BOCA RATON, FL — With one part-time and two full-time employees, BocaTV, the local cable channel covering city council meetings here, is not about to be confused with CNN, or even C-SPAN, for that matter. But along with new cameras for the City Council’s chamber in City Hall last summer, the local channel is using a Broadcast Pix Slate 1000 integrated production system to cover city council meetings and other local events.
The new Slate system shares a small space with a Mackie Onyx 1640 audio board and other equipment directly in front of the dais where city council members sit during meetings.
“We wanted a system that one person could run and have a polished looking product,” said Mark Witzen, video producer and multimedia specialist. “We also had a very small budget, so we had to find the best bang for our buck.”
Between the city council and various committees, BocaTV usually provides coverage of at least nine meetings per month. Housed in a portable cart built by Bigfoot Mobile Carts in Vacaville, Calif., the Broadcast Pix system can also be transported from its usual space in City Hall to locations around the city for live events. For example, Witzen said the Slate 1000 was expected to be used for coverage of the 38th annual Boca Raton Holiday Street Parade in December.
The Slate is being used in conjunction with four Panasonic AW-HE100 HD/SD PTZ cameras during meetings. John Wallace, video producer and multimedia specialist, said the new setup has improved the quality of their broadcasts, and he is particularly pleased with the Slate’s built-in Inscriber CG. “It’s so much better,” he added.
Currently, the city produces and broadcasts its meetings in SD, but Witzen said the Slate’s easy HD upgrade path could be a big help in the future. Witzen appreciates the built-in multi-view as well, and plans to use even more of the Slate’s built-in functionality, including its clip store, in future broadcasts. “We can do so many different things with it,” he said.
For more information, please visit www.broadcastpix.com.
