Diversified Systems Upgrades Studio Facilities at William Patterson University

When the William Patterson University Communications Department was looking to upgrade its broadcast studio facilities, it turned to Diversified Systems, a nationally recognized AV design integration company, to provide six Autoscript 17-inch TFT on-camera prompters (LED17TFT) for use within the departments’ media studies and production program.

The media production track at William Patterson University introduces students to the methods and techniques used to create aural/visual messages in a variety of mass media. Sequences of introductory and advanced courses in theory and practice of film, television and radio provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the aesthetics and techniques of media production, and prepare them for professional roles in different media fields. The production facilities give students hands-on practice in two television studios, a radio station, a film production lab, a digital audio production lab and several digital video and audio editing rooms.

“This upgrade was about moving from the academic environment to a professional environment as seamlessly as possible, and what we keep saying is ‘what you are seeing here either in the studios or the control rooms is what you will be seeing when you move into the marketplace,’ ” says Al Clarke, television studio manager, William Patterson University. “There is no tape; everything goes to a 72-terabyte centralized storage area that is available in two control rooms, as well as in 20 different edit bays. It’s the real deal here and Autoscript’s teleprompters are a wonderful component to this upgrade.”

With three teleprompters in each of the school’s two studios (Studio A & B), along with Autoscript’s +ClockPlus+ timecode display, students have the ability to gain hands-on experience in a professional broadcast studio environment similar to those of major television studios throughout the country. The Autoscript LED17TFT prompters are used with Sony HXCD-70k high definition studio/EFP cameras. The camera setups utilize products from several companies within Vitec Videocom, including Sachtler tripods and Video 60 Plus unit heads. The university also employs Vinten pedestals throughout the studio. In addition, the studios, control and engineering rooms and physical spaces were revamped. Also part of the multi-million-dollar renovation was the installation of new computer floors, along with rooms reconfigured to better service student needs.

“We used the prompters for the first time at the start of this school year,” adds Clarke. “When setting them up, I was really impressed with how easy and intuitive the setting menu was to use. I was able to figure out how to tweak the monitor view within seconds.”

Autoscript’s LED17TFT wide-angle, on-camera prompter incorporates the latest in Autoscript’s illumination technology, the TFT (thin-film transistor) LED system. Unlike CCFLs (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Tubes), which take many minutes to reach full efficiency and light output, the LED17TFT warms up instantly to full brightness. LEDs also provide superior display longevity, reliability, and performance, all of which enable Autoscript’s LED17TFT monitors to provide top-notch light distribution, higher contrast levels, and better overall picture quality. In addition, the LED17TFT comes with a wide-angle hood, making it optimal for news- or studio-based productions.

Autoscript’s ClockPlus is an LED SMPTE/EBU timecode display that can change color from green to red when a suitable tally input is applied. The clock face has 2.25-inch tall digits that display HH:MM:SS A/P in 12-hour mode or HH:MM:SS in 24-hour mode. The timecode input is taken from either VITC embedded in the video input or from LTC. When a timecode source is connected, the clock will instantly set itself to the input time. If the timecode source is removed, the display will continue to update the time under control of an internal crystal oscillator.