As part of its continuous efforts towards greater productivity, Highway Television has become the first post production facility in the world to invest in a new Fairlight Constellation with Xynergi Centre Section.
Founded in 1995, the Parisian company is one of the largest independent post houses in France. Located close to the Eiffel Tower, it operates two studios and specializes in all aspects of audio and video post production including High Definition and 5.1 surround sound. Its clients include many of the country’s top broadcasters such as France Television Group, TF1, LCI and private production companies like Endemol, LagardA¨re, Gaumont, and Pathé.
Highway Television’s decision to install a new 230-channel Constellation in its main Studio One indicates the company’s desire to capitalize on the speed, flexibility and open file format architecture of Fairlight’s latest technology. The facility was already familiar with Fairlight equipment as both of its studios were previously equipped with Dream Station powered by QDC.
Huges Bonnet, chief engineer at Highway Television, says: “With so many of our customers now working with HD video and 5.1 surround sound, we needed a much larger console that could give us more channels and more power. The new Constellation is the perfect solution because it has plenty of additional channels for plug-ins and provides an open platform that allows us to work with any file format. The fact that it is also very easy to use was another key reason for our choice.”?
Highway’s Constellation features Fairlight’s ground breaking Xynergi controller, which delivers all the tools needed for high-end audio for video production in all widely used surround formats. The Xynergi controller is conveniently located in the centre of the console, making this the first Fairlight product to harness the power of Xynergi in a large console format. The entire system is driven by Fairlight’s CC-1 digital media engine and incorporates integrated PyxisTrack video.
“Switching to the new Constellation gives us the ability to speed up workflow without compromising stability and synchronization,”? Bonnet adds. “Fairlight products are renowned for their reliability. By incorporating Xynergi into the desk, we now have a system that not only delivers a fast editing and mixing interface but is also incredibly easy to use. This is the perfect combination for a facility like ours where speed is of the essence. It also has huge benefits for the next generation of engineers who are learning their trade on the best and fastest technology on the market.”?
Highway Television’s Constellation was installed in less than three days by Fairlight’s French business partner, EuroMedia Technologies.
Denis Derigent, managing director of EuroMedia Technologies, says: “Huges Bonnet and his team recognized that the Constellation with Xynergi centre section delivered the right combination of quality, functionality and price and we are delighted that Highway Television has become the first in the world to install this innovative new product. Alongside the Constellation, we have also installed an AV-Process 3.0 CCE (Crystal Core edition), a new tool developed by EuroMedia Technologies and supported by Fairlight, which allows facilities to automate their entire production workflow.”?
“The ability to network our studios using Fairlight’s CC-1 engine is a very attractive proposition,”? Bonnet adds. “Alongside its speed, power and flexibility, we also like the fact that CC-1 is very ‘green’ because it performs digital audio and video processing much more efficiently than state-of-the-art CPUs or digital signal processors. Reducing energy costs and our carbon footprint is not only good for our business – it’s good for the planet, too.”?
