ALBANY, NY — When video production company Myriad Productions was tasked with selecting key components for the upgrade of the Times Union Center’s video production system to HD, they faced a very tight timeframe and couldn’t afford any compromises in video switcher selection as a critical piece of the municipal indoor arena’s HD upgrade. Myriad Productions opted for FOR-A’s HVS-390HS 2 M/E video switcher.
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“In looking at the HVS-390HS versus many of its competitors, some big perks stuck out for us,” said Chris Pascucci, Myriad Productions’ CTO. “The cost efficiency and quality are outstanding. The switcher gave us the best bang for the buck and still met the broad range of requirements we were working with. The fact that we could get a full 2 M/E HVS-390HS unit that offered frame syncs on all the inputs, redundant power supplies and web browser access at no additional expense made it ideal for the facility.”
Times Union Center is the home arena for the AHL’s Albany Devils ice hockey team, as well as for the Siena Saints, a NCAA Division I college basketball team. With a seating capacity of 17,500 people, the arena also hosts concerts, family events and other live sporting events.
“All the teams request that the score and clock be included alongside the sports action in their video archives. The second M/E in the HVS-390HS allows us to easily provide the required picture-in-picture without the need for additional hardware, and without tying up our main switching bus or graphics channels,” added Pascucci.
The systems integrator on the project, Com Tech, Inc., first brought FOR-A’s HVS-390HS switcher to the attention of Myriad Productions. Chuck Zarriello, President and Owner of Com Tech, said, “The HVS-390HS was the ideal choice for this HD upgrade for numerous reasons, including the number of inputs that the unit offers and the simplicity in its operation. FOR-A has built a reputation for making very reliable products, and I just knew that the HVS-390HS would be a perfect fit for Times Union Center.”
Given the tight timeframe that Myriad Productions was under to complete the HD upgrade at the Times Union Center, FOR-A’s attentive customer service did not go unnoticed.
“FOR-A went out of their way to assist us in getting the HVS-390HS unit up and running quickly,” Zarriello noted. “They trained Myriad Production’s Technical Directors as we were completing the installation just the day before the switcher was used for live event production. FOR-A staff even stayed on-hand the next day in case there were any issues during the switcher’s first production. As an experienced systems integrator, I have to say that FOR-A’s level of support is outstanding and second to none.”
As a new FOR-A user, Myriad Productions has been very satisfied with its HVS-390HS unit and is appreciative that the switcher has been nothing but beneficial from the start.
Pascucci explained, “In my experience, hardware typically has some quirks, but with the HVS-390HS, we haven’t seen any of that. Our operators have been very comfortable in the switcher’s architecture. It was easy to learn to use and configure, especially with access to deep menus by a simple double tap of the associated button. It’s been refreshing not to have any roadblocks with such an important component, and our experience with FOR-A has been nothing but great.”
