WEIU radio/TV channel inside EIU’s School of Communication upgraded their Master Control with NVerzion’s NFinity Broadcast Video Server and NFinity View file management.
WEIU, the radio/TV channel operating from the School of Communication and Journalism at Eastern Illinois University, recently upgraded its facility with a new Master Control system. The team had been using automation from Nverzion over the last 20 years, and have now upgraded their Master Control with NVerzion’s NFinity Broadcast Video Server and NFinity View file management package.
WEIU’s mission is twofold. The station not only complements the work of the School of Communication and Journalism at the University by supplying real-world training on current equipment to enable EIU students to become highly employable broadcast students, but also aims to help make Charleston and the surrounding area a better place to live.
Flexible and Non-Proprietary
Alhough WEIU’s video content originates from multiple sources, all material has to pass through the NVerzion video server and automation system, which forms the centre of the station’s master control. WEIU has experienced considerable innovation and change over time, from standard to high definition, to today’s continuously evolving file format migrations. Since NVerzion’s system is multi-format capable, the facility can move through format transitions smoothly.
This flexibility has allowed them a degree future-proofing that has become important to WEIU now that software upgrades and equipment acquisition happen more frequently. Previous compatibility issues that formerly required equipment replacement, are easier to address with NVerzion’s ability to incorporate diverese systems and file formats into their workflows.
Since NVerzion’s hardware is not proprietary, regular part replacement such as hard drive upgrades and power supply swaps are simple and cost-effective, allowing users to take advantage of commodity pricing when needed. Inevitable parts replacement from wear over extended periods can also be simplified with less expensive components if necessary.
As well as the customer support commitment, WEIU made the decision to maintain ties with NVerzion based on the equipment quality and affordable pricing that NVerzion could deliver. The equipment integration with WEIU’s existing hardware was direct – SD to HD and SDI transitions were quickly managed within NFinity’s IP infrastructure.
24/7 Customer Support
24/7 customer support is critical for WEIU’s engineering team. Station staff tasked with managing the facility’s master control don’t have the luxury of wait times when problems arise, particularly for a system serving as the hub of the master control operation. Attentive, long-term support is one of the primary reasons WEIU decided to maintain the relationship with Nverzion.
WEIU and NVerzion have a well-established partnership from a developmental standpoint, with strong interaction and personal assistance during critical periods. The NVerzion team has customized new feature sets for the facility when staff have requested modifications, and the importance of one-to-one contact will continue to be vital to WEIU as needs evolve.
“I’m a firm believer in immediate, high quality support, and NVerzion’s service and attention is excellent,” said Kevin Armstrong, Chief Engineer at WEIU. “Their products are well thought out. The team designs features by taking real-world situations into account. NVerzion’s crew does a great job addressing any unique needs we may encounter, very quickly.”
“We recognised the need to bring WEIU into the 2020’s with a modern hardware and software upgrade,” said Reed Haslam, NVerzion’s director of sales. “It is very rewarding to have an installation such as WEIU for over two decades, which says a lot for them to take advantage of our Automation package and NFinity Video Server, and continue the partnership.” www.nverzion.com
