10/13/09 - Kentucky’s Largest Church Counts on Echolab Overture2 Switcher
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Agency Contact:
Michael Kroll
Wall Street Communications
Tel: +1 (919) 803-3770
E-mail: michael@wallstcom.com |
Echolab Contact:
Ankit Patel
Sr. Product Manager
Tel: +1 (978) 715-1029
E-mail: apatel@echolab.com
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BILLERICA, Mass. — Oct. 13, 2009 — Echolab Inc. today announced that Southeast Christian Church (SECC) in Louisville, Ky., has deployed an Overture2™ MD switcher to support live production of three high-energy student ministry services that draw more than 1,200 students each week. In fact, with Echolab’s Conductor™ touchscreen interface, the Overture switcher is so easy to use that the church now trains volunteers as young as 11 to run it during the live services. The Echolab Overture 2 is housed in SECC’s new 80,000 square foot student ministry building called “The Block,” which opened in April 2009.
“We had one of the first Echolab Nova switchers, and it worked for us with total reliability for six years. Since we’ve installed the new Overture, the experience has been remarkable,” said Steve Stone, SECC creative media designer. “In fact, we found that the new switcher is even better than the old one for training purposes. Once the professional staff has done the production design, we can step back and let the student volunteers run the show. Also, because the Overture allows us to set up macro keys as quick recalls, the board can instantly be reset should one of the volunteers make a mistake.”
The Echolab Overture2 MD is a multiformat switcher with internal up/cross and analog to digital conversion so it can seamlessly handle a wide variety of signal formats, including composite, Y/C, component, and SDI. The switcher’s multiformat capability eliminates the need for third-party devices, so that SD and HD equipment such as DVD and Blu-ray™ players can be directly connected to the switcher, simplifying cabling and resulting in a cost-effective, compact, and streamlined operation.
SECC relies on the Overture2 to push 16:9 HD content to a 27-foot wide, Barco HD18 main screen in the youth auditorium, which seats 1,200. The auditorium was designed with a three-sided balcony, and the audience is close enough to the screen so that there is no need for IMAG technology. IMAG is used, however, to record the service and deliver feeds to digital signs in hallways elsewhere in the complex, and to a small screen in a coffee bar where parents are invited to sit and join the fun. For the future, video podcasts of the services are planned.
“Today, many houses of worship are following the lead of successful pioneers like Southeast Christian Church and creatively using technology to deliver their message,” said Chris McLendon, senior application engineer for Echolab. “Echolab’s switching tools make it surprisingly easy and cost-effective for churches large and small, and for other organizations, to enhance their communication with more compelling programming.”
SECC’s all HD/SDI production system was designed and installed by Mankin Media Systems of Nashville, Tenn.
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About Southeast Christian Church
Kentucky’s largest church, Southeast Christian Church, is also one of the largest in North America with weekly attendance of 18,000. Affiliated with Independent Christian Churches and Churches of Christ, it was founded in 1962. Since 2006, its senior minister has been Dave Stone. More information is available at www.southeastchristian.org.
About Echolab, Inc.
Echolab, Inc. is a leading provider of video production switchers and related tools that offer flexibility and on-air reliability for the production and distribution of digital media in a variety of formats. With products including the 1 M/E 3Gbps 1080p/60 Atem™ production switcher and the flagship Overture1™ and Overture2™ video production systems, Echolab delivers robust functionality, reliability, and ease-of-use critical to professional-quality productions. Since its founding in 1974, the company has delivered more than 6,000 production solutions to a global client base including major broadcast networks and stations, corporations, educational institutions, houses of worship, sports arenas, entertainment venues, and military facilities. Visit www.echolab.com for more information.
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7/07/09 - Arizona Church Relies on Echolab Overture™ System to Support Live, Interactive Worship Services
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Visit Echolab at LABS09, Booth 304
Agency Contact:
Michael Kroll
Wall Street Communications
Tel: +1 (919) 803-3770
E-mail: michael@wallstcom.com |
Echolab Contact:
Ankit Patel
Sr. Product Manager
Tel: +1 (978) 715-1029
E-mail: apatel@echolab.com |
Image Link: www.wallstcom.com/Echolab/calvary.zip
Image Link: www.echolab.com/images/support/artwork/images/overture2.jpg
For Immediate Release
BILLERICA, Mass. — July 7, 2009 — Echolab, Inc. today announced that Calvary Community Church in Phoenix has deployed an Echolab Overture2™ production system to support live, interactive worship services between two facilities eight miles apart. The Overture switcher has been installed in the production control room of the recently completed Northwest Campus located in a renovated movie theatre in Glendale, Ariz. The 25-year-old church’s main facility is located in north Phoenix.
“Echolab is doing an outstanding job of meeting the needs of churches and other houses of worship that rely on sophisticated broadcast and audiovisual technology to spread their message,” said Bob Ginger of Intent Digital, who served as technology architect for the Calvary Community project. “The Overture production system is easy to operate and elegant to look at. Its control panel layout is clean, organized, and easy to understand, besides being compact enough to fit into console desktops. Finally, in its standard configuration, the Overture is loaded with an incredible number of useful features that make it a very cost-effective option.”
Along with Intent Digital, Calvary Community Church’s team designed a technology infrastructure by which the church’s pastors can preach from either or both buildings, enabling participants to join fully in the worship experience, regardless of where they happen to be sitting. The system relies on four 270 Mega-bit HDTV fiber circuits to create full-bandwidth, zero-latency, two-way connectivity between the two facilities, with full broadcast control rooms located at each. Three large projection screens are used in the sanctuaries at the Phoenix and Northwest campuses to display video images from the other worship site.
Installed at the Northwest Campus, the Echolab Overture2 includes two M/E banks and 28 inputs to handle multiple switched video feeds for video projectors, broadcast to the main campus, Internet, and other venues throughout the building. A 64x64 SDI and 16x16 NTSC video router supports video distribution and drives an Avitech 32-channel multiviewer used for control room monitoring. Multiple video sources including Hitachi Z4000W and HV-D5W cameras, a Harris TitleOne™ character generator, Fast Forward Video and 360 Systems DDRs, multiple computers, DVD players, and iPods®, as well as two feeds from the main campus, also appear on the switchers.
“Like Calvary Community Church, many houses of worship see the value of our Overture production systems because they are compact, affordable, and offer powerful yet sophisticated features,” said Chris McLendon, senior application engineer for Echolab. “With ease of use in mind, we designed Overture to be intuitive and flexible. Through user-definable keys, user-selectable displays, and the ability to trigger complex effects with the push of a button, houses of worship can simplify their operations, train staff quickly and efficiently, and drastically reduce downtime.”
Supported by Intent Digital, Calvary Community Church is currently working on a design plan that includes a second Overture switcher to be located at the Church’s Phoenix campus.
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About Calvary Community Church
Calvary Community Church was founded in 1982 by Pastor J. Mark Martin. A non-denominational church, associated with Calvary Chapel, Calvary Community’s membership began with 11 people in a northwest Phoenix elementary school band room. Today the church is home to more than 12,000 members. Rapid growth led to the purchase of Calvary’s current facility, a former shopping center adjacent to the Black Canyon Freeway in Phoenix, Ariz. Calvary also houses a new state-of-the-art Children’s Ministries facility and recently opened an extension campus at 59th Avenue and Bell Road. For additional information, visit www.calvaryphx.com.
About Intent Digital
Intent Digital provides technology development and engineering services to government, medical, institutional, and house of worship clients. Intent Digital’s consulting, engineering design, and technology development services enable clients to effectively integrate sophisticated media technologies into their operations. The company’s engineering expertise spans electronic communication system design, building construction, acoustics, and product development for A/V and broadcast equipment manufacturers. Intent Digital’s value is being extremely thorough and anticipating the unforeseen across all disciplines in a project. The company’s principals have amassed more than 75 combined years of business and technical expertise across a broad range of broadcast video, institutional, and aeronautical disciplines. For more information, visit www.intentdigital.com.
About Echolab, Inc.
Echolab, Inc. is a leading provider of video production switchers and related tools that offer flexibility and on-air reliability for the production and distribution of digital media in a variety of formats. With products including its flagship Overture1™ and Overture2™ video production systems, Echolab delivers the robust functionality, reliability, and ease-of-use critical to professional-quality productions. Since its founding in 1974, the company has delivered more than 6,000 production solutions to a global client base including major broadcast networks and stations, corporations, educational institutions, houses of worship, sports arenas, entertainment venues, and military facilities. www.echolab.com
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6/16/09 - World Prophetic Ministry Relies on Echolab Overture2™ System to Produce ‘The King is Coming’ in HD
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Visit Echolab at InfoComm 2009, Technologies for Worship Pavilion, Booth 1679
Agency Contact:
Michael Kroll
Wall Street Communications
Tel: +1 (919) 803-3770
E-mail: michael@wallstcom.com |
Echolab Contact:
Ankit Patel
Sr. Product Manager
Tel: +1 (978) 715-1029
E-mail: apatel@echolab.com |
Image Link: www.wallstcom.com/Echolab/WPM.zip
Image Link: www.echolab.com/images/support/artwork/images/overture2_md.jpg
For Immediate Release
BILLERICA, Mass. — June 16, 2009 — Echolab, Inc. today announced that World Prophetic Ministry (WPM), located in Colton, Calif., has implemented the company’s Overture2™ MD production system with Conductor™ control integration in an all-new HD facility located in what had been a 500-seat auditorium. Since January, WPM has been relying on the Overture system to produce its weekly half-hour “The King is Coming” telecast, carried on Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), The Inspirational Network (INSP), Christian Television Network (CTN), CTV, and a host of independent stations, and viewed by millions worldwide during its more than 35 years on the air.
“The Overture2 MD switcher is compact, powerful, and reliable with a lot of flexibility,” said Dave Weeden, producer-director for WPM. “In selecting it, we wanted the switcher to help us fulfill our vision of creating even more compelling programming to spread our message. With the Overture’s advanced production capabilities and easy upgrade path, we anticipate relying on it for many years to come.”
At WPM, the Overture performs direct switching of three Ikegami HDK-79EX111 cameras and allows real-time integration of digital playback from a Harris graphics system and an Ultimatte green-screen compositing device running an Orad virtual set system. “The King is Coming” is partially produced live-to-tape with some effects added in post-production. WPM also plans to open its facility to like-minded organizations that don’t yet have HD capability, and the Overture’s live production capacity will help to make that possible.
The Echolab Overture2 MD is a multidefinition switcher with a comprehensive range of intuitive tools for producing stunning effects and high quality programming. Internal up/cross conversion and frame-sync enables the device to handle signals, including analog and SD signals, from a variety of sources with no need for additional equipment or cards. As a result, the Overture supports streamlined, cost-effective production operations.
“The Echolab Overture switcher delivers the highest quality images possible, which means WPM’s programming has an edge in syndication among inspirational broadcasters,” said Ankit Patel, Echolab senior product manager. “Features, size, and price all make our Overture series ideal for broadcasters like WPM and within the house of worship market.”
System design, engineering, and integration services for WPM’s new HD facility were provided by Valley Broadcast Systems, Inc. of Burbank, Calif.
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About World Prophetic Ministry
World Prophetic Ministry has a vision to impact America, reach the world, and proclaim the truth of Jesus Christ. Our mission is to teach the Bible, uphold prophetic truth, and evangelize the lost through the weekly television program, The King is Coming, seen across America and around the world. For more information, visit www.thekingiscoming.com.
About Valley Broadcast Systems
Valley Broadcast Systems, Inc. (VBS) is a complete broadcast solutions design, build and integration firm specializing in high -definition broadcast systems, large venue LED display systems, digital signage display, and control solutions and custom venue production systems. Our goal at VBS is to help broadcasters, producers, and engineers move their capabilities into the 21st century by integrating cutting edge technologies. VBS is at the forefront of the newest high -definition virtual studio technology. Our dedicated team strives to provide the highest quality designed systems and technology solutions to best suit our customers’ needs and budget. For more information, visit www.vbsvideo.com.
About Echolab, Inc.
Echolab, Inc. is a leading provider of video production switchers and related tools that offer flexibility and on-air reliability for the production and distribution of digital media in a variety of formats. With products including its flagship Overture1™ and Overture2™ video production systems, Echolab delivers the robust functionality, reliability, and ease-of-use critical to professional-quality productions. Since its founding in 1974, the company has delivered more than 6,000 production solutions to a global client base including major broadcast networks and stations, corporations, educational institutions, houses of worship, sports arenas, entertainment venues, and military facilities. www.echolab.com
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6/02/09 - Echolab Overture2™ MD Switcher is a Win-Win for WWAY
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Visit Echolab at InfoComm 2009, Technologies for Worship Pavilion, Booth 1679
Agency Contact:
Michael Kroll
Wall Street Communications
Tel: +1 (919) 803-3770
E-mail: michael@wallstcom.com |
Echolab Contact:
Ankit Patel
Senior Product Manager
Tel: +1 (978) 715-1029
E-mail: apatel@echolab.com |
Image Links: www.wallstcom.com/Echolab/WWAY.zip
www.echolab.com/images/support/artwork/images/overture2_md.jpg
For Immediate Release
BILLERICA, Mass. — June 2, 2009 — Echolab Inc. today announced that WWAY-TV3 of Wilmington, N.C., has deployed the company’s Overture2™ MD, a two-M/E video switcher with advanced features, including internal up/cross conversion, that yield a streamlined production operation, easily executed sophisticated effects, and outstanding image quality. WWAY is also relying on Echolab’s Conductor touch screen interface to simplify and centralize production control.
“Cost was one of the primary factors in our decision to go with the Echolab Overture switcher,” said Billy Stratton, WWAY chief engineer. “The fact that it’s a 2 M/E switcher saved us money over a 3 M/E device. We do not miss the other M/E because Echolab’s SuperSource™ crosspoint keyer lets our production personnel build effects and recall them with the push of a button. The Overture has also saved us money in our overall operation because the switcher is capable of upconversion to HD on the input, eliminating the need for purchasing, installing, or maintaining multiple conversion cards or devices.”
WWAY-TV3, an ABC affiliate owned by Morris Multimedia, uses the Overture2 MD switcher for its live studio newscast and for taped shows including “Your Hometown Show,” which features regional merchants. Southeastern North Carolina viewers saw an immediate difference when the Overture2 MD went on air in February 2009. Not only was it the last piece of the puzzle to bring about WWAY’s HD production, it also has enabled WWAY directors for the first time to incorporate compelling visual effects such as 3D boxes and page-turn wipes into their programming.
Echolab's Overture2 MD production system features internal conversion and synchronization along with a comprehensive set of intuitive tools for producing high-quality programming and stunning effects. The Overture features four M/E keys and two downstream keyers to enable title keying for graphics, logos, and bugs. It also offers four channels of DVE with warp and lighting effects, accepts up to 32 multiformat analog and digital signals, and provides as many as 16 multiformat outputs.
Echolab’s Conductor is a touch-screen software suite that enables automation and execution of complex tasks. During preproduction, Conductor can configure the switcher, build sequences, and assign them to soft buttons. On air, it becomes an extension of the control panel — executing sequences, loading graphics into the frame buffer, routing auxiliary outputs, and controlling third-party devices.
“Viewers are increasingly becoming sensitive to the quality of broadcast in local stations,” said Ankit Patel, Echolab senior product manager. “The Echolab Overture MD video switcher will help WWAY-TV3 add an edge above others by making its productions look much more sophisticated. In a competitive market, that edge could make the difference between keeping a viewer and letting him slip away.”
More information about the Overture series and other Echolab products is available at www.echolab.com.
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About WWAY-TV3
WWAY, Channel 3, is owned by Morris Multimedia. It first signed on the air in 1964, the second television station in Wilmington, N.C. It has been an ABC affiliate since its inception. Morris Multimedia is among the largest privately held media companies in the United States. Founded in 1970 in Savannah, Ga., by Charles H. Morris, the company today owns and operates over 90 publications, network affiliate television stations, and other media related ventures in nine states and the Caribbean.
About Echolab, Inc.
Echolab, Inc. is a leading provider of video production switchers and related tools that offer flexibility and on-air reliability for the production and distribution of digital media in a variety of formats. With products including its flagship Overture1™ and Overture2™ video production systems, Echolab delivers the robust functionality, reliability, and ease-of-use critical to professional-quality productions. Since its founding in 1974, the company has delivered more than 6,000 production solutions to a global client base including major broadcast networks and stations, corporations, educational institutions, houses of worship, sports arenas, entertainment venues, and military facilities. www.echolab.com
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5/19/09 - Echolab Overture™ Satisfies Overflow Crowds at Singapore’s Cornerstone Community Church
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Agency Contact:
Michael Kroll
Wall Street Communications
Tel: +1 (919) 803-3770
E-mail: michael@wallstcom.com |
Echolab Contact:
Ankit Patel
Senior Product Manager
Tel: +1 (508) 423-6559
E-mail: apatel@echolab.com |
Image Link: www.wallstcom.com/Echolab/Cornerstone.zip
Product Image Link: www.echolab.com/images/support/artwork/images/overture1_sd.jpg
For Immediate Release
BILLERICA, Mass. — May 19, 2009 — Echolab Inc. today announced that Cornerstone Community Church, located in Singapore and part of the Zion Ministerial Fellowship, has implemented an Echolab Overture1™ SD switcher to enhance and simplify live, multi-screen production of its worship services, which draw a crowd of about 3,000 people every Sunday.
Cornerstone Community Church instituted IMAG and multi-screen viewing for parishioners in its sanctuary in 2004, but the legacy switcher system’s effects were limited to simple cuts and dissolves. This year, the church’s production team implemented the Overture1 SD system to improve image quality and production values for screens within the sanctuary as well as improving the overall worship experience for parishioners viewing screens in overflow facilities elsewhere in the church.
“Echolab has not only provided us with a reliable, easy to use, and powerful video switcher, it has also given us outstanding local engineering and sales support,” said Justin Luo, Cornerstone Community Church technical director. “Overall, the Overture system has enabled us to take our production quality to a much more sophisticated level.”
At Cornerstone Community Church, the Overture system works in conjunction with a matrix-scaler to handle all visuals for the service. Besides serving the IMAG function, the Overture also feeds footage from the main sanctuary to screens in the overflow facilities, and the mix-down is recorded to DVD for distribution by Cornerstone’s resource ministry.
Cornerstone Community Church’s selection of the Overture switcher was based on the flexibility that the system provides, making it possible to route multiple sources, including legacy analog sources, as needed to different outputs. Additionally, the switcher’s ease of operation has enabled the Cornerstone professional staff to run sophisticated, live production with minimal training.
Cornerstone parishioners watching the service from outside the sanctuary particularly appreciate the more dynamic and informative graphics that result from Overture’s ability to create multiple layers. This is accomplished through the use of Overture’s SuperBox™ module, which acts as a multiviewer and integrates into the Overture’s SuperSource™ crosspoint key to enable as many as six windows to be displayed with no reduction in the switcher’s DVE capabilities.
“Cornerstone Community Church is like many religious institutions that have recognized the power of audiovisual technology to help teach and inspire,” said Ankit Patel, Echolab senior product manager. “With its comprehensive mix of features, its reliability, and its ability to integrate into a legacy system, the Overture is a great fit not only for broadcast but for houses of worship, schools, government, and similar venues all over the world.”
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About Cornerstone Community Church
In 1989 a small band of young pioneers brought forth a new congregation to honor God and become a dwelling place of the Lord in Singapore. A year later, that became the Bedok Christian Centre under the umbrella of the Anglican Church in Singapore. On January 1, 1994, the church changed its name to Cornerstone Community Church to better reflect the growing diversity and ministry of the congregation, and on June 2, 1995, to further facilitate the spiritual calling of the church, it became an independent Pentecostal church. On July 16, 2000, Cornerstone became officially affiliated with Zion Ministerial Fellowship Inc., a ministerial fellowship based in Waverly, New York.
About Echolab, Inc.
Echolab, Inc. is a leading provider of video production switchers and related tools that offer flexibility and on-air reliability for the production and distribution of digital media in a variety of formats. With products including its flagship Overture1™ and Overture2™ video production systems, Echolab delivers the robust functionality, reliability, and ease-of-use critical to professional-quality productions. Since its founding in 1974, the company has delivered more than 6,000 production solutions to a global client base including major broadcast networks and stations, corporations, educational institutions, houses of worship, sports arenas, entertainment venues, and military facilities. www.echolab.com
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3/03/09 - Echolab Overture2 MD Video Switcher Turns Crisis into Opportunity for St. Charles Family Arena
Click to Download
Agency Contact:
Michael Kroll
Wall Street Communications
Tel: +1 (919) 803-3770
E-mail: michael@wallstcom.com |
Echolab Contact:
Ankit Patel
Senior Product Manager
Tel: +1 (508) 423-6559
E-mail: apatel@echolab.com |
Image link: http://www.echolab.com/images/support/artwork/images/overture2_md.jpg
For Immediate Release
BILLERICA, Mass. — March 3, 2009 — Echolab Inc., a leading provider of professional video production switchers and broadcast tools, today announced that St. Charles Family Arena of St. Charles, Mo., has installed the company’s Overture2™ MD (multi-definition) video production switcher to feed cable broadcasts of arena events, live video and video replay on the scoreboard, streaming video for the Web, and pay-per-view.
The St. Charles Family Arena is a county government facility with its video production operation managed by the same team that manages the county’s public access cable channel. Installed in December, after a power surge shorted out most of the video equipment inside the 10,000-seat arena, the Overture2 MD switcher was pressed into service within a few weeks for four live events including a three-night rodeo, motorcycle ice racing, indoor football, and men’s and women’s basketball. The two-M/E video switcher’s advanced features help yield a streamlined production operation, sophisticated effects including eye-popping graphics, and improved overall image quality.
“I am not only very impressed with the switcher but also with the quality of Echolab as a company,” said Jack Gamble, video production manager for the St. Charles Family Arena. “Because of the circumstances, we were installing the equipment over the holidays, and even when I had a question on a Sunday night in late December, I got the help I needed within hours. The company’s quality is equally represented by the Overture’s design. I admit I’m a techno-nerd, and it immediately impressed me that the video cards within the chassis are mounted vertically, which helps in heat dispersal, promoting durability. Not every company does it that way, and to me it’s a sign of thoughtful engineering.”
St. Charles County chose the Overture2 MD switcher because it packs a lot of features into a reasonably priced package — crucial in an operation that is responsible to taxpayers — and it was able to accommodate the arena’s mixture of legacy HD and SD cameras and replay equipment without requiring external conversion equipment. In addition, because the switcher features 16 routable outputs, its deployment eliminated the need for a third-party router that had been a part of the old system. The arena’s Overture2 MD switcher is linked to a computer using Photoshop® and other Adobe® products, enabling an in-house graphics designer to create static and animated lower thirds using full HD (1920 x 1080) motion graphics.
“Simply put, the Echolab Overture series of video switchers does a lot for a little,” said Ankit Patel, Echolab senior product manager. “Flexible and easy to use, the Overture fits perfectly into a wide range of applications, leveraging the use of legacy analog equipment while paving the way for the move to digital high-definition.”
More information about the Overture series and other Echolab products is available at www.echolab.com.
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The St. Charles Family Arena
The Family Arena, at a cost of $32 million, opened in 1999. Originally intended to house several minor league sports franchises, the Arena has been home to the Missouri River Otters hockey team, the St. Louis Swarm basketball team, the St. Louis Steamers indoor soccer team, and the RiverCity Rage, the latest of several indoor football league teams that played in the 10,000-seat arena. In recent years, the Arena has become home to a variety of entertainment events, and over 325,000 people attended 179 events at the facility in 2008. The Family Arena got off to a great start this year with acts like Bill Gaither, Cirque du Soleil, Playhouse Disney Live!, and the Missouri Valley Conference women’s basketball team. The arena entered into a new three-year agreement with the RiverCity Rage indoor football team and it is in the third year of a five-year deal with Feld Entertainment® for Disney On Ice.
About Echolab, Inc.
Echolab, Inc. is a leading provider of video production switchers and related tools that offer flexibility and on-air reliability for the production and distribution of digital media in a variety of formats. With products including its flagship Overture1™ and Overture2™ video production systems, Echolab delivers the robust functionality, reliability, and ease-of-use critical to professional-quality productions. Since its founding in 1974, the company has delivered more than 6,000 production solutions to a global client base including major broadcast networks and stations, corporations, educational institutions, houses of worship, sports arenas, entertainment venues, and military facilities. www.echolab.com
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2/17/09 - Echolab Overture2™ Supports Wide Range of Programming for Community Broadcaster in....
Click to Download
Agency Contact:
Michael Kroll
Wall Street Communications
Tel: +1 (919) 803-3770
E-mail: michael@wallstcom.com |
Echolab Contact:
Ankit Patel
Senior Product Manager
Tel: +1 (508) 423-6559
E-mail: apatel@echolab.com |
Image link: www.echolab.com/images/support/artwork/images/overture2_sd.jpg
For Immediate Release
BILLERICA, Mass. — Feb. 17, 2009 — Echolab Inc., a leading provider of professional video switchers and broadcast tools, today announced that Salem Community Television of Salem, N.H., has deployed the company’s Overture2™ SD video production switcher to serve the production needs of three community cable television channels and to support video production training for high school students and community volunteers.
“The Overture digital switcher fits perfectly into our current operation, enabling us to continue to use legacy analog equipment while also providing an easy upgrade path to high-definition,” said Tom Giarosso, Salem Community Television executive director. “We have high-quality SD cameras, and we can now run their SDI signals directly to the board for better image quality. We also appreciate that the Overture has built-in conversion, which eliminated the need for additional equipment, thus saving us money and streamlining the system as a whole.”
Salem Community Television’s studio and main production facility are located in Salem High School’s multi-use area, where the school’s television production class is also taught. The cable broadcaster also has multiple remote cameras including four robotic cameras in the high school gym and three in the auditorium, all of them feeding the Overture switcher and controlled from the main facility. The switcher also receives feeds from cameras located in the town hall across the street and from a webcam on the roof of the high school.
The cable broadcaster was launched with a single channel for the high school in the 1970s, and subsequently added a separate educational channel and later a government channel — all of them sharing the same production facility. As a result, the range of programming encompasses town and school deliberative sessions, an in-house studio show produced by high school students, sports, and musical performances.
“One of our goals in designing the Overture family of switchers was to make them easy to use,” said Ankit Patel, senior product manager for Echolab. “Customizable features like RGB mnemonics and user definable macro keys are standard. They make setups simple and enable even inexperienced operators to create programming that looks sophisticated. The Overture switcher makes perfect sense for placement at a wide variety of production facilities including community television stations and schools.”
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About Salem Community Television (SCTV)
SCTV is committed to the ideals of building bridges in the community by using public access programming to serve the residents of Salem, N.H. SCTV-17 is a central conduit for local information using a multimedia approach, via the television channel, bulletin boards, web sites, RSS Subscriptions, podcasts, and video on demand.
About Echolab, Inc.
Echolab, Inc. is a leading provider of video production switchers and related tools that offer flexibility and on-air reliability for the production and distribution of digital media in a variety of formats. With products including its flagship Overture1™ and Overture2™ video production systems, Echolab delivers the robust functionality, reliability, and ease-of-use critical to professional-quality productions. Since its founding in 1974, the company has delivered more than 6,000 production solutions to a global client base including major broadcast networks and stations, corporations, educational institutions, houses of worship, sports arenas, entertainment venues, and military facilities. www.echolab.com
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12/17/08 - Echolab Overture1™ MD Switcher Chosen by Princeton University Broadcast Center
Click to Download
Agency Contact:
Michael Kroll
Wall Street Communications
Tel: +1 (919) 803-3770
E-mail: michael@wallstcom.com |
Echolab Contact:
Nigel Spratling
President
Tel: +1 (978) 262-0063
E-mail: nspratling@echolab.com |
Link to image: www.wallstcom.com/Echolab/Overture1.zip
www.wallstcom.com/Echolab/Princeton.zip
For Immediate Release
BILLERICA, Mass. — Dec. 17, 2008 — Echolab Inc., a leading provider of professional video switchers and broadcast tools, today announced that the Princeton University Broadcast Center has deployed the company’s Overture1™ MD (multi-definition) production switcher in a new 1,600 square-foot HD facility located in the Frank Gehry-designed science library that opened this fall.
“A lot of things about the Overture switcher impressed me, but the major selling point was its ability to perform upconversion and crossconversion internally,” said David Hopkins, director of the Broadcast Center. “Many people I work with on campus asked how, in our new HD environment, we were going to support all the SD sources we inevitably deal with. It was great to be able to tell them we have a piece of equipment that makes that easy. Another challenge for us was limited space in the control room, but because the Echolab switcher is so compact, it fits perfectly. For something its size, it is amazing what it can do.”
The Princeton Broadcast Center relies on a professional staff of five, supported by freelancers and students, to create programming including public lectures and commencement, as well as faculty and student projects. A typical faculty-initiated project was the studio’s inaugural production, shot in December. The project consisted of a series of three interviews focused on how engineers can help repair and develop the economy. Student projects, often more production-intensive, will take full advantage of the Overture1 switcher’s arsenal of transitions and effects. The Overture series was designed to be easy to use, which makes it particularly well-suited to a facility like Princeton’s where some operators will be rookies.
“Echolab was happy to provide an outstanding educational institution like Princeton University with an outstanding broadcast switcher,” said Nigel Spratling, Echolab president. “Innovative technology enables our Overture1 to offer versatility and state-of-the-art functionality at the right price.”
Echolab’s Overture1 was built on the company’s award-winning System on Chip (SoC) technology, the Overture MD extends that technology to allow the system to not only accept and deliver both digital and analog signals but to accept them in both SD and HD formats without external format conversion. Because the Overture1 accommodates sources like DVD players, satellite, remote studios, and microwave links without genlocked sources and external A-to-D converters, it is easier to install and more cost effective than other systems with comparable features.
More information about the Overture series of production switchers and other Echolab products is available at www.echolab.com.
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About the Princeton University Broadcast Center
Princeton University’s state-of-the-art HD video studio and a professional audio recording studio opened in the fall of 2008. The studios are located in the new Lewis Science Library building and provide video production for major events on campus such as public lectures, opening exercises, and commencement. Lecture recordings, podcasts, and rich media content are managed by the Broadcast Center.
About Echolab, Inc.
Echolab, Inc. is a leading provider of video production switchers and related tools that offer flexibility and on-air reliability for the production and distribution of digital media in a variety of formats. With products including its flagship Overture1™ and Overture2™ video production systems, Echolab delivers the robust functionality, reliability, and ease-of-use critical to professional-quality productions. Since its founding in 1974, the company has delivered more than 6,000 production solutions to a global client base including major broadcast networks and stations, corporations, educational institutions, houses of worship, sports arenas, entertainment venues, and military facilities. www.echolab.com
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10/07/08 - Romania’s Studio Video Art Gains Competitive Edge With Echolab’s Overture Series Production....
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Agency Contact:
Michael Kroll
Wall Street Communications
Tel: +1 (919) 803-3770
E-mail: michael@wallstcom.com |
Echolab Contact:
Nigel Spratling
President
Tel: +1 (978) 262-0063
E-mail: nspratling@echolab.com |
Photo Link: www.wallstcom.com/Echolab/SVA.zip
For Immediate Release
BILLERICA, Mass. — Oct. 7, 2008 — Echolab Inc., a leading provider of professional video production switchers and broadcast tools, today announced that Romanian broadcast production company Studio Video Art is installing Echolab Overture series production switchers in two new OB vans. The integration of Echolab’s high-performance 1-M/E Overture1™ and 2-M/E Overture2™ production switchers in these new vans will provide Studio Video Art technical staff with simple yet powerful switching and effects capabilities, in turn giving the company a significant competitive edge in bidding for prestigious live events.
“We’ve worked with a variety of switchers in the past, but our technical crew is very fond of the equipment’s capabilities,” said Bogdan Alexe, executive manager at Studio Video Art. “Our original purchase of an Echolab Opera production switcher was based on price, quality of design, and user-friendliness, and the decision to return to Echolab as we outfit our new OB vans was based not only on the performance and reliability of the company’s products, but also on the strong relationship we have developed with the Echolab team. I am sure that when we transition to HD, Echolab will be the only company that comes to mind for the upgrade of our switchers.”
Studio Video Art is equipping its vans with standard definition (SD) models of the Overture1 and Overture2 switchers, both of which can be upgraded easily to multidefinition (MD) systems. These innovative systems combine internal conversion and synchronization with powerful key layering and special effects to provide simple control over complex production tasks and, in turn, streamline creation of a sophisticated on-air look.
Built on the same award-winning System on Chip (SoC) technology used in Echolab’s Opera™ switchers, the Overture1 and Overture2 accept and deliver both digital and analog signals without the need for external analog-to-digital (A-to-D) converters. Four M/E keys and two downstream keyers enable title keying for graphics, logos, and bugs, and unique SuperSource™ crosspoint keys make it easy to achieve expert transitions with up to four boxes on screen with minimal effort and without tying up existing switcher keyers. A DVE key in each “take block” enables instant transition effects, and robust DVE capabilities are complemented by as many as 34 internal graphics/still stores.
The Overture systems also feature the Stinger™ transition, a special “take block” keyer with combined mix/wipe and graphic control that reduces complex animated transitions to a single button press. The Studio Video Art technical crew can save time in setting up these transitions, using the Stinger feature to manage timing issues and ensure successful execution of the transition. Like the SuperSource feature, the Stinger transition leaves existing keyers free for other uses.
Echolab Overture switchers accept up to 32 multiformat analog and digital signals and provide as many as 16 multiformat outputs making it an ideal fit for installation in OB vans such as those being constructed for Studio Video Art. Internal frame synchronization and internal A-to-D converters simplify system complexity when working with sources such as DVD players, satellite, remote studios, and microwave links. The Overture systems make installation easier and reduce space, weight, and equipment costs.
More information about the Overture series of production switchers and other Echolab products is available at www.echolab.com.
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About Studio Video Art
Studio Video Art is one of the leaders in freelance broadcasting in Romania. The company’s primary services include production of events for TV stations and production companies, as well as rental of equipment and provision of technical staff. Studio Video Art specializes in live sports transmissions, music shows, and live TV shows. In the past several years, the company has broadcast the Romanian Open Tennis in Bucharest, the Romanian MTV Music Awards, qualifying soccer matches for Romania and Moldova, and many other events. Studio Video Art also produced the unilateral transmission for Romanian Television (TVR) at UEFA EURO 2008 European Soccer Championship, held in Austria and Switzerland. More information about the company is available at www.studiovideoart.ro.
About Echolab, Inc.
Echolab, Inc. is a leading provider of video production switchers and related tools that offer flexibility and on-air reliability for the production and distribution of digital media in a variety of formats. With products including its flagship Overture1™ and Overture2™ video production systems, Echolab delivers the robust functionality, reliability, and ease-of-use critical to professional-quality productions. Since its founding in 1974, the company has delivered more than 6,000 production solutions to a global client base including major broadcast networks and stations, corporations, educational institutions, houses of worship, sports arenas, entertainment venues, and military facilities. www.echolab.com
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7/08/08 - Echolab Overture1™ Switcher Provides Professional Training Tool for Suffolk County Community....
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Agency Contact:
Michael Kroll
Wall Street Communications
Tel: +1 919-803-3770
E-mail: michael@wallstcom.com |
Echolab Contact:
Nigel Spratling
President
Tel: +1 978-262-0063
E-mail: nspratling@echolab.com |
Photo Links: www.wallstcom.com/Echolab/Overture1.zip
www.wallstcom.com/Echolab/Suffolk.zip
BILLERICA, Mass. — July 8, 2008 — Echolab, Inc., a leading provider of professional video production switchers and broadcast tools, today announced that Suffolk County Community College (SCCC), a two-year college known nationally for its radio and television production program, is using the 1-M/E Overture1™ switcher within a new fully digital center. The Echolab switcher is part of SCCC’s state-of-the-art facility in Selden, N.Y., where students prepare for careers in the field of professional broadcasting.
“In a teaching facility, ease of equipment operation leads to a better learning curve, and that’s just what Echolab’s switching solutions have provided for our students,” said Alan Bernstein, professor of radio and television production at SCCC. “While our new Overture1 system offers robust switching capabilities, its ease of use enables effective training for both entry-level and advanced users. The Overture1 is not unlike our program here at Suffolk County Community College: It’s a cost-effective system that provides everything one could possibly need but at a very appealing price point compared with competitors’ offerings.”
SCCC upgraded to a 1-M/E Overture1 system to take advantage of the switcher’s advanced functionality and feature set, including a greater number of keyers, new Dip and DVE transitions, the SuperSource™ layering engine, and floating frame synchronization. Echolab’s high-performance Overture1 combines internal conversion and synchronization with powerful key layering and special effects to provide simple control over complex production tasks and, in turn, streamline creation of a sophisticated on-air look.
Overture switchers accept up to 32 multiformat analog and digital signals and provide as many as 16 multiformat outputs. Internal frame synchronization helps to ensure the quality of effects, and the integrated up/crossconversion within MD models streamlines switching of video in multiple formats. Features such as the Stinger™ transition and SuperSource™ crosspoint keys allow operators to implement simpler workflows while creating more advanced visual productions.
Echolab’s Stinger transition is a special “Take Block” keyer with combined mix/wipe and graphic control that reduces complex animated transitions to a single button press. The Overture switchers’ new SuperSource allows the operator to build a custom layout using DVEs and graphics and then assigns the composition to a crosspoint button. A DVE key in each Take Block enables instant transition effects, and the MD Overture systems offer as many as four channels of DVE with warp and lighting effects. Robust DVE capabilities are complemented by as many as 34 internal graphics/still stores.
“The Echolab switcher provides the most flawless transitions you could ever imagine, and it has several times the power of any production switcher we’ve had here at our facility,” added Bernstein. “Our students find it easy to learn switching techniques on the very capable Overture1 switcher, and they leave our program with the skills and confidence to work with any type or size of switcher they encounter in their professional work.”
Adwar Video, a reseller of professional video and multimedia products with headquarters in Farmingdale, N.Y., worked in concert with Echolab to supply SCCC with the Overture1 system. More information about the Overture series and other Echolab products is available at www.echolab.com.
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About Suffolk County Community College
Suffolk County Community College is the largest multicampus community college in the State University of New York (SUNY) system, enrolling more than 22,000 students each semester. SCCC offers 69 degree and certificate programs in business, communications, the arts, computing, health, community and human services, liberal arts, and technical, scientific, and engineering studies. By 2005 the college had graduated more than 86,312 persons. In accordance with the mission of the college, SCCC provides universal access to higher education; prepares students for transfer to four-year institutions; prepares students for a first career, a career change, or career advancement; and assists underprepared students in acquiring the necessary skills and knowledge to increase their career and educational opportunities. More information is available at www.sunysuffolk.edu.
About Echolab, Inc.
Echolab, Inc. is a leading provider of video production switchers and tools that offer flexibility and on-air reliability for the production and distribution of digital media in a variety of formats. The company’s products include the Overture1™ and Overture2™ video production systems, MultiPlayMD™ multichannel instant-replay system, MegaKeyMD™ clip player/mixer/keyer, and Conductor control integration system, all of which provide functionality and ease of use critical to professional-quality production. Echolab is online at www.echolab.com.
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10/17/07 - Echolab Opera Switcher Supports Groundbreaking Webcast Joining East and West at Durango High....
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Agency Contact:
Michael Kroll
Wall Street Communications
Tel: +1 (919) 803-3770
E-mail: michael@wallstcom.com |
Echolab Contact:
Nigel Spratling
President
Tel: +1 (978) 715-1020
E-mail: nspratling@echolab.com |
Photo Links: www.wallstcom.com/Echolab/Opera.zip
www.wallstcom.com/Echolab/DHS.zip
For Immediate Release
Female Students From Middle East University Are First to Produce a Live Television Sports Program From the United States
BILLERICA, Mass. — Oct. 17, 2007 — Echolab Corporation, a leading provider of professional video production switchers and broadcast tools, today announced that its Opera dual-format production switcher played a key role in the Webcast of the 2007 Durango High School Fall Classic Tournament, the first live sports television program produced in the United States by female students from the Middle East.
Through the Middle East Broadcasters (MEB) Association initiative “Setting New Broadcasting Standards for the Arab World,” young women from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Yemen, Egypt, Lebanon, and the Kingdom of Bahrain joined the nonprofit charity Interschool Television (iTV) in producing a Web broadcast of the prestigious girls’ volleyball tournament, which took place Oct. 5 and 6 in Las Vegas.
“The MEB initiative aims to enhance the broadcasting curricula and training in an outreach program involving Middle East universities,” said Dale Matthews, executive director of Oregon-based iTV and producer for the Fall Classic Webcast. “I contacted the people at MEB about the possibility that experienced students from the Middle East could take part in the groundbreaking project, and the tournament organizers and I were very pleased that young women from different parts of the world could come together in a first for the broadcast industry. Echolab’s loan of an Opera production switcher provided us with the technical capabilities we needed to make this one-of-a-kind broadcast a success.”
Thirty-two teams and many of the best players from around the country took part in the Durango High School Fall Classic. Eight students from the UAE University, under the guidance of Matthews as producer, used the Opera production switcher to create content for Web broadcast, available for online viewing live around the world. The Middle East production crew easily integrated five cameras into the live production. While these prosumer three-chip cameras provided by iTV normally need to be synced externally, the internal frame synchronization of the Opera switcher allowed the team simply to power up the unit, plug in all of its cameras, and get right to work.
“The Durango High School Fall Classic is remarkable in that it attracts top-level female volleyball players from across the United States,” said Nigel Spratling, Echolab president. “What made this year’s event even more special was that a group of young women was able to travel from across the globe to take part in production of the event. We’re proud that our switcher technology played a role in this significant step forward for broadcasting and for successful collaboration among young people of different countries and cultures.”
Echolab’s Opera is a flexible SD production switcher with a unique dual-format design, complemented by internal frame synchronizers and frame buffers that make the Opera the perfect switcher for production systems that require handling of both analog and digital media. The production switcher can be installed into an analog system without additional conversion gear, and its modular architecture provides a cost-effective means of transitioning from analog to digital at the desired pace.
More information about the Opera dual-format production switcher and other Echolab products is available at www.echolab.com.
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About Echolab
Echolab Corporation is a leading provider of video production switchers and tools that offer flexibility and on-air reliability for the production and distribution of digital media in a variety of formats. Built on Echolab’s award-winning System on Chip technology, the dual-format Opera, SDI-format Nova, and new multi-definition Ovation MD lines of production switchers deliver the highest quality output in analog and all digital formats and are scalable for future expansion and operational enhancements. Echolab is online at www.echolab.com.
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6/06/07 - O’Doherty’s Productions Wins Bet With Echolab Nova Production Switcher
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Agency Contact:
Peggy Stalhut
Wall Street Communications
Tel: +1 631.423.4128
E-mail: peggy@wallstcom.com |
Echolab Contact:
Nigel Spratling
President
Tel: +1 717.201.1773
E-mail: nspratling@echolab.com |
For Immediate Release
BILLERICA, Mass. — June 20, 2007 — Echolab Corporation today announced that O’Doherty’s Audio Video Productions of Dublin, Ireland, is deploying the company’s Nova 1416 switcher in its 26-foot broadcast truck, which travels almost 2,500 miles a month to provide A/V services to 16 racetracks spread across Ireland and Northern Ireland. O’Doherty’s is the premier provider of audio information, announcements, graphics, camera coverage, and replays to monitors and giant screens at racetracks in Ireland.
“The Nova 1416 is a hugely flexible system for its size,” said Paul Johnston, unit director for O’Doherty’s. “It’s perfect for our OB truck’s hectic schedule — we are always on the road, and we need absolute reliability as well as full functionality.”
The company was looking to upgrade its digital production and found Echolab to provide a switcher that, after bouncing around day after day on bad roads, was built for endurance. The Nova 1416 offers a robust system with high-end features, including a frame buffer that allows O’Doherty’s to store the individual racetrack logos, 16 routable AUX outputs that provide distinct SDI camera feeds, and flexible upstream and downstream keyers. Since space is at a premium, the compact 5-RU size of the Echolab Nova 1416 switcher is a plus, as is its cool, power-efficient operation. As with all Echolab switchers, at the heart of the Nova is Echolab’s innovative system-on-chip architecture, making the Nova not only easy to upgrade, but guaranteeing it will be in the race for many years to come.
“Echolab designed the Nova with complex, demanding, and space-limited production operations exactly like O’Doherty’s in mind,” said Nigel Spratling, president of Echolab. “With its sleek Identity 4 panel, the Nova 1416 is perfect for an action-packed OB truck, meeting demands for reliability, ease of use, and maximum creative control.”
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About O’Doherty’s
Based in Dublin, O’Doherty’s has served the horse racing industry for half a century. O’Doherty’s OB1 truck provides complete audio-video services for 16 racetracks in Ireland and Northern Ireland, feeding content to SIS, ATR, and RTE for broadcast around the U.K. and Europe. O’Doherty’s also provides owners, trainers, and jockeys with same-day DVDs and VHS tapes of races.
About Echolab
Echolab Corporation is a leading provider of video production switchers and tools that offer flexibility and on-air reliability for the production and distribution of digital media in a variety of formats. Built on Echolab’s award-winning system-on-chip (SoC) technology, the dual-format Opera, SDI-format Nova, and new multi-definition Ovation MD lines of production switchers deliver the highest-quality output in analog and all digital formats, and are scalable for future expansion and operational enhancements. Echolab is online at www.echolab.com.
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