An eye-catching, compelling AV element is what FOX News was after for its news set … an iconic AV element (an enormous, monolithic AV cube, reminiscent of the FOX logo) is what the project team chose to distinguish the set and the FOX brand.
Banks of LCD televisions (each containing multiple screens), an assortment of plasma screens, and an enormous, monolithic AV cube were all incorporated into the design of the Fox News Network set.
Because the one-of-a-kind AV cube was custom, a challenge for the project team was to keep the ideals of the concept and the reality of the technology in sync.
The daunting size of the square screens on the cube (each one is a 12-foot by 12-foot surface) posed challenges in engineering, placement of projectors, and utilizing a square aspect ratio. Selection of screen material and proper mounting of the cube were also paramount, since the cube needed to be introduced into the studio’s existing lighting grid. Rigid screens were logistically impossible, making specification even more difficult.
To cost-efficiently manage the monitors in the studio, McCann engineered RF distribution and channel modulation. Video was brought in from FOX and modulated into four digital channels to display custom graphics on the RF-only monitors vs. bringing video to all monitors.
For live broadcast, an intelligent GUI offers pre-set “looks” for the set with one-touch operation.
Project Team Award Winners:
McCann Systems LLC
Showman Fabricators, Inc.
Clickspring Design
