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Trinity Broadcasting Network Switches to HD with Thomson Grass Valley
by Paul Crouch, Jr., August 11, 2006
Vice President of Administration, Trinity Broadcasting Network
TUSTIN, CALIF.
Paul Crouch, Jr., vice president of administration for the Trinity Broadcasting Network with the network's new Grass Valley switcher
The Trinity Broadcasting Network is the seventh largest conglomerate and TV station owner in the United States, reaching 93 percent of the homes in America. The company programs or owns 32 full-power licenses - reaching virtually all of the major DMAs, and 280 low-power stations. We are also carried on more than 7,612 cable systems, as well as on satellite to cover the rest of the world.
Most of the network's programming is distributed from production centers located in Los Angeles, Dallas, Nashville, Atlanta and Miami.
We also have several production and post facilities, including those in Tustin and Costa Mesa, Calif.
With the help of systems integrator TV Magic, we've just completed HD upgrades to our two studios in Costa Mesa. We've installed six Grass Valley LDK 4000 HD cameras, a Grass Valley Trinix HD router and a Grass Valley Kalypso HD video production center. The switcher is used for both the main studio and a smaller one with a news set.
GRASS VALLEY HERITAGE
One thing we like about the Kalypso HD switcher is that it has the Grass Valley heritage. TBN has been around for more than three decades, so we appreciate experience. The production knowledge and customer service that we have received from Grass Valley has been excellent.
When we started out, we used other, less expensive switchers because our budgets were tight. A Grass Valley switcher is usually not the cheapest, but it's well worth the money. Reliability is one of the key elements needed in a video switcher, and we have never had a problem with a Grass Valley product. When you amortize the cost of a lower-cost switcher including repair, down time and everything else, Grass Valley becomes the wiser choice.
We like the high-quality digital technology used in the Kalypso HD switcher, specifically the animation still-store system and the six built-in channels of digital video effects. We don't have to have external DVE boxes in the control room, which is a big space saver. It also makes productions run more smoothly, as all effects are accessed through the switcher panel.
We chose a two M/E Kalypso HD version with full function Program/Preset. The power of Kalypso HD allows us to do sophisticated live productions with fewer M/Es. Also, Kalypso HD's file management system is handy, as our directors and TDs all have their own specific way of working. With this functionality, each can save their desired settings and program macros and E-MEMs and put sources and effects in the exact way they like to see them. The next crew to use the control room simply loads their own configuration. The flexibility of Kalypso's file system allows us to order just one part of the configuration or the entire "show" with one button press. We installed a virtual monitor wall, which can also be configured to different tastes, so we save both the switcher and the monitor wall salvos for each program.
WE'VE COME A LONG WAY
Christian TV has come a long way, in terms of our message and the quality of the programs we produce. Our production values take a back seat to no one, including the major commercial networks. What we're doing is as good as anything in the industry. Today, we're competing in a world of 500 channels. If our message isn't clear and if our shows are not compelling and relevant, we lose viewers. We've had to get better and use the best and most flexible tools for our productions. That's why we continue to choose Grass Valley.
Paul Crouch, Jr., is vice president of administration for the Trinity Broadcasting Network. He is a 31-year veteran of the media industry. He can be reached at comments@tbn.org.
