A transmission control room (TCR), transmission suite, Tx room, or presentation suite is a room at broadcast facilities and
television station
A television station is a set of equipment managed by a business, organisation or other entity, such as an amateur television (ATV) operator, that transmits video content and audio content via radio waves directly from a transmitter on the eart ...
s around the world. Compared to a
master control room, it is usually smaller in size and is a scaled-down version of
centralcasting. A TX room or presentation suite will be staffed 24/7 by presentation coordinators and tape operators and will be fitted out with video play-out systems often using server based
broadcast automation.
For operational and content qualitative reasons, not more than two
television channels
A television channel is a terrestrial frequency or virtual number over which a television station or television network is distributed. For example, in North America, "channel 2" refers to the terrestrial or cable band of 54 to 60 MHz, with ...
are managed from one TCR. Channels with live content and production switching requirements like sports channels have their own dedicated TCRs. A television station may have several TCRs depending on the number of channels they broadcast.
Presentation suite
The presentation suite is staffed 24/7 by on-air presentation coordinators who are responsible for the continuity and punctual play out of scheduled
broadcast programming. Programming may be live from the
television studio or played from
video tape
Videotape is magnetic tape used for storing video and usually sound in addition. Information stored can be in the form of either an analog or digital signal. Videotape is used in both video tape recorders (VTRs) and, more commonly, videocassett ...
or from
video server
{{refimprove, date=September 2014
A video server is a computer-based device that is dedicated to delivering video. Video servers are used in a number of applications, and often have additional functions and capabilities that address the needs of p ...
playout
In broadcasting, channel playout is the generation of the source signal of a radio or television channel produced by a broadcaster, coupled with the transmission of this signal for primary distribution or direct-to-audience distribution via any ...
. When
broadcast programming is 'live' the presentation coordinator will override the broadcast automation system and manually switch
television program
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
ming. The presentation coordinator will directly coordinate
live television
Live television is a television production broadcast in real-time, as events happen, in the present. In a secondary meaning, it may refer to streaming television over the Internet when content or programming is played continuously (not on deman ...
programming going to air in consultation with master control and the production assistant (PA) or the director's assistant (DA). The presentation coordinator will arrange program source to be allocated by master control and advise the DA as to the start time and count the production in from 10 seconds to first-frame of picture and the DA will count the production out to the
television commercial
A television advertisement (also called a television commercial, TV commercial, commercial, spot, television spot, TV spot, advert, television advert, TV advert, television ad, TV ad or simply an ad) is a span of television programming produce ...
break and so on it continues to the end of the program. Live programming is unpredictable and will affect the scheduled timing of scheduled programing events; the presentation coordinator adjusts programming to bring the schedule back on time by adding or removing fill content from the playout schedule.
Common TCR equipment
*
Broadcast control desk
*
Broadcast automation control computers
*
Production switcher
A vision mixer is a device used to select between several different live video sources and, in some cases, compositing live video sources together to create visual effects.
In most of the world, both the equipment and its operator are called ...
*
Talkback (recording)
*
Broadcast quality Broadcast quality is a term stemming from quad videotape to denote the quality achieved by professional video cameras and time base correctors (TBC) used for broadcast television, usually in standard definition. As the standards for commercial tele ...
video monitor
A display device is an output device for presentation of information in visual or tactile form (the latter used for example in tactile electronic displays for blind people). When the input information that is supplied has an electrical signal the ...
*
Waveform monitor
*
SDI audio de-embedder
* Video play-out automation
*
Character generator (CG) titles generator
See also
*
Master control room
*
Central apparatus room
In broadcast facilities and television studios, a central apparatus room (CAR, pronounced "C-A-R"), central machine room, or central equipment room (CER), or central technical area (CTA), or rack room is where shared equipment common to all techn ...
*
Broadcast engineering
Broadcast engineering is the field of electrical engineering, and now to some extent computer engineering and information technology, which deals with radio and television broadcasting. Audio engineering and RF engineering are also essential ...
References
Broadcasting
Broadcast engineering
Rooms
Television terminology
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