SPOTLIGHT: Digital Upgrade to UST Television Facility

Project Sponsor: Dr. Sam Levy

Project Managers: Gary Schulzetenberg, Ron Riley, Tom Davy

View of photo slideshow of the TV studio transformation.

What was involved with the upgrade of the TV facility?

Basically, the UST TV studio, located on the lower level of the O’Shaughnessy Education Center (OEC), went through a digital transformation over the summer.   It went from an old analog 1990’s style to a current digital facility with a state of the art, high-tech control room.   The video signal flow is now standard definition (SD) digital from cameras through the control room and will be able to be upgraded to high definition (HD) in the future.

The renovation took three months to complete, staring with the dismantling of the old control room equipment and the removal of massive amounts of obsolete wiring.   The new control room was then designed, built and re-wired to digital.  It was finished just in time for the start of the fall school year.

The upgrade became a reality thanks to close collaboration between Information, Resources and Technology and the College of Arts and Sciences.   It also coincided strategically with the merging of Communication Studies and Journalism into one department.

What new features were added to the TV facility?

The upgrade included the following new equipment:

• Three standard definition (SD) Sony digital studio cameras.
• Flat screen teleprompters.
• A Ross Synergy MD1 digital switcher.
• A Pinnacle Deko 100 character generator.
• Miranda multi-screen monitoring.
• Digital engineering control and monitoring.
• Modern control room style furniture and racks.

The upgrade will allow students to get hands-on experience with the kinds of equipment and technology they are likely to find when they get out into the working world.

What is the studio used for and what are the plans for the future?

Currently, the facility is mainly used by Communication & Journalism and Web and Media Services for instruction and for the production of student shows, like Campus Scope and Tommie Nation.   The vision for the future includes a much broader use of the facility for locally produced shows, instruction and institutional messages.  There are also future plans to digitally link the O’Shaughnessy Education Center (OEC) auditorium, located one floor above the studio, to the TV control room below.  This would allow “live” production and distribution of special events from the auditorium above.

What are the next steps?

The upgrade to the TV studio is not totally complete.   There are some future phases planned which include cosmetic changes to the studio floor and space, digital transformation of the audio booth, addition of new communication devices, “tape-less” playback and recording, designing and integrating of new set designs, and, as mentioned above, interfacing with the OEC auditorium directly above the facility. Other upgrades and additions will depend on future instruction and programming that is implemented for the St. Thomas community and beyond.

If you would like more information about the TV facility at UST, contact Gary Schulzetenberg in Web & Media Services at (651) 962-6279 or by email at grschulzeten@stthomas.edu