KUHT/Houston Public Television signs with CRISPIN for Total
Automation
Raleigh, NC - August 24, 2000 - KUHT/Houston Public
Television, America's first public television station, has
signed with Crispin's new total station automation package, System
2000. Crispin's System 2000 will automate KUHT's new $12
million state-of-the-art facility, The LeRoy and Lucile Melcher Center
for Public Broadcasting. The Center began construction early
this summer and the plan is to go on the air this fall with digital
channel 9, complementing their current analog channel 8.
KUHT's first move in 36 years, the new facility will provide 55,000
square feet of space for television production, compared to 42,000 in
the old complex. Built with digital broadcasting in mind,
a new master control will handle the digital data stream, as will two
DTV on-line editing facilities- one equipped for digital broadcast,
the other outfitted for digital and HDTV. The building contains an
on-line analog editing suite for current programming, two studio
control rooms-one digital/HDTV capable and one analog, and the latest
in digital audio post-production facilities.
KUHT/Houston Public Television will use the Crispin System 2000
Total Automation Systems to create automatic operation of
master-control functions—including spot playback, and record
and playback of syndicated and network programming.
Crispin's System 2000 features database management, playlist
management, and device control. It accommodates network delays,
long form records, playback operations and commercial record playback
operations.
Crispin's System 2000 works on Windows NT 4 utilizing TCP/IP to
establish communication via a LAN to the Crispin applications.
KUHT will be utilizing the Crispin application modules:
RapidPlayX 2000, Turbobrowser, Mapper, Record Scheduler, Segmentor,
Dubber, ClipCop, and DeviceServer. This
automation system is designed to provide complete station control,
including unattended operation for a complete range of mixed broadcast
devices. These devices include video servers, cart machines,
stand-alone VTRs, Master Control switchers, routers, audio cart
machines, still store, digital effects systems, and more.
KUHT will use Crispin's ClipCop module to mirror, via fibre
channel, two HP Mediastreams for playback and backup.
RapidPlayX 2000 with TurboBrowser will control the Main and secondary
Master Controls working with the Phillips Saturn Master Control
Switcher with Digital Video Effects, and the Phillips Venus Routing
Switcher with Jupiter Control System. Crispin's Mapper will
create and control a playlist from their ProTrack traffic system
to the HP MediaStreams. The Crispin DeviceServer module
allows for real-time control of the master control devices using house
LTC. All software modules work with DeviceServer for scheduling
of an action that the device needs to control, such as playback,
dubbing, record scheduling, segmenting, caching, etc.
The schedules are executed with precise time-of-day time code and the
information is stored in the Crispin MediaBase database system for
retrieval by any of the applications as needed for execution.
The Crispin System 2000 will also be controlling thirteen Sony
protocol videotape or videocassette recorder/producers, as well as two
HP MediaStream Video Servers, Phillips Saturn Master Control Switcher
with Digital Video Effects, and Phillips Venus Routing Switcher
with Jupiter Control System.
Crispin's Mapper and Scheduler will interface control of their
traffic system and the automation via their web browseable facility
database, MediaBase 2000. A flexible device server
architecture, this database uses a Microsoft SQL server with a total
facility playlist and asset control. Since the system uses a web
browser interface, anyone authorized on the network has full access to
the automation system with any standard web browser. This
flexibility brings data and control to the users, directly where they
need it. With Mapper and MediaBase 2000, KUHT will
have the ability to show automatic discrepancies and show the content
of the media in the database and on the servers. Automatic dub
lists can be created and viewed in Dubber 2000. Kill lists can
also be created by Mapper.
KUHT will be recording and segmenting their programming with
Crispin's Record Scheduler, which works with Dubber 2000 for the
recording of programming materials, and Segmentor that is used to time
out the segments.
Crispin's SmartWedge will give the system GPI device control.
The I/0 SmartWedge board is a microprocessor-based programmable
hardware device that interfaces to the serial port of a PC and accepts
up to 12 GPI remote inputs which are opto-isolated and 12 remote
outputs.
ABOUT THE COMPANIES:
CRISPIN: Founded in 1997, Crispin Corporation is a leading provider
of reliable, cost-effective, high-performance broadcast automation
solutions. Based in Raleigh, NC, Crispin offers automation
solutions to broadcast facilities worldwide from simple operating
systems to total facility automation, including archiving and
databasing. Crispin supports a broad range of
broadcast devices, including video disk servers, VTRs, cart machines,
switchers, and other devices. Crispin provides creative
and "cutting edge" automation solutions to meet the diverse
needs of multi-channel, network, and DTV environments with flexible,
reliable, affordable solutions and superior support. Additional
information about Crispin products are available at www.crispincorp.com
or call 919-845-7744.
KUHT/Houston Public Television: America's first public
television station, KUHT signed on the air on May 25, 1953.
A Houston institution, the station even pre-dates the Corporation for
Public Broadcasting (CPB) and the Public Broadcasting System (PBS).
KUHT has lead the way serving as a model and example for other
educational television stations and systems throughout the country.
The new LeRoy and Lucile Melcher Center for Public Broadcasting will
lead other PBS stations into the digital age of television. This
new state-of-the-art broadcast facility will allow KUHT to prepare for
programming on its digital channel. With the increased
capabilities of the digital channel, the station's future plans
include expanding its electronic courses and long-distance education
programs.
KUHT/Houston Public Television, licensed to the University of
Houston.
