WORCESTER, Mass. August 4, 2009 Audio-video solutions provider Wexler Video has chosen advanced fiber optic video transport systems from Telecast Fiber Systems to play a starring production role in the reality program, "Dance Your Ass Off" (DYAO), which currently airs on Mondays at 10 p.m. EST on the Oxygen network. Under contract by the show's production company, 495 Productions, Wexler has implemented eight of Telecast's CopperHead.
A cross between popular shows "The Biggest Loser" and "Dancing With the Stars," DYAO features 12 overweight men and women competing to "dance their way to a healthier lifestyle." 495 Productions sought Wexler's assistance in providing a powerful yet cost effective alternative to traditional studio cameras while supporting 495 Production's workflow model. For the solution, Wexler chose the CopperHeads working in conjunction with eight Sony MSW-900 SD camcorders, which are more commonly used in electronic news gathering (ENG) and mobile productions. Using a single hybrid fiber optic cable to each camcorder, each CopperHead system provided 150 watts of power, while providing the camcorders with all of the capabilities normally only found on high-end studio cameras, such as remote iris and paint controls, camera tally lights, return video, and intercom.
"495 Productions is very value-conscious - they're always very open to trying creative solutions as long as we can deliver high-quality results as cost-effectively as possible. In that regard, the CopperHeads were a perfect solution because they enabled us to provide capabilities that are virtually indistinguishable from studio cameras, at a much lower cost," said Chris Thompson, Wexler's president and CEO. "Telecast is our 'go-to' vendor for fiber solutions, and the Telecast engineers have really been instrumental in making this project a success."
"We truly value our close working relationship with Wexler and we're pleased that the CopperHeads have played such a key role in this solution," said Jim Hurwitz, camera systems product manager for Telecast Fiber Systems. "Once again, Wexler has shown its knack for taking a creative approach to a technical challenge, in order to empower the creative side of a production. It's exactly the kind of challenge for which the CopperHeads, and all of our fiber optic solutions, were designed."
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About Wexler Video
In business for more than 20 years, Wexler has become the unmatched market leader in end-to-end broadcast rental solutions. Wexler offers a single source for a production workflow that includes all products and services needed to create, capture, edit, and store video-originated content. The company is a leader in workflow technologies that make production more efficient and less costly, and its staff of seasoned professionals is uniquely equipped to handle every phase of a production. Wexler offers the broadest product and service portfolio, the greatest commitment to technology investment, and the highest levels of customer support and engineering expertise. For more information, contact Jennifer Tony via email: jtoney@wexler.tv or visit www.wexler.tv.
About Oxygen Media
Oxygen Media is a multiplatform lifestyle brand that delivers relevant and entertaining content to young women, wherever they are. Oxygen is rewriting the rulebook for women's media, with a vast array of unconventional and original content including "Bad Girls Club," "Dance Your Ass Off," and "Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood." Popular features online include makeOvermatic, tweetOverse, and hormoneOscope. Available in 74 million homes, online at www.oxygen.com, or on mobile devices at wap.oxygen.com, Oxygen Media is a service of NBC Universal.
About Telecast Fiber Systems, Inc.
Telecast Fiber Systems, Inc. is a leader in portable and fixed fiber optic systems for television broadcast production. The company's video, audio, and communications systems are used worldwide by TV networks, teleproduction companies, sports venues, and various private, educational, and government and military organizations to extend range, simplify cabling, and reduce labor costs and set-up time. Telecast systems accommodate all television production signals, including NTSC/PAL video, SDI and HD/SDI video, analog and AES/EBU audio, HD and triax camera interfaces, and intercom and data signals. More information can be found at www.telecast-fiber.com.
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