Production Suite
The aQ Production Suite is a completely unique and unrivalled integrated production system (or TV station in a box). It combines several discreet components from a typical studio workflow into a single cost-effective system to allow users to create a complete, scripted live or near-live television production. It is an ideal package for local TV, regional TV, PEG stations, education and those that are seeking a fully integrated system from a single vendor, at a very cost-effective price.
Every Production Suite package combines a number of elements aQ range, including:
- Scripting and newsroom (NRCS)
- Event/news and transmission automation
- Autocue Teleprompting software
- Media Management
- Video Server
In addition, the Production Suite includes optional additional features to replace a number of other conventional devices, creating a complete all-in-one system and true TV channel in a box experience:
- Vision mixer
- Audio mixer
- Playback devices
- Still store
- Caption generator
- Picture-in-picture processor
- Chromakey processor
- Logo/bug/ticker inserter
- Output recorder
- Networked multi-viewer
Watch the video - Paddy Taylor explains the Production Suite's vast capabilities on BroadcastShow
Overall, the Production Suite gives you everything you need to plan, create and deliver a scripted, live or near-live production from a single, integrated system, all for a fraction of the cost of a typical studio workflow.
The Production Suite will typically be controlled from the Automation Control Centre (ACC) application, which provides an integrated workflow control panel that produces a list of automation events from information entered into a newsroom system, either aQ’s own newsroom software or another NRCS via a MOS interface. The process has been designed to be as easy to use as possible. For example, a video clip can be started and both audio and video switched to the relevant virtual player with just a single button push. By contrast, a system made up of separate broadcast devices requires the user to select the appropriate source on a vision mixer preview bus, push play, trigger a vision mixer transition and fade up the correct channels on an audio mixing desk, all in order to achieve the same result.
The ability of the ACC to prepare the next video clip, caption and still image is possible because it maintains a dynamic list of automation events for an entire show. aQ’s Newsroom System enables multiple users to collaborate on preparing the running order, including writing scripts, which are fed automatically to the integrated prompter, as well as entering all automation events, i.e. the clips, captions and stills associated with each item.
A major benefit of the Production Suite is that any user can change any item from anywhere across the network, and that change is immediately reflected in the list of automation events maintained by the ACC.
Unlike other all-in-one solutions, our modular, software-based system allows us to include only the elements that are required for a particular workflow, and also to distribute the control functions across a number of workstations. This means we can cater for smaller TV and cable stations with a single operator, or spread the production out over many machines so that, for example, a classroom of students can all work together on a live show – with each taking control of an individual technical element.
Production Suite supports a range of audio/video standards, including PAL/NTSC and SD/HD, and a large selection of different file and video formats. Three different types of input/output connections are supported - SDI with embedded audio only, HDMI/composite/component video with analogue audio and a full set of analogue and digital connections with analogue, AES and embedded audio.
The maximum number of input/output ports that can be supported depends on the types of connections required, and also the video standard/format to be used, but it would typically be possible to provide a full HD system with eight ports with the full connection option in a 9U rack system.
