Broadcast Pix Slate 1000HD Production Switcher
As audiovisual enhancement in sanctuaries gets more sophisticated, video crews are finding themselves performing increasingly complex production and switching tasks. Indeed, today’s multimedia faith celebrations require production tools and skills to rival those in broadcast television’s top control rooms. That’s fine for megachurches that can hire professionals, but many houses of worship, even larger ones, rely on the service and enthusiasm of lay or volunteer expertise. Without accessible tools, keeping up with the production goals can be overwhelming.
Broadcast Pix’s Slate 1000HD (starting at $22,400) is a video production switcher that’s the capable centerpiece of a robust live production. Its tactile control panel is modeled after the industry-standard Grass Valley 100 and will feel quite familiar to the experienced user, complete with multiple buses, keys, transitions, and fader bar. Yet, Slate takes a dramatically different visual approach to live switching that makes it as accessible to the weekend enthusiast as to the seasoned pro.
Slate’s paradigm change is to move most of the image processing horsepower out of the control panel and into a Windows XP computer, leveraging the computer CPU. The result is a set of features that’s more than just a switcher; including, still store, on-the-fly titling and character generation (CG), live video feedback, and Digital Disc Recorder clip store and play-out. Equally important, it affords an accessible Windows graphical user interface that puts everything in front of you and shows exactly what you have to work with. What’s more, the CPU’s agility extends back to the otherwise familiar control panel in the form of context specific and changeable LCD-based buttons that show you exactly what you’re hitting, taking, and putting live to the congregation.
A Full Slate
The Slate 1000HD is a member of Broadcast Pix’s family of switchers, all of which are built around the same Windows-based processing and Windows XP computer. Versions are available in either SD or new HD configurations and, not surprisingly, standard definition configurations are more affordable. Yet, thankfully, SD configurations are always upgradeable to HD should your house of worship make the move to HD production.
While all Slate configurations are highly customizable; in general, Slate 1000 series models include the switcher control panel and the Windows XP computer with I/O via break-out cables. The default configuration is four HD/SDI inputs, although one of those can be converted to DVI for a computer source, such as a presentation PC with hymn or reading text to be displayed. A second input card can double the number of inputs and a breakout cable can be used to offer analog inputs.
Other models add connectivity and additional features. For example, Slate 2100 series models offer the greater flexibility of Broadcast Pix’s iBoB, or intelligent break-out box, which offers eight HD/SDI inputs, four of which can be converted to analog. Slate 3000 series models replace the iBoB with a HD/SD input router of various sizes and inputs. And, Broadcast Pix expects to soon release a new 5000 series built on a larger 2ME-style control panel. There is even an affordable Slate 100 that eschews the tactile control panel for simple mouse-based switching control. That can be a little clunky in a fast-paced environment, although many Broadcast Pix dealers turn that into a very elegant, if a little less affordable system by adding touchscreens that literally put easy live switching at your fingertips.
All Slate systems share a computer graphic user interface that provides constant visual feedback, as well as preview of both live and stored video sources. That’s because Slate can simultaneously play several streams of motion video, including from live cameras sources and QuickTime clips stored on the system hard drive. Two large video windows across the top of the screen take the place of what would ordinarily be separate preview and program video monitors. Smaller video windows below show your inputs, and there’s a multi-tabbed bin on the right that keeps track of stored video clips, graphics, and pre-made titles. All interface elements are configurable, and windows can be repositioned anywhere on your computer monitor.
Given the breadth of visual information, I’d certainly recommend a dual-monitor desktop configuration. Broadcast Pix doesn’t include monitors with the system, since any desktop monitor can suffice, although many dealers do offer bundled prices. You can even build a control room-style video wall.
Switching with Slate is also configurable. You can program input selections to go first to the preview window using a traditional “preview-program” workflow, or you can “take” straight to live program output. And you can perform all switching functions exclusively with the control panel, all by pointing and clicking the computer mouse on inputs on the screen, or any combination of mouse and control panel.
Slate offers a full array of high-quality keys, DVEs, and transitions; including, thanks to the general purpose CPU, customizable alpha wipes, picture-in-picture, and multi-layer graphics and video. Programmable Memory keys store powerful macros that can include a series of onscreen elements, layers, and effects that can be recalled with a touch of a single button. The computer processor is also able to automatically adjust a source’s aspect ratio on-the-fly if you need to, for example, mix 4:3 SD sources with 16:9 HD sources in the same production. You can even set how clips are cropped for seamless visual integration.
Ideal Integration
Yet, it’s Slate’s flexibility to integrate other functions that makes it so powerful and ultimately more than a traditional switcher. You can load QuickTime or MPEG clips straight from an editing system onto the Slate hard drive and then play them directly to air without any need for a separate DDR (Digital Disc Record) or external player device. Similarly, graphics and titles are all available in the asset bin. They can even be created or amended during a live production using the integrated OEM version of Inscribe Title Motion Pro. A special titling option called CG Connect can automatically generate a series of titles from a database, all using a consistent look, potentially saving hours of design time if you require a lot of title cards.
If you work in a smaller sanctuary that doesn’t have the space for live camera operators, or you have a small production crew, a Slate camera control option can integrate with either Sony or Hitachi mounted remote cameras. Using the control panel’s joystick and keypad, you can even pan, zoom, tilt, focus, etc. your live cameras all from the same “switcher.” Your source feeds are always visible onscreen so there will be no surprises when switching between different angles.
Slate, of course, isn’t the first piece of video equipment to leverage the power of the computer processor. Non-linear editing systems have been doing it for almost two decades, beginning back when processing power was a lot more restricting. That’s no longer the case, and computer-based video has become extremely robust and of very high quality. Yet, you’ll still find users out there that worry about computer crashes and other anomalies. So, just in case, the Slate 1000 offers a fail-safe mode that continues to pass the primary camera source through to the live output even in the case of a power failure, so you’re never faced with a blank screen. The 2100 and 3000 series models take that a step further by affording continued switching through the iBob or input router even if the user interface goes down.
The Slate 1000 HD is a good choice if you’re just looking for a control room production switcher. But it’s an even better value if you’re fitting out an entire production control room. By including live and stored material, as well as graphics and titles and even camera control if necessary, the Slate 1000 HD can take the place of several pieces of equipment. And, by putting it all in one user interface, Broadcast Pix offers an accessible way to help house of worship production crews keep up with today’s audio-video rich services.
Jeff Sauer has covered the professional video and A/V industry for a dozen years and is an independent video producer and consultant in Massachusetts.
