Products

OVERVIEW

Broadcast production switchers have long played a key role at Snell & Wilcox. A pioneer in switching technology, S&W manufactured the first high-definition switchers, the first SD/HD switchable systems, and the first with integrated HD DVEs.

The company also supplied the first HD switchers to be used in 24p episodic production, the first in 720p production, and the first to be used in a regularly scheduled sports event-ABC's Monday Night Football in the United States.

Kahuna is the world's first production switcher to offer simultaneous SD and 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.

With its multiformat SD/HD capability, Kahuna can mix existing SD camera feeds, graphics, handheld shots, and archive footage directly into an HD production with no need for the user to purchase expensive upgrades or extra outboard upconversion equipment.

Before Kahuna, combo HD/SD switchers operated in either SD or HD modes, generally requiring a reboot in order to switch between the two modes. S&W's new FormatFusion technology eliminates this "either-or" operation, creating a new generation of switcher that delivers higher performance combined with new benchmarks for compact size, reduced weight, and low power consumption.

Kahuna's extraordinary flexibility enables users to work initially in SD-only or HD-only mode, and then upgrade to simultaneous multiformat SD/HD operation whenever they choose. It not only provides unparalleled operational flexibility, but also delivers tremendous cost savings to users. Kahuna is a versatile solution for any emerging multiformat user-from the smallest broadcast station to the mobile remote truck to network operations center.

In addition to Kahuna, S&W offers a wide range of both SD and HD switchers, keyers and DVEs that are designed for flexibility and ease of use in any broadcast production environment. The switchers benefit from an all-digital design that has allowed the inclusion of many functions that were previously considered as add-ons. These are fully integrated so that everything works superbly together for easy, confident execution-even in potentially complex, live, on-air operations.

Whether it's Kahuna or one of S&W's other switcher products, customers can be assured of the most innovative switcher design available in the world today. Integrated with "smart" IQ Modular components, a Snell & Wilcox switcher can serve as the core of the most powerful and flexible broadcast infrastructure available today.

CASE STUDIES