HBO Chooses Snell & Wilcox Kahuna Switcher

Snell & Wilcox announced that HBO has created a new hybrid post-production room built around the Kahuna SD/HD multiformat production switcher, which provides flexibility in handling content in virtually any format and offers real-time film-effects capabilities that significantly enhance the editing workflow.

HBO's "Hybrid C" is a hybrid real-time editing room that combines linear HD editing with a nonlinear tapeless workflow to enable extremely fast editing and delivery of day-of-air programming in HD. The room also supports editing of more complex long-form programming for HBO's sports, family, and documentary departments.

"We stress quality in the way HBO programming is created, and this commitment is reflected in the tools we use in our new edit room," said Dominic Ambrosio, vice president of studio operations at HBO. "The Kahuna incorporates everything we need to operate effectively in the HD world. The switcher's versatility, reliability, and quality make it the perfect switching station for everything HD, and its flexibility lets us leverage a greater number of resources toward a quality on-air product."

HBO's move to HD required that the company find a way to achieve an efficient HD workflow for post-production of original programming, and sports in particular, that would match the quick editing turnaround HBO had established for its SD content.

Equipped with the Kahuna SD/HD switcher, an editor with random-access visual editing, a six-channel server with removable drives, and multidefinition DDRs, HBO's hybrid edit room relies on an edit system and switcher combination — rather than a conventional nonlinear system — to support rapid editing of programs such as Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel in a tapeless environment.

The Kahuna-based editing workflow has allowed HBO to recut features for premier sports programming, such as selected HBO World Championship Boxing events, and air them the same day. The same work in post previously required two and a half days. 

Without the need to digitize content, editors can begin work on live material immediately, as it enters the facility, and combine it with graphics off tape or disk. The Kahuna's internal conversion capability and handling of multiple frame rates eliminates the need for additional outboard equipment in working with a variety of formats. Real-time rendering of video with effects, including the film effects available through the switcher's IMPAKT DVE option, allows the HBO team to make video look like pristine film in just a fraction of the time and cost previously required.