Broadcast Pix's Production Switcher Fills Two Frame Sizes at Once

The demand for HD content continues to increase, but, contrary to what you read in the trade press, more than 80 percent of consumers continue to watch traditional-sized TVs. This means broadcasters and production houses are faced with the dilemma of serving two audiences, who are watching very different sized screens, with the same content in analog as well as digital SD and HD. Of course, analog TV goes away in about two years (officially February 17, 2009).
And it’s not just broadcasters that are faced with the problem. It also impacts anyone that wants to go to a widescreen projector and simultaneously to a traditional format for the Internet or cable TV.

Recognizing this prevailing need to handle multiple aspect ratios, often simultaneously, the capability is now offered on the most sophisticated HD video production switchers from manufacturers such as Grass Valley (MatchDef) and Snell & Wilcox (Format Fusion) as an optional, pricey feature.

In its continuing effort to go up against the big boys, Broadcast Pix, based in Burlington, MA., is offering the feature (minus simultaneous output) for free. It’s the latest software update to a flexible integrated production platform that runs underneath its Slate switcher and allows a single operator to run most types of multi-camera productions. The company calls the Slate-complete with clip store, effects and CG and multi-view monitoring-“an entire control room” in a single box.

Called AutoAspect, the software enables 16:9 and 4:3 inputs, clips and graphics to be used interchangeably and mixed together in the same live production. And it does this while maintaining the native aspect ratio of each element, rather than stretching them like some other manufacturers’ aspect ratio converters do. Each input on the Slate switcher can be set for one of four AutoAspect treatments: box, crop, 14:9 or anamorphic (stretched).

The company is also offering, as an option, the ability to simultaneously output 16:9 and 4:3 versions of the same show, with graphics in the corners of each instead of limited to a common “safe area” of the picture screen. And it’s doing it with minimal delay (all switchers have the problem of introducing a frame of delay whenever they scale something, such as for a picture-in-picture.). For a small switcher, this has not been possible before.

This dual aspect ratio capability is allowing producers to dust off existing SD content, shot in the 4:3 aspect ratio, to help fill the gap. Up to now this “new” content has either been fitted with electronic sideburns, wallpaper or other types of side panels to fill the wider 16:9 screen. This unused real estate has the potential to be used for promotions and related ancillary data (such as ingredients lists during a cooking show).

Later this year, users of the Broadcast Pix Slate switcher will have access to a new HD/SD I/O board that will enable them to use multiple HD cameras and produce an entire HD show from a single interface. Each input and output can be HD-SDI 780p or 1080i, or SD-SDI.

AutoAspect is a free software upgrade for existing owners and is available for download at www.broadcastpix.com.