Communications Engineering, Inc. (CEI) announced today it is wrapping up work on the integration and installation of broadcasting and audio-visual equipment in numerous control rooms, theaters and studios at the soon-to-open Newseum, the 250,000-square-foot museum of news near the White House in Washington, D.C.
The Newseum, one of the most technologically advanced museums in the world, features hands-on exhibits, theaters and studios that cover 500 years of news history and news-gathering capabilities. It is expected to open April 11. CEI’s role included designing and building several production control rooms, installing audio and video equipment in the Newseum theaters and studios, installing network equipment connected to interactive areas throughout the museum, and building the sophisticated master control room. CEI is currently completing equipment installation and conducting tests on the systems.
Communications Engineering, Inc. (CEI) announced today it is wrapping up work on the integration and installation of broadcasting and audio-visual equipment in numerous control rooms, theaters and studios at the soon-to-open Newseum, the 250,000-square-foot museum of news near the White House in Washington, D.C.
The Newseum, one of the most technologically advanced museums in the world, features hands-on exhibits, theaters and studios that cover 500 years of news history and news-gathering capabilities. It is expected to open April 11. CEI’s role included designing and building several production control rooms, installing audio and video equipment in the Newseum theaters and studios, installing network equipment connected to interactive areas throughout the museum, and building the sophisticated master control room. CEI is currently completing equipment installation and conducting tests on the systems.
The new HD facility at WETA, located just outside Washington, DC, was designed, planned and integrated by CEI. The project, featuring new HD control rooms and edit suites, was begun in the second quarter of this year with a target date of Dec. 17 for the first live HD broadcast of “NewsHour,” which has been produced at WETA for many years. “NewsHour,” seen five nights a week on more than 315 PBS stations across the country, is the first live, regularly scheduled PBS program to be broadcast in HD. Careful planning and coordination with WETA allowed CEI to complete this phase of an extensive upgrade for the WETA Production Center, as well as conduct testing and training, in time for the first scheduled live broadcast.
(Download PDF)Newington, VA – Nov. 15, 2007 – The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in Washington, DC, has contracted with Communications Engineering, Inc. (CEI) to provide an advanced motion picture scanning system for digitizing and storing thousands of motion pictures in its archives, CEI announced today. This special equipment will be used in the National Archives Motion Picture Preservation Laboratory for scanning and making accessible films that are often unique and/or irreplaceable.
The scanning system will play a key role in preserving and restoring more than 365,000 reels of valuable and often fragile film dating back to 1894. These include government- and commercially produced newsreels, public information and documentary films that serve as important records of the nation’s history. CEI has a great deal of experience with this technology, and recently provided complete integration services for the new Library of Congress National Audio-Visual Conservation Center in Culpeper, VA. This facility features three video and seven audio digital conversion rooms, plus a theater and two screening rooms.
Newington, VA – Nov. 15, 2007 – Communications Engineering, Inc. (CEI) announced today it has reached a significant milestone in a major integration project for the new National Audio-Visual Conservation Center (NAVCC) at the Library of Congress Packard Campus in Culpeper, VA. CEI is handling the final designs, installation and integration of all the equipment that will be used for digitizing the massive audio and video archives at the NAVCC, which contains the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of films, television programs, radio broadcasts, and sound recordings.
The facility has been turned over to the Architect of the Capitol, and many areas constructed by CEI are now operational. These include seven audio conversion rooms and three video conversion rooms, featuring a variety of playback equipment that will be maintained, repaired and calibrated by CEI technicians. Sophisticated acoustic materials were installed in the rooms to allow engineers to carefully monitor and control the recordings as they are replicated. CEI is also installing systems to allow the digitization of all types of source material and creation of data files from the original content.
The system provides high-quality coverage of the services and events held at FBCG, which has more than 7,000 members, and enables fast, efficient distribution of recorded services in various formats on a large scale. It is capable of providing live coverage over TV, Internet and cable, with the ability to accurately capture the energy of the FBCG services through a concert-grade sound system, built in partnership with RCI Sound Systems.
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Newington, VA – Sept. 5, 2007 – CEI today announced it is meeting the demands of its continuing business growth by adding several new employees to its engineering, design and service departments. These additions are also in keeping with the company’s overall strategy for future expansion in integration, sales, service and support.
The rapid increase in CEI’s service business has led to the addition of two experienced engineers in that department. Alan Passera has joined the company as a field service engineer and Dan Dang is a new service engineer. Passera has more than 32 years of experience in video products service, including 16 years as chief technician, lead video technician and technical support representative for Sony. He also developed training programs for other technicians. Dang joins CEI with 17 years of experience in video service. He previously was service engineer for Professional Products, Inc., and held the same position with Sony.
VOOM HD Networks was named the 2006 winner of the New Studio Technology – HD Award and Rainbow Network Communications received a Runner-Up Award for New Studio Technology – Network. CEI handled the design, planning, integration and support for both systems, which are subsidiaries of Rainbow Media in Bethpage, NY.
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Newington, VA – Jan. 24, 2007 – CEI today announced the completion of a sophisticated systems integration project for the National Cable & Telecommunications Association’s (NCTA) new headquarters near Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The showcase facility features a 105-seat high-definition theater, an integrated board room to accommodate 34 members and eight other conference rooms with the latest in audio and video conferencing technology.
The two-story theater is capable of producing original programming as well as screening programs in various formats, including HD. It is equipped with Sony pan/tilt/zoom cameras and a projection booth with 35mm and 70mm projectors. The theater features a large “smart” podium that can control all audio and video functions through custom-programmed AMX touch panels.
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