Still Store

Axess can record and play real-time clips as well as traditional still graphics. Clips can consist of any combination of real-time video, audio, or key elements. Imagine moving images with associated keys and up to four audio tracks played back from Axess, and, just like a still store, all with the press of a button.

Axess is ideal for graphics. Video and keys are stored in full-bandwidth CCIR 601 component digital 4:2:2:4 format, while audio is full resolution AES/EBU digital.

By combining video, audio, or key elements in any clip, Axess can be used for applications that, until now, required several pieces of equipment and complex setups. Show opens/closes, news presentations, live sports coverage elements, and playback of break bumps and teases are only a few of Axess' many applications.

Axess is also available in smaller, stills-only configurations that can be fully upgraded at any time for real-time clips.

With real-time disk storage, clip access in Axess is faster than any still store. Whatever the size of an Axess network, all clips and stills residing on real-time disks can be accessed quickly, typically within 0.5 second or less.

The Axess On-Air Panel is designed for crowded control rooms where space is limited. Clips and stills can be recorded or recalled to air quickly. Most operations are dedicated to hard keys or soft keys in single-layer menus.

Play lists are easy to create and edit. Clips can be played to air in two basic modes. In the Preview/Program mode, clips and stills are first recalled and cued in the preview channel, then played to the air channel. Built-in transitions allow cuts or variable-rate dissolves, soft-edged wipes, or fades-to-black between clips.

In the A/B two-channel mode (A/B/C/D on four-channel systems) each clip or still is recalled and cued directly to the designated or selected output channel.

The Extended Control Panel (ECP) allows the user to add titles, keywords, and other fields of text information to each still or clip of every node on an Axess network. The ECP consists of Accom software running on a user-supplied Macintosh PowerPC, and allows searching for clips by database fields such as I.D. number, title, keywords, or creation date. (All database fields can be used independently or combined for searches). With an Accom serial CCIR 601 Input card installed, clips can also be "browsed" visually from the ECP. Play lists can be created using clips selected from search results or from clip browses. A serial CCIR 601 Input+Output card is also available from Accom that provides a single still-frame output from the ECP. This output can be used independently of the node video I/Os.

The smallest Axess system consists of a single node with storage for 1,000 525-line stills (835 625-line stills). This basic, entry-level system includes one On-Air Panel and has two video input/output channels for a single user. The two video channels can be configured for Preview/Program or A/B video operation, or the system can be set up for a single A channel of video+key. The basic Axess system can be switched between these modes in just seconds from the On-Air Panel.

Accom, Inc., 1490 O'Brien Drive, Menlo Park, CA 94025. Tel: 650-328-3818; Fax: 650-327-2511.