Grass Valley XSwitch Feb 08 2006 - Manual (Page 5)

XSWITCH Installation and Operation Manual 5
Section
1
Introduction
Description
An XSWITCH™ provides system redundancy in critical live broadcast
news production applications by simultaneously rerouting all pertinent
signals using a single, manual, push button control. It provides this redun-
dancy control by switching all system control communications, PC key-
board/mouse controllers, and video monitors (KVM), video and audio
output signals from a system to the monitor wall, control room speakers,
other shared resources, and two system stations. Typically the switching
occurs among all serially controlled peripheral devices (cameras, VTRs,
VCRs, etc.) between two complete systems. That is, it switches shared
device control between two systems and the video and audio outputs of
those two systems to the required destinations; e.g., master control, studio
monitors, control room speakers.
Typically, a dual system is configured so that one system is a Preparation
(Prep) station while the other is the On Air station. In this scenario, while
the On Air station is producing a newscast, the Prep station is being config-
ured for the next back-to-back newscast as an example. If a catastrophic
failure happens to one system, the other system can resume operations
quickly during a commercial break by simply pressing a button on the
XSWITCH and updating all files to the current show state where the failure
occurred.
The XSWITCH routes the appropriate signals between the Prep and On Air
station. This avoids duplicating ancillary equipment such as VTRs, char-
acter generators, still stores, cameras and associated teleprompter displays.
The XSWITCH allows broadcasters to design a facility for maximum flexi-