The state-of-the-art production studio includes four production stages, four production control rooms and a technology core that offers conversion services, routing, camera records, editing, business office space as well as play out origination, all to be equipped with SAM technology.

“It was important we build an environment with the latest in 4K technology and IP infrastructure, as well as the latest in workflow management capabilities,” said Randall Heer, CEO at Vista Studios. “Working with some of the most demanding and innovative clients in the Los Angeles market means that you have to have technology that produces top-notch content at a moment’s notice. SAM’s flexible, integrated technology is exactly what we need to ensure that we produce the best content for our many clients.”

Vista Studios core is built on a SAM Sirius 850multi-format router and IQ Modular intelligent infrastructure. The router offers SAM’s Advanced Hybrid Processing technology as well as comprehensive monitoring capabilities with the router’s integrated MV800 multiviewer. Using dedicated multiviewer outputs from the Sirius 800 router, the MV800 also includes complete alarming and monitoring by exception. It was also important for The Vista Studios to receive IP sources from outside the building using the IQ MIX cards to convert them to SDI for downstream processing and encapsulate back to IP if necessary.

SAM’s Kahuna 9600 production switcher was chosen as it can handle both UHD and HD content. SAM’s proprietary FormatFusion3 technology in the switcher ensures the input and output signals are all converted to the production format and each M/E outputs UHD as well as HD simultaneously. The Kahuna has both SDI and IP inputs and outputs ensuring any studio tenant can send IP or baseband signals to production control using their camera of choice and intended workflows.

For playout origination services, Vista Studios has standardized on a fully redundant and versatile automation system utilizing SAM’s Morpheus automation and Momentum MAM technology to ingest, segment, and playout channels. The workflow can integrate with a network’s own traffic system or can be used with a manual playlist imported into Morpheus.

SAM’s ICE Channel-in-a-Box was chosen to handle ingest, QC, and playout of a full network feed or segments with full branding capabilities for both domestic and international distribution.

SAM’s Alchemist XF software rounds out the technology complement and is being used to ensure Vista Studio’s clientele the highest quality frame rate conversion.