Snell & Wilcox highlights ‘future-proof’ solutions at SATIS 2004

At SATIS 2004, running from November 3-5 in Paris, Snell & Wilcox is unveiling new products and technologies that underscore the company's commitment to giving customers solutions that deliver value today while providing a clear upgrade path for the future.
One of the key highlights of the company's exhibit is the first showing in France of Kahuna, the industry's most advanced production switcher.
"Every customer is at a different place in the continuum from analogue to digital, from digital to HD, and from HD to file-based operations," said Patrice Affret, Directeur, Snell & Wilcox France. "At whatever point they find themselves, Snell & Wilcox has a solution for them. We want customers to know that they can buy with confidence from S&W today with the knowledge that we'll be there for them in the future."
A breakthrough in design and operation, Snell & Wilcox's Kahuna is the first production switcher on the market to offer simultaneous high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) 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 upconversion. The future-proof flexibility of the system enables users to work initially in SD-only or HD-only mode, and then to 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. This not only provides unparalleled operational flexibility, it also delivers tremendous cost savings to users, making Kahuna a versatile solution for any business model in the emerging multiformat world. The first customers for Kahuna are based in Europe, including the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR) and Betanews, the Naples-based broadcast video services provider.
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