Newsroom Automation System

The StarDrive suite 3.0 is an end-to-end digital media management and production solution. The applications within the suite work as the middle layer between the newsroom and master control, synchronizing the low-resolution media assets in the newsroom computer domain with the high-resolution media assets in the broadcast domain.

StarDrive automation is designed around an open system architecture. Not limited to driving single vendor or single protocol devices, it allows complete control over the broadcasting environment. It controls all categories of devices via RS422, TCP/IP Ethernet or GPI triggers. These include digital video servers, videotape decks, character generators, routers, traffic systems, non-linear editors, video storage systems, still stores and switchers.

Central to all StarDrive server applications is the NT-based StarDrive server. The server works in a real-time mode, managing the digital media, allocating the system resources, synchronizing databases, and taking direct control over all devices in the media ingest and playout process. The devices controlled by the server include character generators, non-linear editors, video tape machines, still stores, low-resolution video encoders, high-resolution video servers, and routers.

Style Designer and Style User simplify newsroom graphics production. Graphic artists use Style Designer to create templates from their original art and make them available to personnel. Style User enables newsroom journalists to create graphics for their stories. The graphics are automatically sized to fit, linked to the news story, and played out during the newscast.

The low-resolution video components provide low-resolution video to the newsroom desktop. In the process of developing a story, the journalist can browse video or edit it into cuts-only clips that are immediately rendered on the high-resolution servers and available for broadcast. A low-res proxy of the high-res video is accessible to all journalists on their desktops. Clips created within the editor can be tied to scripts automatically, using common clip IDs.

The product is compliant with the requirements of the MOS 2.0 protocol, and is able to read rundown information from any MOS 2.0-compliant newsroom system.

Stardrive Solutions Inc., 28720 Roadside Drive, Suite 301, Agoura Hills, CA 91301. Tel: 818-879-0000; Fax: 818-865-1421.