Quinnipiac University Graduates to HD with Sony
New All-Digital TV Studio Will Prepare Next Generation of Broadcast Professionals for HD Production
HAMDEN, Conn., Dec. 2, 2004 - Quinnipiac University is providing its students with an ideal training ground for the future of broadcast production with a newly constructed, fully digital high-definition TV studio that features an array of Sony HD broadcast equipment.
The technology is installed in the university's Ed McMahon Mass Communications Center, which is used to prepare students for broadcasting careers in news, sports, dramatic programming and documentary production. Using the new technology, Quinnipiac students and faculty will explore the academic, creative and practical aspects and applications of the emerging HD workflow.
"This new HD television studio demonstrates our university administration's commitment to giving students the tools they need to properly prepare themselves for a future career as they enter the highly competitive media profession," said Dr. David Donnelly, dean of Quinnipiac's School of Communications. "When they graduate, they will already be proficient working in HD while many of their peers could still be struggling to learn the basics."
The new studio features three Sony HDC-910 studio cameras, an HDW-730S HDCAM® camcorder for field acquisition, an MVS-8000A 2 M/E video production switcher with 4 channels of digital video effects, an HDWS-2000 studio VTR, an HDSX-3600 HD routing switcher, and a DMX-R100 digital audio mixing board.
The studio will be primarily used to produce the exceptional imaging possible for HDTV content at 1080i resolution and a 16:9 aspect ratio. While new projects will originate in HD, the Sony switcher and router will also be used for full compatibility with legacy 4:3 standard definition content to provide interoperability with archival material and imported content.
For Donnelly, the arrival of HD production at Quinnipiac realizes his long-standing vision for the future of television. Donnelly is a national authority on high definition television and served as a member of the Federal Communications Commission's Advisory Committee on Advanced Television Service in the early 1990's to help set standards for HDTV.
Quinnipiac selected the Sony HD equipment after a comprehensive two-year process. Plans to replace Quinnipiac's aging analog studio equipment initially focused on a standard definition digital upgrade, but the possibility for creating an end-to-end all digital HD television studio became clear after a survey of the technology marketplace and head-to-head comparisons against competing technologies.
University officials also discovered that the tremendous opportunities afforded by HD could be realized for a relatively modest increase in investment.
The existing studio space was completely renovated to suit the needs of the new HD production environment. HB Communications Inc., of North Haven, Conn., managed the installation and system integration.
"We're extremely excited about the possibilities for pioneering HD education," said Donnelly. "Both our faculty and students are inspired by the opportunity to invent and develop the future of what is really a new medium."
