Television Networks
Rainbow Network Commuications, Bethpage, New York
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CEI has provided comprehensive services to Rainbow Networks (RNC) a division of Cablevision in New York, since 1998. Rainbow originates a spectrum of cable channel programming viewed by more than 150 million people on a daily basis, including such well-known channels as AMC, Fox Sports Net, IFC, We tv, MASN, MSG and many others.
CEI’s first project for Rainbow involved the provision of complete turnkey space planning, engineering, design, and implementation services for their new program production, origination and uplink facility. The state-of-the-art broadcast center provides services to more than 20 HD channels and 24 SD channels of programming in an automated multi-channel origination and live production environment.
In the spring of 2002, Rainbow contracted with CEI to provide broadcast consultant and turnkey services for the development of the Rainbow DBS Origination Facility. The project was located within RNC’s Technology Center in Bethpage, NY, a facility for which CEI had previously provided the same services during its development and build-out. The Rainbow DBS Origination Facility provides all the Network Operations Center (NOC) activities including server play-out, real-time feed processing, monitoring and transmission operations.
Rainbow made a significant investment in 2007-2008 in the HD upgrade of the master control facilities. The AMC, IFC, and WE tv channels, which traditionally were only standard definition (SD), were augmented with high-definition (HD) air channels; and all long form play-back for all channels were moved from tape-based to an all server-based system driven from an HD and SD digital archive.
The HD channels were mandated to air all program content in full screen 16x9 with no “letter box” or “pillared” segments. 5.1 surround sound, along with a separate audio program and a stereo PCM down-mix channel, were required for all HD channels. Downstream processing of the program channel included the insertion of bugs, logos, animated snipes, local commercial avail signals, closed captioning, and ratings signals in preparation for air release. The master control rooms accommodate up to six channels of simultaneous play-out. Signal confidence monitoring was converted from an all standard definition glass monitor wall to a mixed SD and HD array of LCD displays driven by an integrated multi-viewer system. Distributed operational workstations allow for individual channel play-out control and monitoring. A central master control platform allows for occasional live programming for special events.
CEI has continued its ongoing relationship with Rainbow with the successful completion of a complete media asset management system, and master control and channel release systems for Fox HD, Rainbow HD, Fuse HD, MSG HD, MASN HD and Sundance SD/HD.
In 2009, Rainbow launched MSG Varsity with five regional channels of local high school sports and academic competition programming. Along with program playback, the systems provide VOD playback and interactive network streaming channels.
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Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), Alexandria, VA
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CEI was contracted by PBS in 1998 to design and deliver a complete High Definition Television origination solution engineered to flexibly provide DTV program origination signals including HDTV and SDTV to PBS member stations. The turnkey HDTV project included the following steps:
- Analysis of existing ATSC vendors and technology alternatives for encoding, multiplexing, program stream recording, and bit switching/splicing.
- Design of an HDTV origination area located within the existing transmission area and utilizing existing Plant Output Lines.
- Design of the HDTV signal processing system integrating video and audio encoding, routing, jackfields, monitoring, and program control that utilizes a Louth automation interface.
- Construction and implementation into the existing serial digital plant while adding 1.5 Gb/s signal routing and distribution (SMPTE 292M).
Communications Engineering, Inc. (CEI) was contracted by PBS in 1998 to design, engineer and implement a sophisticated MPEG-2 server solution for the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). The integrated server system, using eight Hewlett-Packard Company MediaStream Broadcast Servers, encompassed a fault tolerant, automated design that will originate 24 programming feeds to PBS member television stations from its national Technical Operations Center in Alexandria, Virginia. CEI was contracted 1991 by PBS to supply complete consulting, engineering design and implementation services for development of a new all digital network production and origination center. The new headquarters facility is completely automated and can generate up to sixteen channels of simultaneous digital program material. Many newly developed items of hardware and complex new digital audio and video processing techniques are utilized throughout the plant in this first of its kind facility. All distribution systems were designed with the highest possible digital bandwidth to accommodate data rates appropriate for High Definition Television transmission. Transition from the old to new plants was accomplished with no loss of air time. Additional areas of CEI service included:
- Detailed facility floor plans and layouts for technical equipment
- Power, and grounding system specifications
- Detailed design and documentation of all broadcast technical systems
- Design and construction of all operating consoles and cabinetry
- Graphics systems using Open Platform Supercomputers
- Automated On-Air Digital Master Control and Transmission Systems
- Multiple Cassette Library Management Systems
- Multiple control rooms, and digital post-production facilities
- Extensive Digital and Analog Video/Audio Routing and Machine Control with Pathfinding
- Full equipment procurement services
- Installation and test of all broadcast technical systems
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NBC Television Network, New York, N.Y.
- Detailed study and evaluation of NBC New York broadcast plant signal distribution and communications systems for application of new technologies
- This study was used to set priorities, allocate funds and establish a schedule for the Rockefeller Center Headquarters rebuild
- Includes comprehensive test and measurement of all NBC core plant systems performed and documented by CEI personnel
NBC Network News Bureau, Washington, D.C.
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NBC chose CEI to provide a complete package of services in support of the total reconstruction of their network news bureau in Washington. The facilities encompass an all digital component technical plant which includes production control rooms, editing suites, graphics composition systems, on-air program release areas and extensive state of the art technology. CEI has supplied full turnkey consulting, system design, engineering, equipment procurement, implementation and training services to NBC and has built their new facility while keeping the existing technical plant fully operational. Additional areas of CEI service included:
- Full technical area programming and space planning
- Detailed facility floor plans and layouts
- HVAC, power, and grounding system design and specifications
- Comprehensive acoustic specification and designs
- Design of operational lighting
- Detailed design and documentation of all technical systems
- Design and construction of all operating consoles and cabinetry
- Digital production video and studio control rooms
- Multiformat digital editing systems
- Extensive analog and digital format translation capabilities
- Graphics and post production systems
- Production and plant wide digital communications system
- Comprehensive digital video/audio/control signal routing systems
- Equipment procurement services
- Building construction monitoring
- Installation, test and training on all technical systems
NBC Sports, 1992 Summer Olympics, Barcelona, Spain
CEI was contracted by NBC to design, fabricate and construct six venue editing suites at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. Efficiency and flexibility were two major design goals for the venue editing suites. Console design, equipment layout and monitoring were all customized by CEI to allow one person, the Editor, to easily operate the suite. The suites used Panasonic D3 Composite Digital video tape machines and a digital audio mixer, which was configured with 24 digital and 16 analog input channels. This configuration allowed the Editor to intermix both digital and analog audio sources, maintaining a totally digital audio path whenever possible and accommodating analog audio sources and output paths when necessary. These suites were used 16 to 20 hours a day, often by several different Editors and Production teams and were critical to the assembly of complete programs for Olympic broadcast. CEI also supplied two engineers on-site in Barcelona to assemble all the systems and maintain them throughout the Olympics.
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Fox Sports Network (FSN), Los Angeles, California & Houston, Texas
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CEI provided Fox Sports with consulting, engineering and turnkey installation services for systems that will create a multi-channel server based origination system. The completed system originates over thirty (30) channels of programming from multiple Fox facilities in California and Texas. All server systems at several facilities will be tied together for transparent program interchange across high speed wide area networks (WAN's) and will be fully automated. CEI is also designing extensive video and audio production facilities which will support the creation of promotional materials for Fox Sports and the FX Cable channels.
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