DigitalFilm Tree Uses Tektronix to Show True Colors on Popular TV Shows
Los Angeles Post-Production Firm Utilizes Tektronix WFM7120 Waveform Monitor to Make Life Rosy
BEAVERTON, Ore. - November 19, 2007 - Tektronix, Inc. (NYSE: TEK), a leading worldwide provider of test, measurement and monitoring instrumentation, announced that DigitalFilm Tree (DFT), a leading post-production firm in Los Angeles, has selected the Tektronix WFM7120 waveform monitor to ensure the quality of standard-definition (SD) and high-definition (HD) content and improve workflow throughout the digital post production process. The WFM7120 helps DFT optimize chrominance and luminance of the television shows it posts, including "Everybody Hates Chris" on CW and "Scrubs" on NBC.
Monitoring digital quality continually presents new challenges to post-production houses. The WFM7120 provides consistent, dependable monitoring of the color and lighting standards required for broadcasting on television stations in the U.S. and elsewhere, and in theaters.
"The Tektronix WFM7120 has quickly become part of the fabric of our system, not just a piece of hardware," said Zed Saeed, Senior Post-Production Consultant at DigitalFilm Tree. "The unit is an absolutely essential asset for monitoring the quality of SD and HD video. The WFM7120 automatically detects discrepancies in color, video and audio signals, and even cables linking the equipment. This helps DFT to provide the best possible output for our many clients in the television and motion picture industries while also reducing the operating expenses associated with achieving and maintaining our desired content quality."
"The entertainment industry is in transition. The number of formats and standards that a post facility must deal with can be daunting. It is essential to have equipment built to support a wide variety of standards and formats and one that enables quick deployment of the new technologies and services demanded in your business," said Eben Jenkins, Director, Video Product Line, Tektronix. "The WFM7120 supports a wide variety of formats, provides an application centric user interface, and thus enables a wide audience of users. For companies like DigitalFilm Tree, the WFM7120 is a vital aid for both creative and business processes."
The WFM7120 uncovers and highlights anomalies so they can be easily identified and resolved. Left unresolved, they could pose problems when a show that DFT handles, such as "Everybody Hates Chris," goes to broadcast. Around the world, various standards define acceptable levels of brightness (luminance) and color (chrominance) for TV broadcast. Furthermore, film and digital cameras, as well as computers, produce images with varying levels of luminance and chrominance, not all of which meet broadcast standards. Adding to the complexity, television networks and film companies may set their own standards.
The WFM7120 enters the editing process soon after footage for a TV program or movie is shot. Whether analog film or digital bits, all the colors are enhanced in post production, and for a TV show that must happen within one week. "The beauty of the WFM7120 is that we can access it over the IP network from any of the edit bays such as audio, editing or color correction," said Saeed. "All users can access it from their individual workstations to check the integrity of their signal."
The WFM7120 keeps track of the formats, standards and colors. It also monitors signal integrity when the editing of digital files is finished and also in situations where a digital image file is transferred back to film. The WFM7120 even tests the hundreds of feet of dual-link cables that carry the signals throughout the DFT post facility. The unit's ability to check cables is yet another plus for post-production work. "I've been doing this since 1993," says Edvin Mehrabyan, Senior Online Editor at DFT. "Before, we had a lot of different tools adding much complexity, now we can do pretty much everything with one tool. The Tektronix WFM7120 is that tool."
Unlike the software-based signal monitors in some non-linear editing systems, the WFM7120 samples every single frame of the video signal. This provides DFT the total security and confidence of knowing that no issue, even on a single frame, was missed. "Content that doesn't pass quality control at the broadcast facility requires time to fix. And that is where time is wasted," said Saeed. "You should be able to put shows out with confidence. The WFM7120 gives us confidence that the output will be correct every time."
About The WFM 7120/7020/6120 Series
The WFM7120/7020/6120 family provides Tektronix' superior video monitoring and analysis capabilities required in Content Creation, Content Delivery, Research & Development, and Manufacturing applications. These products help video content producers verify content quality and make precision content adjustments. In video delivery systems, they help operations staff verify content quality and system reliability, and help engineering staffs qualify, install, and maintain video systems. Design and manufacturing engineers developing new video equipment use these products for design troubleshooting, functional verification, and manufacturing test.
About DigitalFilm Tree
DigitalFilm Tree is a Research and Development based production, post, and consulting environment. DigitalFilm Tree continues to expand into a highly unique creative hub, where technology and art flow. Services include production, post, consulting, workflow design and everything in-between. Since 1998, DigitalFilm Tree has played a definitive role in bringing revolutionary change to the postproduction industry; by pioneering innovative tools and workflows, in a creative way. Clients include television, motion picture, independent and first time filmmakers alike. Consulting clients are as diverse as today's media landscape. www.digitalfilmtree.com
About Tektronix
Tektronix is a leading supplier of test, measurement, and monitoring products, solutions and services for the communications, computer, and semiconductor industries - as well as military/aerospace, consumer electronics, education and a broad range of other industries worldwide. With 60 years of experience, Tektronix enables its customers to design, build, deploy, and manage next-generation global communications networks, computing and advanced technologies. Headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, Tektronix has operations in 19 countries worldwide. Tektronix' Web address is www.tektronix.com.
