WMAQ-TV Video Central


Right: Video Central control area for three TK-41's and four TK-44A's (RCA color studio cameras)
Video Central

[CURATOR'S NOTE: Video Central was the former radio master control area.]

Video Central houses the pulse distribution, studio controlroom switecher electronics and other camera controls for seven live cameras. Originally there were seven TK-41 cameras installed, but four of these have been replaced with TK-44A's and the remaining three TK-41's will be replaced with TK-44's in the near future. Here again, these cameras are set up on a delegate system so they may be used in any combination in any studio. The studios are also set up so any controlroom may be used with any studio space. In this manner, a controlroom may be taken out of service for modification or rebuilding.

Regular and emergency sync generators are driven by a Rhubidium standard located at Master Control so the plant may be phased inro an incoming remote, or phased so that video transmitted to the network will arrive in New York in time with their video for minimum switching disturbance when we are inserting segments to the network. This is done for the Today Show and Huntley-Brinkley Report on a routine basis. A third sync generator is available for driving a portion of the plant when it is desired to split off from the main generators.

Pulse distribution is handled by a single cable system. Each sync generator drives a black burst generator. Each studio also drives a black burst generator. The outputs of the crossbar are fed to the individual cameras where a genlocked sync generator st each camera control makes the necessary pulses for that camera. This makes it possible (depending on the input selected for each camera chain) for the chain to be synchronous with the plant or an incoming remote or network feed so that switching disturbances are minimized, and so supers, inserts or other effects may be used with incoming material.

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