The world of live production is a fast paced environment, filled with constant activity, changing workflows and evolving technologies. Titan TV is no different. As an undergraduate student, I spearheaded an initiative to upgrade the Titan TV live remote production gear to high definition.
When I first became involved with Titan TV my freshman year, it was clear that the existing sports gear was outdated and in need of replacement. While serving as sports director my sophomore year, our broadcasts frequently suffered in quality due to failing and antiquated equipment. In conjunction with Radio TV Film engineers and staff members, we made it our top priority to find a professional solution to upgrade the Titan TV remote system.
The UW Oshkosh Athletics program relies on Titan TV to provide broadcast coverage of a variety of sporting events. While I was enrolled at UW Oshkosh, Titan TV produced over 150 live sports broadcasts in addition to numerous other remote productions like the Chancellor’s Installation and WISCO Live.
The first step of this project included research and testing from a number of broadcast vendors. It was imperative that we found a cost effective yet professional solution to provide students with industry standard equipment. The process consisted of testing gear, sitting through equipment demonstrations, crunching numbers on various quotes and writing a detailed report to an on-campus organization to receive funding.
After our funding proposal was greenlit, we proceeded to purchase a Ross CrossOver Solo switcher, Panasonic AG-HPX370 cameras, Makito HD IP Video Encoder and Xpression CG. The gear arrived over the summer of 2014, and I worked with the Radio TV Film engineers to integrate and configure all of the new equipment.
Because Titan TV is an academic environment, the remote gear is often being used by students who are starting to work in a broadcast environment for the first time. Due to the complexity of industry standard gear, I also developed a handbook and color coding system to illustrate proper setup and operation.
In my senior year alone, Titan TV produced approximately 50 remote productions. The HD equipment upgrade opened the door for Titan TV to produce content anywhere on campus. From homecoming football games to UWO commencement ceremonies, Titan TV students are now producing award-winning HD content and working with industry standard equipment.
