With 4K and IP, NBC 10 and Telemundo 62 Philadelphia debut upgrade
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With the latest in IP infrastructure and storytelling technology, NBCUniversal’s duopoly in Philadelphia has completed its on-air move into the Comcast Technology Center.
Occupying three floors with 80,000 square-feet, the new broadcast facility boasts three studios, ergonomic furniture and flexible workspaces for the news teams of NBC 10, WCAU, and Telemundo 62, WWSI.
“From our open newsroom layout to our studios that feature cutting-edge technology and distinctive Philadelphia-area designs, the Comcast Technology Center enables our team to leverage innovative technologies in our storytelling,” said Ric Harris, the station’s president and GM.
The newsroom space. Photos courtesy of NBC 10 and Telemundo 62.
Tony Plosz, VP of Operations and Engineering for NBC 10 and Telemundo 62, notes that the building features a variety of enhancements, from the three-story sky garden to the abundance of collaboration space to relocating the various all-news operations onto a single floor.
Future-proofing
The new facility was built on the SMPTE 2022 standard for IP production, as the SMPTE 2110 standard was not finalized at the time of build-out.
Working with Diversified, the station integrated Grass Valley and Cisco technology at its core, with Dalet providing asset management and Ross Overdrive for broadcast automation.
TVNewsCheck notes that there are 60 miles of fiber in the Comcast Technology Center, providing unparalleled connectivity and allowing much of the building to become a broadcastable space.
“Our expanded area-wide data network lets us bring in more video feeds than before (we’ve added IP-backhauls to carry both traditional microwave feeds, beauty cameras, and other video feeds if needed),” adds Plosz.
This video network is used nightly by the primary video backdrop for the station’s newscasts with NBC 10 featuring a 4K live video feed behind the anchor desk.
Similarly, the station’s Grass Valley LDX86 cameras are also 4K-ready; however, for the foreseeable future, the primary usage of 4K content will be the main video wall.
A set with a view
NBC 10’s LED video wall, measuring 20 x 10 feet and integrated by GGI, Inc., provides a dynamic background for newscasts, part of the flexible set design from Jeff Hall and the team at JHD Group.
The anchor area of the NBC 10 news set.
The set is “big, bold, and highly flexible,” said Plosz, “to accommodate a variety of presentation areas and flexible technology to keep viewers informed and engaged.”
Uplit wood panels and stonework are combined with faux-steel beams, mimicking the building’s larger architectural design to create a 2,600-square-foot space for NBC 10. Additional presentation areas beyond the large video wall include a working weather center and a traffic nook.
For Telemundo 62, a backlit portal wraps the primary LED video wall with multiple video arrays on either side of the anchor area.
The set of Telemundo 62.
At 2,400 square feet, Telemundo 62’s studio follows a similar design style as NBC 10, with additional pops of color and a richer palette consistent with Telemundo’s overall look.
Redwood Media Group provided lighting design for the two studios using the latest LED lighting instruments from Cineo, and blackwalnut provided fabrication.
“We look forward to delivering news and information that our audience expects from us while setting a new standard for Greater Philadelphia and our industry,” Harris concluded.
Project Credits
Overall Facility
Construction by LF Driscoll
Construction Project Management by Liberty Property Trust
Architecture by Gensler
Technical Design and Integration by Diversified
IP technology from Grass Valley and Cisco
Cameras from Grass Valley
Asset Management from Dalet Galaxy
Production Automation from Ross Overdrive
Broadcast Studio
Set Design by Jeff Hall of JHD Group
Art Direction by Grant Van Zevern, Chris Mylrea of JHD Group
Fabrication by blackwalnut
Display Technology Integration by GGI, Inc.
Lighting Design by Redwood Media Group
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tags
4K Production, 4K Television, Blackwalnut, Broadcast Facility, Broadcast Facility Upgrade, Chris Mylrea, Cineo Lighting, cisco, Comcast Technology Center, Dalet, Diversified, facility design, Gensler, Gensler Architecture, GGI, Grant Van Zevern, IP, IP Production, IP Video, ip workflow, jeff hall, JHD Group, LED Lights, NBC, NBC O&O, NBC Owned Television Stations, NBCUniversal, NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, philadelphia, Redwood Media Group, Ric Harris, ross, Ross Overdrive, SMPTE, SMPTE 2022, SMPTE ST 2110, telemundo, Telemundo Owned Stations, Telemundo Station Group, Tony Plosz, wcau, wwsi
categories
Broadcast Facility, Broadcast Facility Technology, Heroes, News Set Design, Set Design, TV News Set Design