In cooperation with the San Francisco chapterof the SBE, the SF section of the SMPTE is offering this "grand tour"of the newest broadcast facility in the Bay Area. KDTV totally rebuiltthe 41st floor and it's always a treat to tour a station that's new fromthe ground up. Even the wiring in this digital, server-based plant hasa story to tell.
Here's the plan:
In a joint meeting with SBE, over 70 SMPTE membersand guests met to tour the new studio of KDTV and hear Bob Wyatt, KDTVChief Engineer, Stephen Lampen, and Jack Andresen explained how this allnew analog and digital plant pioneered the use of Belden's "Media-Twist"cable to run analog audio, video, and reference as well as the variousdigital backbones. This "grand tour" of the newest broadcastfacility in the Bay Area included the totally rebuilt the 41st floor of50 Fremont Street, and a description of building a new studio from theground up. The older 3/4" format news plant has been expanded andupdated to DVC-PRO in an analog configuration that will soon be upgradedto the SMPTE Serial Data standard. News scripting was updated to a networkeddesk-top system with a growth path to desk-top news editing.
We started the tours a half-hour early and ranmore then we planned. Instead of taking off for our planned no-host lunch,an imprompto discussion of the the use of UTP (unshielded twisted-pair)for analog video in the studio broke out in the conference room. Most ofKDTV's facility has been wired for video using CAT 5 with a balun fromthe 8-pin modular phone/network connector to the video equipment's BNC.The lively discussion included Steve Lampen of Belden and Jack Andresen,the inventor and manufacturer of the special baluns used in the plant.Many questions were discussed about the use of UTP and the experiencesof handling video without coax cable. All who stayed for that session learnedfrom the synergy. Beldenhas a technical paper on their MediaTwist UTP wire, just click here. Jackhas written about the use of CAT 5 cable on this (click here) page. (RickLeForge, Membership Chair)
Location
KDTV-TV / Channel 14 / Univision Television Group
50 Fremont Street, 41st floor
San Francisco, California
PARKING: There is ample and inexpensive parking nearby (in the $1 to$3 range). The skyscraper at 50 Fremont St. is very near the Transbay Terminal,just south of Market Street.
Click on the map to browse, then click on DRIVING DIRECTIONS to find outhow to get here.