Pacific Television Center (PacTV), a Los Angeles-based independent global transmission and production company, is putting the final touches on selecting, acquiring and integrating the latest in high-end equipment for its new state-of-the-art London facility. The facility, slated to open in June 2015 and located in London’s famed Silicon Roundabout, offers 4,000sqft dedicated to providing its customers with the most progressive broadcast technology and service available on the market today. PacTV London’s new home is twice as large as its previous space and is fully 3G capable. It features two HD studios, 20 racks of collocation space, an on-site generator as well as eight fixed and steerable satellite dishes.
“The new London facility will be the most advanced broadcast facility in the region, and PacTV is working with a wide range of vendors and suppliers to provide the best experience to our customers,” said George Lopez, vice president of operations. “Central to this expansion is the construction of two new HD studios. A lot has changed since we built the original facility eight years ago, and as clients have moved from SD to 4K we have had to redraw the lines when it comes to how we manage broadcast projects and events.”
To accomplish this, PacTV selected Sony FS 5 cameras, which are 4K compatible while still capable of supporting current broadcast formats. It also adds a wireless functionality to its well-known broadcast camera control set. “The FS 5 allows us to move forward with deliverable assets while allowing our operators to easily work inside Sony’s familiar workflow,” added Lopez.
On the other side of the lenses, the studios will feature BBS Lighting Area 48 LED fixtures with interchangeable phosphor panels. These are controlled from a remote DMX for external lighting control. This will allow broadcast directors and live producers to be able to improve every shot, up until the last minute before going on-air.
The facility has also recently chosen the Sharp Aquous Q+ Series LED Smart TV monitors to display its background images in the studios. With 4K playback capabilities and full mobile integration, it is the ideal monitoring solution for PacTV London’s new studios. This new monitor allows PacTV and its clients to set its shots to various locations giving them the added flexibility that is unattainable with a ‘real’ window. It offers a level of quality and predictability without having to adhere to weather or lighting factors for live or pre-recorded shots.
Lastly, to manage all the connectivity in and out of the facility, PacTV chose a Miranda 8500 Series router (NV 8576), featuring a 576 x 1152 matrix. This router is central to PacTV’s workflow and how it supports the diverse ecosystem of media deliverables for its clients. The Miranda 8500 Series allows the company to integrate video, optical and Ethernet routing all in one platform. As video and content changes between IP to fibre to uncompressed feeds, the new router integrates all of these mediums allowing PacTV’s operators to focus on content type.
“From camera to cable, from lens to local connectivity, PacTV’s London transition is set to be a transformation in how companies manage broadcast media services,” said Lopez. “PacTV highly anticipates this next chapter and looks forward to being at the forefront of the next wave in broadcast workflow with the opening of this upgraded facility.”
