Turner Utilizes Snell Upconverters for HD Simulcasts

A sweeping installation of more than 50 Snell Quasar Ph.C upconverters is supporting HD simulcasts for multiple entertainment networks of Turner Broadcasting System.

The Quasar Ph.C systems, installed at Turner’s network operations center in Atlanta, are used to upconvert SD content and graphics for the HD simulcasts of TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network, TCM, and truTV. In addition, the Quasars provide the upconversion needs for SD programming running on WPCH (Peachtree TV), a Turner owned-and-operated local station serving the Atlanta market. Turner uses the Quasar systems in conjunction with Snell’s RollCall, which provides a monitoring and control interface for all signals in the operation.

“The Quasar Ph.C systems have enabled us to incorporate a wide range of SD sources — video, film, graphics, or animations — into our HD broadcasts with upconversion that meets Turner’s high-quality standards,” says Jack Gary, senior director of projects and integration engineering for the Turner Entertainment Networks.

Turner’s Quasar Ph.C installation also features a customized 16:9 algorithm for optimum handling of 4:3 materials stretched to 16:9 widescreen. Jointly developed by Snell and Turner engineers, the customization provides user-configurable settings that enable Turner operators to fine-tune the presentation of 4:3 SD materials so that they are not distracting when upconverted to a 16×9 format.

“Turner’s use of Snell’s Quasar Ph.C is evidence of the upconverter’s world-class picture quality and aspect ratio flexibility,” says Jonathan Goldstein, president of Snell, Inc. “We’re proud that Turner has selected Quasar Ph.C as part of its playout path for many of its most valuable HD channels.”

Password must contain the following:

A lowercase letter

A capital (uppercase) letter

A number

Minimum 8 characters

;
SVGLogoHR_NOTAG-200

The Latest in Sports Video Production & Technology
in Your Inbox for FREE

Daily Email Newsletters Monday - Friday