All TV studios, Technical Centers, Production Areas, and OB Vans work using the CONEXIA intercom system.
Ecuador TV is the country’s public TV channel. It started back in 26th October 2007 and it is the first public TV channel in Ecuador. ECTV broadcasts contents from domestic and foreign independent producers, such as Discovery Channel documentaries, TVE, BBC, DW, NHK, KBS, CGTN, RAI, Voice of America, Señal Colombia, Canal Institucional, ViVe and Telesur.
Ecuador TV broadcast a conventional signal on channel 7, and a SD and HD DVB-T signals on channels 7.1 and 7.2, while also counting with satellite-distributed signals using platforms as DirectTV or ClaroTV, or cable platforms in Quito and Guayaquil.
Recently, the well-known international integrator Hitachi was granted with the largest technical renewal project in the history of the channel, which has relied on AEQ.
ECTV integrated a large CONEXIA intercom system in their new facilities, in order to provide service to all the production centers, technical rooms and production areas of the TV. Just in the same way, the control and monitoring of video signals from the Studio cameras and external sources is performed in the technical rooms using KROMA BY AEQ video monitors.
The CONEXIA intercom system counts with 34 intercom panels in rack or table-top format, 32 wired beltpacks and 23 XBP wireless beltpacks, enabling nearly 100 people in 9 different TV workplaces to communicate and coordinate. The whole wireless intercom system operates in the 5 GHz WiFi band.
The OB Vans
Two large OB Vans, counting with 6 and 8 cameras respectively, have also been equipped. One of them is used for satellite news broadcasting (DSNG News). They use systems based on the KROMA TH 5000 intercom matrix, connected to the camera CCUs, 10 wired panels and two wireless Xbp in each van.
The OB Van intercom matrixes are connected to the central system matrix using VoIP.
Video signal control is performed using KROMA BY AEQ video monitors.
There are three main studios, with associated stages, for news, large productions and small productions. Each stage has CCU connections for the four cameras and 3 KROMA Xbp wireless beltpacks featuring WiFi technology. These ones are assigned to the Stage Manager and two assistants.
There are four TP 4016 rack-mount panels in the main studios’ control rooms, assigned to the Manager, the Assistant to the Manager, Producer and Sound Technician.
Also, in each control room, 4 x TP8316 table-top intercom panels can be found for the Character Generation, VTR, Teleprompter and Social Media operators.
Besides, in the areas without a stage, designated in the diagram as Master, signals coming from the outside world are controlled using TP 4016 panels. There is one assigned to Domestic communications, another for International ones, one more for differentiated connections and the last one is assigned to a supervisor.
There are other work places with TP 4016 panels installed in the Central Control room. Three of them are assigned to the coordination to each large Studio, and the remaining three to other functions typical of a central control.
Two more panels can be found in both equipment rooms.
All this, as a whole, makes up a complex system where the required groups have been defined, so users can efficiently communicate within his work group, and this way all messages that have no relation to their tasks are not received, avoiding unnecessary distractions.
Video monitoring
Just in the same way, the new control rooms integrate more than 30 KROMA by AEQ discrete video monitors, including 17”, 18” and 24” screens and 9” and 4” preview monitors. KROMA BY AEQ monitors include advanced features that greatly enhance the signal monitoring experience: new inputs, camera calibration tools and other options, establishing a new monitoring milestone. All monitors admit DVI-I, CVSS, SDI, HD-SDI and 3G-SDI inputs, offer tri-color Tally, waveform, vector-scope and histogram displays, Luma check, false color and focus-assist as well as dynamic In-Monitor display (IMD) (using TSL protocol) or Dual-Split functions.
The complete project has been leaded by Hitachi Kokusai technical team in collaboration with Electrolab, AEQ’s local partner in Ecuador. Mr. Roberto Tejero was AEQ’s technical responsible for the startup, configuration and training of the whole installation.
Info: www.aeq.eu & Calavitis SA*
* Distributor for Hellas
Notes: Press Release - AEQ