NEC Display Solutions Client Installation Broadcast
SWISS TV
PROVIDING HIGH QUALITY HD PERFORMANCE FOR BROADCASTING
tpc switzerland ag - technical service provider from SRF (Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen) has, as one would expect, extremely high quality standards, but the price-performance ratio is also scrutinised when selecting components. When Swiss TV was selecting monitors for new control rooms, equipment from NEC Display Solutions met their exacting requirements.
The HD broadcast centre in Zurich is one of tpc/SRF most important technical locations. The broadcast control rooms for SF1, SFtwo and SF Info come together in a huge, three-storey building complex. Additional tasks can be undertaken using the two separate control rooms numbered 21 and 22. There the technology is so designed that all areas are set up with complete redundancy in mind, ensuring broadcasting operation is never interrupted.
The Challenge
For equipping its various studios the broadcaster needed quality monitors which allow image depiction from different video and computer sources in a multi-view setup. Rolf Gisler, Engineering Project Manager at the SF service provider tpc explains what was required:
“We were looking for top quality displays which meet the requirements of round the clock production. This is, however, less about monitors and more about an excellent depiction of contents”. For this reason, the purchasing decision-makers examined a wide range of providers.
“Of course the manufacturers of dedicated broadcast hardware also have models in their portfolio which meet such comparatively simple requirements”, Gisler informs us, “however, you also must pay a premium price for this equipment”. For this reason, the team included manufacturers of digital signage solutions in the selection list. tpc/SFR had an important, very specific requirement - the HD-SDI standard widely used in production environment had to be supported by the chosen display equipment. The requirement for HD content to be transmitted uncompressed over the appropriate connections meant that the number of possible providers was considerably reduced. From the selection of digital signage products only the models from NEC Display Solutions remained in contention. NEC large format displays are fully compatible with the system through the use of plug-in boards via the Option Slot.
In a direct comparison with the specialised equipment for video production, the prices also presented a compelling argument. In the final count the specialised hardware was almost twice as expensive. Gisler and his team nonetheless also examined the image quality of the different devices.
As part of an extensive evaluation exercise the shortlisted displays were subjected to a ‘shoot-out’ whereby performance is compared side by side in a direct comparison. Identification labels and logos were masked to ensure impartiality. Where the visual evaluation was concerned, not only subjective perceptions but also criteria such as the image depiction from various viewing angles came into play. Following this exercise the measuring technicians assessed the components with a view to calibration and profiling capabilities.
The Result
The results of the extensive testing were clear. In all assessment categories the equipment from NEC Display Solutions came out on top. Consequently the decision was clear-cut and today twentyfour 46inch P461 and seventeen 40inch P401 provide reliable services in the studios. These are fitted out with HD-SDI boards and can also be comfortably operated using the Remote Control Kit.
Gisler is extremely satisfied with the decision to use monitors from NEC Display Solutions. “The equipment provides exactly the high quality which is expected in the production area at an extremely attractive price “.
