Jefferson Pilot TV Stations Conversion to Automation
by W. Henry Boze, VP of Engineering, Jefferson Pilot Comunications

Charlotte, NC - November 14, 2001 -When the Jefferson-Pilot group of television stations began searching for a new master control automation system, we knew we were in for a long process of research, involving system reliability, functionality, affordability and the capability to seamlessly interface within our individual stations' existing infrastructure. Automation, as anyone who has been through that process can attest, can be a scary transition for any station; and we have all heard plenty of stories where the transition to automation was anything but smooth.

Automation was first discussed as a possible solution to several issues that two of our stations would soon be facing. WBTV, the Charlotte, NC, CBS affiliate and WWBT, our Richmond, VA, NBC affiliate both needed to replace their ageing Sony LMS Beta carts, which had served them well over a long period of time. We decided to replace what we affectionately called our analog servers with a pair of new Sony MAV-70XGI MPEG-2 digital video servers in a mirrored configuration. The Sony LMS had provided both broadcast operations with many years of reliable service, so we decided to stick with their product. In addition, the price performance of the MAV was excellent. This was an opportune time to dive into the world of automation and to gain experience that would lead to additional areas of manpower efficiency.

Enter Crispin, a young innovative company located in Raleigh, NC, specializing in broadcast automation systems. I first met Alan DeVaney and Carlos Cela, co-founders of Crispin, at the 1999 NAB and spent a lot of time with them. Alan, who has had extensive experience in the broadcast automation industry, showed me a new concept that used industry standard PCs wrapped around the widely used Windows NT operating system. This system would seamlessly integrate into our existing networks and traffic systems and could even be controlled remotely. What I particularly liked was Crispin's commitment to working directly with Jefferson-Pilot in what I felt was a direct one-on-one partnership. Not only was I impressed with this concept, but also with the cost -- it wouldn't break the bank! The question was: would it work with Sony's Disc Protocol? Crispin, at this point, had only interfaced with one other major vendor's video server, but was up to the challenge of trying something new. They welcomed the opportunity to work with Sony. Sony was contacted and was eager to work directly with the Crispin team: our system integration plan was now under way. The project moved forward, and installation of the new Crispin automation system and Sony MAV-70XGI s took place during April of 2001.

Crispin utilizes a series of modules wrapped around their main playback-to-air software called "RapidPlayX 2000." This module is responsible for on-air control of multiple output channels with multiple play lists (up to sixteen). As an example: WWBT in Richmond presently utilizes a four-channel system: standard air playback; cable channel feed; DTV transmission channel; and a spare channel for future use. If required, the system status displays can be monitored at multiple locations throughout the plant. We find it useful to monitor in various locations where operators can get a quick snapshot of the automation status. This allows personnel to work in different locations of the control room without having to stay glued to the MCR switcher.

A module called "Dubber 2000" accomplishes ingestion and management of digitizing ( the MAV70XGI does the digitization or encoding) of the video and audio material that is stored in the video servers and provides the RS-422 machine control for dubbing clips into the MAV-70XGI. The MAV-70XGI offers high quality of MPEG-2 encoding and reliable performance.

All of the dubs are frame accurate to mark-in and mark-out when using tape machines. There are also provisions for naming clips, adding comments, and trimming video and audio. Dubber can be used to control the "commercial catch servers" directly for recording into the MAV, eliminating additional tape machine operations. Dubber has the ability to provide an on-screen dub list that allows the operator to "drag and drop" a clip name from the list into the "name" field in Dubber, eliminating the need to type this information, thus reducing errors that the tape operator could encounter.

The DeviceServer software, which runs from a standard Windows NT workstation, interprets commands from the RapidPlayX 2000 module, and then communicates with the various devices within the TV plant via either RS-422 serial control or a LAN connection using standard IP protocol. Each device that the system controls is contained as a unique DLL (Dynamic Linked Library) file, which can be added or removed as necessary through Crispin's device-server configuration screen. It's as simple as giving each device a name and selecting the type of device: Crispin does the rest.

The use of the various sub-systems ties the total product together and allows for a wide range of personal taste. Every broadcast station has different internal procedures on how the final on-air package is delivered to air; and because the Crispin product is so configurable in look and function, it is easy to wrap the product around the individual station's personality.

Crispin has done their homework on redundancy and reliability and is handled in a number of ways that ensure confidence in the system. There are many built in safe guards against failure and Crispin provides ways to work around them should they occur. The system is designed so that no module relies on the Windows O/S for its functionality. If that module were to fail it would not affect the rest of the system: it would only have to be restarted by the operator.

So, how does the system perform? Well, great! It has been on line since April at both Charlotte and Richmond and works extremely well. Our operators find the system easy to use and very intuitive. Is it perfect? No, there are no automation systems that I have ever seen that are. Software "bugs" are just a fact of life in our business, but this is where the team at Crispin shines. Crispin's customer service is excellent; and when one of these ugly little critters pops up, you need help -- sometimes pretty quickly. They are first and foremost broadcasters who understand our business. When a problem is reported, they immediately try to replicate it in their lab and then address any software code or hardware problems. Once the fix is determined, then it is tested again in the lab to make sure that, in fact, it is fixed. Finally it is delivered to the customer for implementation. They have always been available to our technicians and work closely with them to continually improve the product. It has truly been a one-on-one partnership.

ABOUT THE COMPANIES:

W. Henry Boze is Vice President of Engineering/TV for Jefferson-Pilot Communications Company and can be reached at 804-230-2769 or e-mail: hboze@jpc.com CRISPIN can be reached at 919-845-7744, or you can view their WEB site at www.crispincorp.com. For Sony information and pricing, contact Michael J. DeBlasio, Senior Product/ Marketing Manager, Server Technology at 408-955-4297.

CRISPIN- Founded in 1997, CRISPIN Corporation is a leading provider of high-quality TV automation and media asset management solutions to the broadcasting, telecommunications, cable, educational and Internet industries. Based in Raleigh, NC, CRISPIN offers automation solutions to over 300 broadcast facilities worldwide from small school systems to Network Television -CBS and NBC! Automation systems range from simple operating systems to total facility automation, including news, archiving, databasing, centralizing control, and multiple device control. More information about CRISPIN is available on www.crispincorp.com or call 919-845-7744.