Case Study
Thai PBS
SECTION 1
Introduction
Thai PBS is a public broadcasting service located in Thailand.
It was established in 2008 by the Thai Public Broadcasting Service Act (2008) to create content for public service consumption, including news, political talk shows, public health campaigns, local sports coverage, and events. Thai PBS also creates English language content under its Thai PBS World brand aimed at international audiences both online and through social media. Thai PBS is uniquely funded by revenues generated by the Thai Medical Fund to ensure its financial independence and to protect itself against any possible business links, which ensures credibility in the Thai news and media industry.
Section 2
The Challenge
In 2022, Thai PBS had a mandate to make general upgrades to its two main studios, including the ability to create content in 4K and major improvements to its existing HD studio. To meet these needs, Thai PBS commissioned a tender to search for two new production switchers. The switchers would be used for the primary production of Thai PBS’ live content at their broadcast facility headquarters in central Bangkok. The main objective of these upgrades was to enable Thai PBS’ studios to create better quality content and ensure that they would be able to increase capacity in the future.
As part of this search, the Thai PBS engineers also required production workflow flexibility that would allow for different types of technology such as SDI or IP. Finally, they wanted a well-known and trusted switcher brand that provides high-quality manufacturing and design and is backed by solid service and support. The production team at Thai PBS had used the Ross Carbonite switcher in the past and were familiar with and impressed by the quality and functionality, so they decided to choose Ross as the production switcher vendor for the project.
Section 3
The Solution
For their main studio upgrade project, Thai PBS chose the flagship Acuity production switcher with a 4 M/E row and the Acuity control surface.
They also selected Ross’ Hyperconverged Production Platform, the 4ME Ultrix Acuity 4K / UHD Switcher, with a 4ME row Acuity panel configuration. Acuity is top-of-the-line and represents a breakthrough in modern production switcher technology, combining seemingly limitless production power with aesthetic beauty and unprecedented connectivity. The Ultrix Acuity, on the other hand, combines the power of the Acuity with the game-changing feature set of the Ultrix flexible hybrid routing platform in a single package. The Ultrix Acuity provides Thai PBS with unmatched functionality, including built-in routing, control, multiviewing, and signal processing capabilities.
The Acuity switcher offers 4 Mix and Effect buses, together with visually stunning 2D and 3D effects. This combination of switchers has allowed Thai PBS to build its live production backbone around the Ross ecosystem of live production solutions, providing significant value and future potential upgrades such as moving to IP and beyond
For the installation process, Ross delivered the switchers to Thai PBS in March 2023, and the installation process was completed in April. Commissioning and training were done shortly after installation, with the switchers going live on the air in May in time for the 2023 Thailand General Election.
Section 4
The Impact
The Acuity and Ultrix Acuity production switchers have provided Thai PBS with a reliable, future-proof solution for news content creation that adds a massive amount of value and confidence to its creative staff.
The switchers have already allowed the Thai PBS production team to greatly improve their creativity and storytelling capabilities. The team was already familiar with Ross Production Switchers and Control surfaces thanks to a recent installation for its World News brand and this made it easier to install and adapt to the larger, more powerful Acuity series. With state-of-the-art connectivity, the new Switchers also allowed for seamless integration with Thai PBS’ existing automation system for a smoother and more efficient workflow.
