Digital Switchers

The new range of Thomson digital switchers meets every need, from 1.5 M/E up to 3.5 M/E. Complementing the successful 9200 Series small switchers, it is targeted at medium-sized to very large events. The modular design of the ALTEO range is particularly suited to the needs of production trucks or to major events with custom requirements. It has very powerful features, with up to 54 inputs, 25 auxiliary buses, 2 chroma-keys per M/E, 2 wipe generators per M/E, time-base correction on every source, RGB processing channels, framestores, unlimited hard-disk storage and 4 tally systems. It has 3 particular advantages:

• Interfacing with other products: with 10 fully configurable serial ports, an ALTEO switcher becomes a real communications centre. The main interfaces are for routing switchers, DVEs and servers:
  • Router control is at the heart of the studio. It provides access to additional inputs whilst managing source label displays and tallies to suit the switcher's on-air status. Router outputs can also be controlled from the switcher panel, like auxiliary buses.
  • Live DVE operation is now fully centered on the switcher panel itself. Effects are displayed and recalled on switcher menus, while DVE timelines are integrated with switcher timelines. Moreover, transformations can be adjusted using the switcher's 3D joystick.
  • The server interface handles clip selection, clip control using play-type buttons, and synchronisation of clips with switcher transitions.
• Live oriented: all these little details could only have been thought of by operators and make live production so much easier...
  • Master/Slave enables several parallel programs to follow the main one, while the new Except feature prevents certain sources appearing on some of them: banned advertising, for example.
  • A DSK 'Drop on / Drop off' feature synchronises video switching with putting a DSK on and off air. It lets you handle DSKs while concentrating on the PGM row.
  • Instant panel locking lets you leave the switcher unattended without the risk that your configuration will have been changed by the time you return.
  • A dual display above key rows allows permanent viewing of key sources.
  • The Macro-Shotbox plays quick macro commands such as 'Source 7 on PST - BGD - TAKE', for example, without having to recall a whole M/E set-up during live operation. Specialists in live production will discover many more features as they use the switcher...
• For the first time, switchers panels configuration are no longer determined by manufacturers. They are made up by broadcast customers themselves. Want a 3.5 M/E with 24 direct inputs? Or a 1.5 M/E with 48 direct inputs? Just ask! This flexibility in the ALTEO range is achieved through a modular approach to control panels. The same modules are used, whatever the panel configuration. As with a construction kit, one uses as many M/E modules as one wants, up to 4. This approach is particularly effective for multiple programs: the shared panel feature means any combination of modular control panels can be assigned to the various programs, as required.

All these features make ALTEO the most attractive range of switchers on the market. But there is more to it than that.

N/A, 49 Smith Street, P.O. Box 5266, Englewood, NJ 07631. Tel: 201-569-1650; Fax: 201-569-1511.