Billerica, Massachusetts –
Over the past decade, Melrose Massachusetts Television, Inc. (MMTV), the community access station for the City of Melrose, Mass., has been aggressively upgrading its production equipment. In January, the station made the move to a native HD production workflow with new cameras and an upgraded control room built around a
â„¢ Graniteâ„¢ 5000 integrated
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MMTV produces a variety of original programs, including After Hours, a talk show that is shared with other regional stations, and Sound Stage, which showcases local musicians. The station also covers parades and other local events, and supports the local city government and educational channels.
Original programs are available in HD on YouTube and presented locally in letterbox SD on Comcast and Verizon FiOS.
In 2010, the nonprofit community organization upgraded to an SDI workflow and a Broadcast Pixâ„¢ Slateâ„¢ 5000 integrated production switcher. While the station researched other switcher options for the HD upgrade, it chose to stick with the reliability and flexibility of Broadcast Pix. “We wanted to keep the same abilities that we had with the Slate,” said Chris DeThomas, MMTV engineer. “It is wonderful. The hardware is a professional surface and the PixPad is great.”
Access A/V of Concord, N.H., handled the integration for the HD upgrade project. The Granite 5000 was installed in January, along with an upgraded monitor wall, Behringer audio mixer, Blackmagic HyperDeck Studio disk recorder, Clear-Com digital intercom system, Lectrosonics wireless IFB and JVC ProHD cameras. The Slate 5000 was then deployed to a local middle school for student productions.
DeThomas is very pleased with the HD upgrade. “It is everything that we have always wanted in our control room,” he said. “We have a completely professional space.”
Primarily driven by volunteers, MMTV programming is produced by people with varying degrees of production experience. MMTV uses Granite’s built-in Fluent-View customizable multi-view to accommodate both volunteers who prefer a more simplified setup and production veterans who want more information on screen.
“We customize it for different users,” DeThomas explained. “We have average folks producing for the first time, plus pros who bring that professional touch to the station. Everyone feels comfortable coming in – it makes the room not as intimidating.”
MMTV has also customized its Granite to manage productions in both of its studios. The four-camera Studio A is the default, but the control panel can quickly change to a new layout for three-camera Studio B productions. “We’re able to control two studios with one switcher and do it well,” DeThomas said. “That’s a great feature.”
About Broadcast Pix
Founded in 2002, Broadcast Pix is the leader in integrated production switchers, with customers in more than 110 countries. Available in several configurations, from compact systems with end-to-end integration to large-scale systems for high-end live productions, Broadcast Pix switchers include CG, dual clip stores, file-based macros, external control software, and customizable multi-view and virtual sets with patented control options. Broadcast Pix also offers ReVue next generation slow motion systems, fX3D real-time 3D graphics, Rapid CG dynamic graphic playout software, and VOX voice-automated live video production, each designed to enhance our highly integrated live production switchers. Customers include leading broadcast, corporate, education, government, religious, sports, streaming, and visual radio studios. Learn more at
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Broadcast Pix, Granite and Slate are trademarks of Broadcast Pix, Inc. Patented. Made in USA.
