WABC Deploys 1 Beyond HD OctoFlex Rugged With Grass Valley Aurora

The ABC Network/Walt Disney Company owned-and-operated (O&O) television station in New York, WABC-DT, has signed a contract with system manufacturer 1 Beyond, to deploy nine 1 Beyond HD OctoFlex Rugged ENG Truck systems, using Grass Valley Aurora high-definition editing and file management software, in a rugged, rack mount enclosure specifically designed for electronic news gathering (ENG) vans.
Unlike typical rack mount systems for computer rooms, 1 Beyond HD OctoFlex Rugged system was designed with a ruggedised military vehicle chassis, with shock mounted disk drives and redundant modular power supplies, making the system ultra reliable.
Terry Cullen, President, 1 Beyond, said: "The HD OctoFlex Rugged, together with the Grass Valley Aurora editing platform, offers the necessary speed and ease of maintenance to help our broadcast customers do their job quickly and reliably.
"The Aurora platform is the preferred editing software for our HD OctoFlex Rugged ENG Truck systems and is used by the ABC O&O stations, both in the field and in the studio. Aurora software combined with the other components of the HD OctoFlex Rugged system makes it a highly attractive option for field editing in the fast-paced news environment."
The new sale represents a milestone in that there are now more than 50 systems (including 1 Beyond HD OctoFlex Rugged ENG Truck systems, High Performance GoFlex Laptops, OctoFlex Desktops) being used among the ABC O&Os across the country, all with Grass Valley Aurora editing capability in the field.
The 1 Beyond HD OctoFlex Rugged ENG Truck system designed and manufactured by 1 Beyond includes an AJA Video I/O card with breakout rack mount inputs and outputs, giving WABC's crews easy I/O access and a complete editing system to cut pieces in the field. The rack mount system is ideally suited to meet the unique needs of TV stations working remotely with the new tapeless HD camera formats such as JPEG 2000 - captured with the Grass Valley Infinity Digital Media Camcorder - DVCPRO 50, DVCPRO HD, P2, XDCAM EX, and AVC-Intra.
Jeff Rosica, Senior Vice President of Grass Valley, said: "As a turnkey systems designer, 1 Beyond has earned an excellent reputation for supplying broadcasters with reliable and durable systems that allow them to make the transition to full tapeless HD editing in the field.
"Part of this success is due to the Grass Valley Aurora software's ease of use and real-time processing features. We are pleased to be working closely with 1 Beyond to give their customers the technology they need in the form factor they require most."
(KMcA/BMcC)