Tech Spotlight

Just as stations are finding ways of monetizing old footage, those potential profits are falling apart on dusty shelves. Fortunately, expert help is available to rescue and restore those aging videotapes.

The 23-station group is moving to improve efficiency and quality by centralizing major graphics production and deploying Chyron's AXIS, a system that empowers just about everybody in the newsroom to produce everyday graphics.

Loudness spikes and "intractable" lip sync troubles are bedeviling the Dolby-based audio standard and keeping engineers busy looking for remedies. Dolby says some of the problem would go away if everybody would read the instructions and follow them faithfully.

Some stations are ready to go with their full-power digital service, but others with "unique technical challenges" have obtained extensions from the FCC that will allow them to keep working on their transmission facilities after the Feb. 17, 2009, deadline.

The new SMPTE standard is bringing another dimension of automation to TV stations, allowing data to flow back and forth between traffic and master control and promising money-saving spot management.

Some enterprising reporters are capturing big news with an ultra-small consumer camera at an ultra-small price. Pure Digital's "fun tool' is less than 2-by-4 inches, weighs less than 3 ounces and costs just $180.

The broadcast vendor best known for its camcorders and monitors is developing a system for automating the news control room that it claims will be "more intuitive" and "less restrictive" than the Ignite and OverDrive systems that now dominate the market.

With multicasting and repurposing for the Web becoming commonplace, TV stations are heading to NAB looking for technologies that will help them manage the new demands and the operational expenses.

Richard Chernock, CTO of Triveni Digital, is leading the effort at the ATSC to develop a standard for "non-real-time services" that will allow broadcasters to offer near-on-demand news and weather, to target ads and to download TV shows, movies and music.

Smaller market stations are finding that the quality and features of many cameras designed for field use—added to their lower cost—make them ideal for studio use.