TVI deploys 60 coordination channels over AEQ Systel-IP

The Systel IP system demonstrates integration with the intercommunication and coordination system of different manufacturers in the Portuguese broadcaster project.

The Portuguese broadcaster TVI, which has six channels that broadcast in DTT and satellite, until now had a traditional intercom system that does not allow much flexibility in terms of external communications.

The subsidiary of Media Capital, a conglomerate of the PRISA group in Portugal that also controls radio stations such as Rádio Comercial, Cidade FM or M80 Radio, chose to install five units AEQ Systel IP in its central studios in Lisbon, to allow 60 communication return channels with its external collaborators, mobile units and remote contributions, essentially over VoIP lines, communication over traditional analogue telephone lines or ISDN being also possible through the use of gateways in the telephone switchboard (PBX).

Systel IP is a broadcast telephony system with multi-conference, which drastically reduces the cost of communications, significantly improves quality, increases flexibility and integration with each station's own telephone system. It represents a very low investment, with rapid amortization.

AEQ's solution allows you to connect broadcast telephony or the coordination system to current corporate switchboards, based on IP, avoiding maintaining conventional lines exclusively for broadcasts.

For these projects, AEQ studies the most appropriate integration to the intercom system in use and the operational needs of the station. In this case, the “Classic” version of the Systel IP control application with special configuration is used.

In the installation, five Systel IP 12 have been deployed connected to the four-wire external I/O of an intercom matrix from another European manufacturer with which the external communications of its TV studios are generated. This way you can set up 60 calls in total. 12 queues have been planned in each Systel with independent return for each queue, so that 12 4-wire circuits are established from each Systel to the matrix.

GPO Management

The particularity of this installation is that each GPO will give pre-programmed instructions in the intercom matrix for sending the call in 4 wires to the corresponding studio console. To do this, in user permissions you must activate the show GPO option.

The operator establishes communication with the remote interlocutor. When ready, the Systel IP application leaves the GPO button active. When the operator presses it, it orders the intercom matrix to establish a bidirectional route with the corresponding console or intercom panel, on a pre-programmed circuit. When you cut off the call, the GPO button is deactivated until the call is established again. The On Air button is always open with a call established through the “Call On Air” option.

The “Queue out” outputs are always activated and the associated GPO is controlled from the button in the application. Fixed associations have been defined between GPO and input and output lines, that is, the queue on the output Dig 1L is always associated with GPO 1, Dig 1R with GPO 2, ..., Dig 4R with GPO 8, Analog 1 with GPO 9, ... and Analog 4 with GPO 12.

The operator uses the Windows 10 multi-desktop option to control all 4 instances of the Systel IP 12 application from the same screen.

The entire project has been led by TVI's Engineering Director, Carlos Gomes, in coordination with the central technical services of AEQ Madrid and the commercial manager of the AEQ office in Portugal, Antonio Picarra.