KSMQ-TV Improves On-Air Quality, Speeds Up File-Based Workflow With NVerzion Automation

SALT LAKE CITY — July 14, 2015 — NVerzion®, a leading provider of cutting-edge tools for digital broadcasting and television station automation, today announced that KSMQ-TV, the PBS station in Austin, Minnesota, has deployed a new automation system from NVerzion during the transition from SD to HD. KSMQ chose NVerzion's Component Level Automation System Solutions (CLASS™) based on its ease of use, seamless integration with third-party equipment, affordability, and unparalleled reliability. By overseeing all master control and playout operations, CLASS speeds up KSMQ's operations while enabling the station to provide superior quality on-air presentation to viewers.

"Our station has limited resources. So, while addressing the growing viewer demand for HD programming, we knew we needed an automation system that is flexible and cost-effective, while guaranteeing reliability," said Tim Gassmann, operations manager at KSMQ. "NVerzion CLASS is based on a modular architecture, allowing us to choose software and hardware components that fit our specific needs and budget while keeping us on air 24/7. Thanks to NVerzion, we now have the ability to respond to the needs of our community with greater speed and to provide our viewers with a crystal-clear HD signal."

KSMQ purchased NVerzion CLASS as part of a comprehensive infrastructure package from Heartland Video Systems. The new automation solution from NVerzion includes a variety of hardware and software components, including: NControl™ on-air playlists, NGest™ professional dubbing and recording software, NPoint™ video preparation software for segmenting and trimming, NBase™ SQL media database manager, NView™ database viewer, NCommand™ machine status and control, NTime™ time-driven event scheduling, NConvert™ manual and automated traffic interface, NGenius™ intelligent storage management browser, XPansion™ storage management software, EMC-NT Ethernet machine control, EMC-Router Ethernet machine control, and CPIM BXF dynamic traffic interface.

NGenius, NVerzion's new storage solution, has proven to be especially useful to the broadcaster. Using the automation and storage solution, KSMQ can protect and manage data via an on-site 40TB Microsoft® Windows NAS system. NGenius dramatically reduces the broadcaster's capital equipment expenses.

CLASS enables KSMQ to control a variety of third-party equipment, including a Harmonic Spectrum™ ChannelPort™ branded channel playout module, Harmonic Spectrum™ MediaCenter™ server, Utah Scientific UTAH-100/UDS universal distribution system, Sony UVW-1700G VTR, Panasonic AJ-SD755 and AJ-D450 VTRs, and Myers ProTrack traffic system. CLASS also interfaces with KSMQ's existing nearline storage system as a Windows shared environment.

CLASS guarantees the integrity of KSMQ's on-air presentation by eliminating any single point of failure within the station's file-based workflow. The station now has the flexibility to add more features and perform future upgrades as needs evolve. The scalable platform can also easily support additional channels and subchannels in the future.

"Migrating from SD to HD is a massive infrastructure upgrade, making it critical that stations such as KSMQ find equipment that is designed around simplicity, flexibility, and reliability," said Reed Haslam, director of sales and marketing at NVerzion. "Unlike other vendors, NVerzion can tailor a station's workflow user interface so that it mirrors the old automation system, lessening the learning curve for engineering staff. Through our partnerships with other world-class vendors, we provide broadcasters with an efficient, interoperable, end-to-end solution that streamlines operations while providing substantial cost savings."