras wired to the HVS-1000, with plans to upgrade the
switcher in the works. The ability to add features as needed and ease of
upgrade were selling points according to Rybacki.

The
HVS-1000 comes standard with eight inputs, and can be configured for up to 16
inputs. Four still pictures can be stored in frame memory and the HVS-1000HS features
five standard outputs (PGM x 2, PVW x 1, AUX x 1, Input Preview x 1). It
is optionally expandable to seven outputs. One channel of key is also standard.
Up to three independent key layers and key edge/shadow generators are
available. The two optional keys can be used for chroma key operations.