News

Snell & Wilcox Kahuna, World's Most Advanced Production Switcher, Makes NAB2005 Debut (6/5/2005)

First production switcher with simultaneous SD and HD operation combines breakthrough capabilities with smaller size, weight, and power consumption

Demonstrating a bold new technical achievement in multiformat SD/HD production switching, Snell & Wilcox today announced the NAB2005 debut of Kahuna, the broadcast industry's most advanced production switcher.

A masterpiece of functional design, Kahuna is the first production switcher ever to offer simultaneous standard definition (SD) and high definition (HD) operations in the same mainframe with the same control panel. It is also the first switcher to enable the seamless integration of SD sources into HD productions without outboard upconversion.

At NAB2005, Snell & Wilcox will also introduce a powerful internal 3D DVE option for Kahuna. It offers the option of up to four two-channel DVEs that can apply effects to the keyers and background transitions, including warps, tiling, ripples, rolls, and peels, with Trailstore and lighting effects. The effects option can be fully integrated into the switcher and requires no additional connections or extra rack space.

Kahuna's extraordinary flexibility enables users to work initially in SD-only or HD-only mode, and then upgrade to multiformat SD/HD operation whenever they choose. In multiformat SD/HD mode, Kahuna users can mix existing SD camera feeds, graphics, handheld shots, and archive footage directly into an HD production with no need to purchase expensive HD upgrades or extra HD upconversion equipment.

Until now, SD/HD switchers have only been able to operate in either SD or HD modes, and generally require a reboot in order to switch between the two modes. This "either/or" operation limits flexibility and results in downtime when the machine must be taken offline in order to switch between operational modes.

For broadcasters transitioning to HD operations, Kahuna eliminates the rock-and-hard-place dilemma between investing in a complete HD facility and buying piecemeal channels of external upconversion to integrate sources from legacy SD equipment into HD productions. Thanks to Format Fusion, a Snell & Wilcox technology that enables SD sources to be seamlessly integrated into HD products without the need for upconversion, Kahuna changes the rules of the game.

Not only is Kahuna the most advanced switcher on the market, it is also the easiest to operate. With Kahuna, a single mainframe and single control surface simultaneously handles both SD and HD sources, and no reboot is required when switching from one standard to another. Kahuna enables operators to allocate mix/effects banks (M/Es) to either SD or HD sources, or to mix the two together on a single M/E. Kahuna's operational flexibility makes maximum use of all available M/Es by networking multiple control surfaces to different mainframes, allocating one mainframe to separate control panels, or operating in SD or HD as required.

From the facility point of view, the ability to use SD sources within high-quality HD productions extends the useful life of existing SD hardware and delivers tremendous cost savings to broadcasters who would otherwise be forced to purchase multiple HD upconverters, new HD graphics capabilities, and new HD cameras in order to move to HD production.

"Kahuna offers the freedom to work with both SD and HD video simultaneously with zero compromise in picture quality," said Joe Zaller, Snell & Wilcox vice president of marketing and product management. "On top of that, it offers tremendous value to end-users by enabling an easily controlled and smooth migration from SD to HD production. Kahuna puts broadcasters in control of their transition to HD operation, enabling them to make the transition in a measured, intelligent, and cost-effective way."

Engineering Efficiency and Operational Control

Kahuna's compact 11-RU mainframe is the smallest ever for a switcher with its capabilities, yet it contains up to four M/Es and eight channels of 3D DVE effects (optional) together with redundant power supplies. Its low weight, power consumption, and heat generation make Kahuna equally at home in weight-sensitive OB vehicles and in fixed installations.

Fully loaded with DVE options, the four-M/E Kahuna provides up to 24 separate SD or HD images that can be manipulated independently. In addition to having a dedicated Format Fusion engine, each M/E bank has four keyers able to perform luma, linear, and chroma keying; five transition wipe generators; a still store and RAM recorder; RGB color correction; two utility buses; and DMEM capability.

Designed by Snell & Wilcox with high-pressure live production environments in mind, Kahuna features the generic panel layout familiar to control room professionals. Subtle enhancements, such as the size and layout of the transition keys on each M/E, give fingertip familiarity to essential functions without the need to check visually. For greater operational convenience, every M/E on the system can be dynamically assigned on the control panel, allowing the operator to select which M/E bank will be used to cut the program and where it will be located on the desk.

Engineered for robust performance, Kahuna's M/Es are entirely independent from one another to eliminate the risk of a single point of failure and can be hot-swapped during live operation. This means that in the unlikely event that a problem does arise, the relevant board can be removed and replaced if necessary with no down time and limited operational disruption.

Kahuna is available for order and is now shipping.

www.snellwilcox.com