Know-how

The TVP Telewizja Polska governmental TV station in Warsaw will equip one of their OB vehicles as well as one sound control room with digital audio technology provided by SALZBRENNER STAGETEC MEDIAGROUP. The sales agreement was confirmed by TVP and representatives of Konsbud Audio, the Polish distributor of MEDIAGROUP, at this year’s IBC in Amsterdam. The project includes two AURUS digital consoles and supplementing NEXUS systems. For TVP, this marks the entrance into the age of live productions in 5.1 surround sound.

With its three national channels and the TVP Polonia channel for Poles abroad, TVP Telewizja Polska is one of the major broadcasting stations in Eastern Europe. When planning the modernization of a control room in the TV complex in Warsaw and of an OB vehicle with digital consoles, the broadcaster had been looking for a multichannel solution supporting a smooth combination of the two control rooms. As AURUS and NEXUS do meet both of these requirements in a sophisticated and convenient way, the decision was a simple one! The solution will consist of two systems which can be operated either separately or in combination, and which will provide extensive 5.1 functionality.

The larger one of the two AURUS consoles with 128 audio channels will be installed in the OB vehicle while the other AURUS will feature 86 channels in the broadcasting center. Both consoles will be equipped with dynamic and snapshot automation for instant and efficient use. Three NEXUS base devices in each facility will complement the installation. They make up the interface for all audio inputs and outputs; may it be an analogue or digital interface of any format. In addition, TVP will integrate the new NEXUS SDI interface which allows for processing embedded SDI audio signals via NEXUS.
If required, NEXUS will also support the simple networking of the two control rooms through a single fiber line. This feature allows for joining the two facilities to a single audio-control unit with vast processing capacities.

The implementation of AURUS marks a turning point in TVP’s history: As the broadcasting service plans to focus on 5.1 surround sound productions in the future, the support of all multichannel formats has been a key criterion. In addition to its multichannel bus system and monitoring features, AURUS stands out with its unique feature of allowing a mixdown to multiple multichannel formats at the same time. Thanks to its new approach in computing the panorama, for example a stereo mix and a 5.1 mix can be done simultaneously! Thus, AURUS elminates the need for quality-deteriorating mixdowns or for an additional stereo mix. In terms of time and costs, this is an enormous benefit especially in live production!