Broadcasters using MPEG2 camera and digital editing equipment report improved (analog) picture quality and significantly reduced editing time compared with an analog studio....................
After a Year in the Field, Sony's Betacam SX Scores Big
with WCYB Television; Betacam SX Technology Helps
Reduce Editing Time Up to 50 Percent
SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 15, 1997--Increased demand for additional news
programming, in more on-air variations, has placed a premium on efficiency for television stations.
Saving time was a key factor when Bristol, Va.-based WCYB Television made the investment in
Sony's Betacam SX technology a year ago.
According to Tom Cupp, chief engineer at WCYB Television, over the past year, the NBC affiliate
has seen a dramatic improvement in the workflow and overall quality of its news operations.
WCYB's initial purchase of Betacam SX equipment included seven DNW-A100 Hybrid Recorders,
nine DNW-A45 Hybrid Recorders, and seven DNW-7 Camcorders. Since then, WCYB has
added five DNE-700 Digital News Editing Systems, two DNE-50 Portable Field Editors and two
DNW-5 Dockable Recorders.
"Ever since we made our initial purchase of Betacam SX camcorders and hybrid recorders, we have
seen our editing time reduced by 40 to 50 percent," said Tom Cupp, chief engineer at WCYB
Television. "This dramatic improvement in efficiency is due, we believe, in most part, to the ability of
the Betacam SX equipment to save time in each step of the production process."
Utilizing features like "Good Shot Marker" and up to four times (4X) real time tape-to-hard drive
transfer, WCYB is able to improve overall turnaround time from field-to-playout.
WCYB's field ENG crews are using Sony's DNW-7 Camcorder to mark the "good shots," then
bringing the tape to the ENG van or studio where the "good shots" are transferred to a hard drive on
Sony's DNW-A100 Hybrid Recorder at 4X real time speed. With shuttling reduced to a minimum,
the story is quickly edited on Sony's DNE-700 Digital News Editing system or DNE-50 Portable
Field Editor and delivered to the playback room for playout using Sony's DNW-A45 Hybrid
Recorder.
With five newscasts, and recently expanded noon newscast, demands on WCYB's operations are
heavy.
"Sony's hybrid recorders and nonlinear editors enable us to store video materials as files on a hard
disk instead of tape," Cupp said. "This gives us the ability to easily repurpose video materials from
one newscast to the next without ever having to lose a generation."
According to Cupp, the image quality of Sony's DNW-7 Camcorders has been impressive,
especially under challenging lighting conditions. "Since we began shooting on Betacam SX cameras,
we've received calls from viewers commenting on the improved picture quality of our broadcasts,"
Cupp added.
Sony has sold more than 8,000 Betacam SX units this year. "Based on the industry standard
MPEG-2 4:2:2 Profile @ Main Level compression scheme, the Betacam SX format is the quality
leader for news production," said Chris Golson, vice president of storage marketing for Sony
Electronics' Business and Professional Group. "As MPEG compression technology becomes the
world wide standard, broadcasters are increasingly seeing the value of our MPEG-2-based
Betacam SX family of products."
Note to Editors: More information about Sony products can be found on the World Wide Web at
sony.com, or readers may call 1-800-686-SONY. Additional press
information is available at sony.com .
The Business and Professional Group of Sony Electronics is a leading U.S. supplier of video and
audio equipment for the broadcast, production, business, industrial, government, medical, and
education markets. Sony offers a wide array of products and systems for image capture, production,
and display. Sony also provides specialized equipment and systems for data recording, duplication,
electronic photography/publishing, video conferencing, high definition video, interactive and security
applications. In fiscal 1996, Sony Electronics had record sales of more than $9.6 billion.
CONTACT: Sony Electronics Inc.
Lisa Young, 408/955-5683
lisa_young@mail.sel.sony.com
or
Technology Solutions Inc.
Bob Tracy, 408/280-6000 ext. 211
btracy@tsipr.com
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