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VIDEO CHAIN IN A TYPICAL DOORDARSHAN STUDIO

STUDIO CENTRE
A Studio centre of Doordarshan has the following objectives: 1) To originate programmes from studios either for live telecast or for recording on a video tape. 2) To knit various other sources of programs available at the production desk i.e., camera output from studios, feed from other kendras, outdoor, playback from pre recorded tape, film based programs slides, video graphics and characters generator etc. This knitting or live editing includes generation of special effects and desired transitions between various sources. 3) Processing/distribution of different sources to various destinations in technical areas. 4) Routing of mixed programme for recording/transmission via master switching room and Micro Wave to the transmitter or any other desired destinations. Activities in a television studio can be divided into three major areas such as : 1) 2) 3) Action area, Production control room, and Central apparatus room,

Action area
This place requires large space and ceiling as compared to any other technical area. Action in this area includes staging, lighting, performance by artists, and arrangement to pick up picture and sound. Hardware required for these activities in a studio (typical size 20 x20x8.5 cubic meters) are: 1. Very efficient air conditioning because of lot of heat dissipation by studio light and presence of large number of persons including invited audience performing artists and operational crew. 2. Uniform and even flooring for smooth operation of camera dollies and boom microphone etc.

Basic Course 3. Acoustic treatment Keeping in mind that a television studio is a multi purpose studio with lot of moving person and equipment during a production. 4. Supporting facilities like properties, wardrobe, and makeup etc. 5. Effective communication facilities for the floor crew with the production control area. 6. Studio cameras (three to four) with one of the cameras fitted with teleprompter system and pressure dolly. 7. Luminaires and suspension system having grids or battens (hand/motorised operation). 8. Pick up wall sockets for audio operations. 9. Tie lines box for video and audio lines from control room 10. Cyclorama and curtain tracks for blue and black curtain for chroma keying and limbo lighting respectively. 11. Audio and video monitoring facilities. 12. Studio warning light and safety devices like fire alarm system and fire fighting equipments etc. 13. Digital clock display. Operational requirement from the technical crew may vary from programme to programme. These requirements for lighting, audio pick up and special effects etc. depends upon the programme requirement such as establishing a period, time, formal or informal situation.

Production control area

Activities in this area are:1. Direction to the production crew by the producer of the programme. 2. Timing a production/telecast. 3. Editing of different sources available at the production desk. 4. Monitoring of output/off air signal. Hardware provided in this area include: 1. Monitoring facilities for all the input and output sources(audio/video). 2. Remote control for video mixer, telecine and library store and special effect (ADO) etc. 3. Communication facilities with technical areas and studio floor. STI(T) Publication 152 001/BC/2005

Video Chain in a Typical Doordarshan Studio

Vision mixing and switching

Unlike films, television media allows switching between different sources simultaneously at the video switcher in Production control room operated by the Vision Mixer on the direction of the program producer. The producer directs the cameramen for proper shots on various cameras through intercom and the vision mixer (also called VM engineer) switches shots from the selected camera/cameras with split second accuracy, in close cooperation with the producer. The shots can be switched from one video source to another video source, superimposed, cross faded, faded in or faded out electronically with actual switching being done during the vertical intervals between the picture frames. Electronics special effects are also used now days as a transition between the two sources. For most of the Video Switcher Mixing between the sources is possible only if the sources are having timing accuracy between 50 ns to 200 ns and Burst phase for SC with an accuracy of 1.5 to 5 deg. Vision Mixer (or Video Switcher) Though the video switching is done by the VM at the remote panel, the electronics is located in CAR. The vision mixer is typically a 10 x 6 or 20 x 10 cross bar switcher selecting anyone of the 10 or 20 input sources to 6 or 10 different output lines. The input sources include: Camera 1, camera 2, camera 3, VTR1, VTR2, Telecine 1, Telecine 2, Test signal etc. Some of the sources that have their sync coincident with the station sync are called synchronous, while others having their own independent sync are called non-synchronous. The vision mixer provides for the following operational facilities for editing of TV programs:(i) Take: Selection of any input source or Cut: switching clearly from one source to another. DISSOLVE: video. Fading out of one source of video and fading in another source of

(ii) (iii) (iv)

SUPERPOSITION OF TWO SOURCES: Keyed caption when selected inlay is superimposed on the background picture. SPECIAL EFFECTS: A choice of a number of wipe patterns for split screen or wipe effects.

The selected output can be monitored in the corresponding pre-view monitor. All the picture sources are available on the monitors. The preview monitors can be used for previewing the telecine, VTR; test signals etc. with any desired special effect, prior to its actual switching.

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Basic Course The switcher also provides cue facilities to switch camera tally lights as an indication to the cameraman whether his camera is on output of the switcher.

Present day PCRs have:

24 input video special effects switchers (CD 680 or CD 682-SP) Digital video effects- type ADO-2000/ADO-1000/ADO-100(Ampex) Character generators Telecine/DLS remote controls Adequate monitoring equipment

Ampex Digital Optics (ADO-2000)

ADO is a very useful aid to production. 30 preset effects can be recalled through the keyboard. Various picture manipulations are possible. The picture can be compressed, size can be reduced and cropped into another picture. The principle of operation is that the input Video is converted in digital form using A/D and then the digits are manipulated to create the desired effects and then it is converted back to analog form using D/A.

Character Generator(CG)
Character Generator provides titles and credit captions during production in Roman script. It provides high resolution characters, different colours for colorizing characters, background, edges etc. At present bilingual and trilingual C.G are also being used by Doordarshan. Character Generator is a microcomputer with Texts along instructions when typed in at the keyboard is stored on a floppy or a Hard disk. Many pages of scripts can be stored on the disk and recalled when needed, by typing the addresses for the stored pages, to appear as one of the video sources. Central Apparatus Room(CAR) This is the nerve center for a television station. Activities in this area include: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Distribution of stabilised power supply to different technical areas with protection devices. Sync pulse generation and distribution. Distribution of sources to various destinations Video processing and routing. Electronics for camera chain, video switchers, special effect generator, and test signal and pattern generator. Monitoring facilities Patch panel for video and audio lines Electronics for micro wave links

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Video Chain in a Typical Doordarshan Studio

Sync Pulse-Generator(SPG) It is essential that all the video sources as input to the switcher are in synchronism i.e., start and end of each line or all the frames of video sources is concurrent. This requirement is ensured by the sync pulse generator (SPG). SPG consists of highly stable crystal oscillator. Various pulses of standard width and frequency are derived from this crystal electronically which form clock for the generation of video signal. These pulses are fed to all the video generating equipment to achieve this objective of synchronism. Because of its importance, SPG is normally duplicated for change over in case of failure. It provide the following outputs: Line drive Field drive Mixed blanking Mixed sync colour subcarrier A burst insertion pulse PAL phase Indent pulses

Genlock (slaving) Often in a production it is necessary to mix between two sources whose waveforms are not synchronised. This is not possible until the local SPG has been synchronised with the external source so that the locally produced signals arrive at the mixer in synchronisation with the external source. When this occurs mixing is possible, captions, and credits produced locally can be superimposed on external sources. For non Synchronous sources mixing and super imposition is not possible and the signal can only be cut to with a resulting disturbance in outgoing sync pulses which may cause frame rolls on monitors and certainly disturbance to VTR machine which is recording. To overcome this problem, SPG is fitted with a GENLOCK facility, which allows the master oscillator to lock to the incoming waveform from the remote source, which then synchronises both waveforms. A more modern method of synchronization is with a digital synchronizer called Frame synchronizers. Other technical areas associated with central apparatus room (CAR) are 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Camera control unit (CCU) Light control unit(LCU) and a dimmer room Audio control room (ACR) Video tape recording room(VTR) Telecine(TK) and film section Digital library store(DLS) Video graphic or paint box(PB)

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Basic Course 8. Post production and editing suites for outdoor works by the ENG/EFP section (Electronics News gathering/Electronic field production).

Camera Control Unit (CCU)

The television cameras which include camera head with its optical focusing lens, pan and tilt head, video signal pre-amplifier view finder and other associated electronic circuitry are mounted on cameras trolleys and operate inside the studios. The output of cameras is pre-amplified in the head and then connected to the camera control unit (CCU) through triax cable. All the camera control voltages are fed from the CCU to the camera head over the camera cable. The view-finder signal is also sent over the camera cable to the camera head view-finder for helping the cameraman in proper focusing, adjusting and composing the shots. The video signal so obtained is amplified, H.F. corrected, equalized for cable delays, D.C. clamped, horizontal, and vertical blanking pulses are added to it. The peak white level is also clipped to avoid overloading of the following stages and avoiding over modulation in the transmitter. The composite sync signals are then added and these video signals are fed to a distribution amplifier, which normally gives multiple outputs for monitoring etc.

Light Control
The scene to be televised must be well illuminated to produce a clear and noise free picture. The lighting should also give the depth, the correct contrast and artistic display of various shades without multiple shadows. The lighting arrangements in a TV studio have to be very elaborate. A large number of lights are used to meet the needs of key, fill, and back lights etc. Lights are classified as spot and soft lights. These are suspended from motorized hoists and telescopes. The up and down movement is remotely controlled. The switching on and off the lights at the required time and their dimming is controlled from the light control panel inside a lighting control room using SCR dimmer controls. These remotely control various lights are inside the studios. Modern TV studios have a computer-controlled lighting system. The intensities of various lights can be adjusted independently and memorised for reproduction. The status indication of lights regarding their location and intensity is available on a monitor/MIMIC display. During reproduction of a particular sequence, the information from the memory operates the respective light dimmers. Hand held control boxes are also available for controlling light intensities inside the studios which communicate via a control panel. Most of the operational controls of the computerised light control system can also be performed manually with the back up matrix and fader controls.

Sound mixing and control

As a rule, in television, sound accompanies the picture. Several microphones are generally required for production of complex television programs besides other audio STI(T) Publication 156 001/BC/2005

Video Chain in a Typical Doordarshan Studio sources also called marred sound from telecine, VTR, and audio tape/disc replays. All these audio sources are connected to the sound control console. The sounds from different sources are controlled and mixed in accordance with the requirement of the program. Split second accuracy is required for providing the correct audio source in synchronisation with the picture thus requiring lot of skill from the engineer. Even the level of sound sometimes is varied in accordance with the shot composition called prospective.

Audio facilities
An audio mixing console, with a number of inputs, say about 32 inputs is provided in major studio. This includes special facilities such as equalisation, PFL, phase reversal, echo send/receive and digital reverberation units at some places Meltron console tape recorders and EMI 938 disc reproducers are provided for playing back/creating audio effects as independent sources (Unmarried) to the switcher.

Video Tape recorders

VTR room is provided at each studio center. It houses a few Broadcast standard Videocassette recorders (VCRs). In these recorders, sound and video signals are recorded simultaneously on the same tape.

EQUIPMENTS IN VIDEO TAPE RECORDER (VTR) ROOM

Most of the TV centers have professional quality B-Format BCN-51 One inch VTRs. For broadcast quality playback it is equipped with correction electronics i.e. a processor which comprises velocity error compensation, drop-out compensation and time base correction. It also comprises a digital variable motion unit enabling still reproduction, slow motion and visible search operation. New centers are being supplied with Sony Betacam SP VCRs, DVC Pro. High bands VCRs are to be provided with digital time base correctors where as Betacam has got built in DTBC with studio machines.

Access To Electronic Still Storage System

Some PCRs have access to the electronic still storage system. One replay remote control of the digital library system is mounted on the video production control table at the PCR. Still pictures stored in the library system can be recalled and used in production.

Post Production Suites

Modern videotape editing has revolutionised the production of television programs over the years. The latest trend all over the world is to have more of fully equipped post production suites than number of studios. The actual production is done in these suites. The job for a post production suites is:-

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Basic Course a. b. c. d. e. To knit program available on various sources. While doing editing with multiple sources, it should be possible to have any kind of transition. Adding/Mixing sound tracks. Voice over facilities. Creating special effects.

The concept of live editing on vision mixer is being replaced by to do it at leisure in post production suites. A well equipped post production suite will have:1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Five VTRs/VCRs, may be of different format remotely controlled by the editor. Vision mixing with special effect and wipes etc. with control from a remote editor panel. Audio mixer with remote control from the editor remote panel. Multi-track audio recorder with time code facilities and remote operation. Adequate monitoring facilities. Non Linear Editing System 3-D Graphics

Coverage of Outside events Outside broadcasts(or OBs) provide an important part of the television programs. Major events like sports, important functions and performances are covered with an O.B. van which contains all the essential production facilities.

Video Chain
The block diagram on facing page connects all these sections and it can be observed that the CAR is the nodal area. Now let us follow a CAM-I signal. CAM-I first goes to a Camera electronics in CAR via a multi-core cable, the signal is then matched/adjusted for quality in CCU and then like any other sources it goes to video switcher via PP (Patch Panel) and respective VDAs(Video Distribution Amplifiers) and optional Hum compensator/Cable equilizers. Output from the switcher goes to stabilizing amplifier via PP and VDAs. Output from the stab. Is further distributed to various destinations. It may be noted that the use of VDAs helps to monitor the video signal at different locations and the use of PP is very helpful for emergency arrangements during breakdowns and trouble shooting. A separate monitoring bus is provided in CCU, LCU and END CONTROL with sources as shown. END CONTROL also has a remote for the adjustment of levels etc. in the STAB AMP unit. Route for the other sources is similar to this and can be understood from the block schematic.

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Video Chain in a Typical Doordarshan Studio

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