Datos Media completes HD production centre for TBN

Datos Media Technologies has finished a major high-definition renovation of the Madrid studio and production centre for Trinity Broadcasting Network.

Richard Fleming of TBN Europe comments: “Today TBN’s Madrid facility serves as the premier broadcast hub feeding programming via satellite to TBN’s networks and affiliates throughout Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Many of TBN’s most popular programmes are filmed before a live audience, and the new state-of-the-art studio from Datos Media gives us the latest in HD technology that will keep our production quality at its peak.”

Fleming adds that Datos Media, along with its UK-based sister company ATG Broadcast, were the logical choice for the upgrade because of their combined reputations for innovative designs in both live studio systems and digital content management. “Being Madrid-based, Datos is also ideally located to provide ongoing service or expansion support for TBN,” he said.

David Martinez, operations manager for Datos Media, explains that video production equipment integrated into the new studio includes: five Sony HXC-D70 cameras with optical links; Canon lenses; Cartoni and Jimmy Jib camera mounts; a Sony MVS-3000 vision switcher; and a Ross XPression HD character generator. The vision mixer incorporates a multi-viewer output which feeds audio and video control room monitors, with file editing completed on Apple computers running Final Cut Pro X software.

Audio production is controlled from a Studer Vista 1 console with 30 motorised faders. This can source from AKG, Beyer, Sennheiser, and Shure microphones, plus 10 Sony digital radio microphone channels. Infrastructure equipment, meanwhile, includes: an AJA video format converter; an AJA 32 x 32 HD-SDI router; Custom Consoles production control desks; Eizo, LG, and Mitsubishi monitors in 50 inch and 55 inch sizes; Omnitek test equipment; a Trilogy master sync generator; and a Vidigo ToolBox media file player — all held together with Axon glue.

The project was completed on schedule and the new HD studio and production centre are now fully on the air. “This was quite an ambitious project for us, given TBN’s reputation for maintaining exacting standards of technical quality. We are very pleased with the results,” says Martinez.