Neutrik opticamSWITCH is the Solution of Choice at Swiss Television

Swiss Television carefully considered how best to deploy its existing HD and 3D equipment within an expansion of its studio infrastructure. tpc ag (technology and production center, Switzerland ag) – an independent subsidiary of SRG SSR – considered various new ideas and opted for a future-proof concept. Neutrik’s opticamSWITCH flexibly connects tpc ag’s existing cameras and control rooms to one other. Furthermore, as they come online, two planned new control rooms and studios will be easily integrated into the system.

Since opticamSWITCH is a fiber optic camera switching system, mechanical wear, costly maintenance, and possible mechanical failure are eliminated, resulting in a robust, reliable solution. Integration into existing control systems, with control via software, enables automation and allows for real-time control over complex wiring structures. This increase in efficiency – with significant reduction of potential errors – led tpc to employ the opticamSWITCH concept in its “BigSwitch” project. After some trial and smaller productions, the system was put into use on a grand scale at the live production “Decision 11 – Swiss National Council elections.”

The Swiss Parliament, also called the Federal Assembly, is the supreme legislative authority at the federal level. Since 1848 the Federal Assembly has consisted of two mutually equivalent chambers: the National Council, consisting of 200 delegates of the people, and the Senate, which includes 46 delegates of the cantons. Every four years, the Swiss people elect the parliament. On October 23, 2011 it happened again. The media‘s reporting on Swiss television was realized by tpc using Neutrik’s latest fiber optic technology, opticamSWITCH.

Read the Case Study including an Interview with Gerard Koch, project director video technology, tpc ag