MDR Dresden upgrades to HD production with L-S-B VSM control
Major modernisation work at the Sachsen MDR broadcasting centre in Dresden has included a complete update of the control room and video editing suite with installation of VSM (Virtual Studio Manager) as the new control system. With the advent of high definition broadcasting at MDR it was necessary for its regional broadcasting facilities to switch to the production of HD signals.
The modernisation work was to meet this requirement with the update to the studio and video editing suite, including configuration of L-S-B’s VSM, carried out without any interruption to broadcasting. MCS Sachsen was responsible for the technical work on site.
“VSM has played a big part in improving our work processes. We use the VSM not just for crosspoint matrix switching but also as a multiviewer switcher, to transfer labels from external sources to our video mixer, to read matrix and transmission line status information and for switching in case of machine failure,” said Rüdiger Huth from MCS Sachsen. “It takes no time at all to learn how to configure the software and it offers considerable freedom for creativity in the programming of operating devices.”
In the control room where regional programme content for MDR Sachsen Today (Sachsenspiegel) is coordinated, the VSM is the central control system and controls an HD matrix (232×248) and a Sony video mixer. The matrix incorporates eight de-embedded inputs and 16 embedded outputs that are controlled by the VSM. In addition there are in each case 16 AES inputs and outputs and 3 multiview cards for output to six monitors with up to 64 PIPs.
In this setup the VSM system also controls the tally and labelling of the PIPs, as it also does the tally and labelling of a total of eight Penta multiviewers that are in use on the monitor walls of the control room and in the video editing suite. The VSM switches the monitor inputs by GPI. The video editing suite also has eight independently switchable monitors for which the VSM controls the tally and labelling.
Huth goes on to explain how “the VSM was also a big help to us in implementing our new HD matrix. We first used it to control our ‘old’ video and audio matrix switchers, whilst we implemented the new HD matrix switchers at the same time. The VSM managed all the tie-lines between the different matrix switchers. As soon as the HD matrix switchers were fully operational, the old matrix switchers were simply removed from the configuration without any interruption whatsoever.”
The system was installed on site by L-S-B Broadcast Technologies and is based on 2 VSM servers with a fully redundant configuration. Additional L-S-B hardware also used includes: 18 x LBP-17, 7 x LBP-51, 1 x LBP-32 Desktop and 3 x LTP-19.