Atlanta's VTA equips for HD with Quantel

Atlanta based VTA has purchased a Quantel iQ system, to be operated by Emmy Award winner John Mandato.
“I love the iQ’s editing capabilities,” said Mandato. "I can do whatever I want and that is what I like best about the box. Today everything we do requires a certain amount of HD. Clients constantly bring in standard def and other formats expecting an HD deliverable at the end of the session. With the iQ I don’t have to worry about that.”
VTA purchased the iQ when one of its largest clients, Turner Broadcasting Systems, informed them that it was switching to HD by March of this year. Although the facility was already working in HD space, it has been the iQ that has really solidified its standing as a turnkey HD facility. Mandato has already put the machine to the test too, having recently edited a series of 16 presentations of new programmes for TNT.
Known as ‘upfronts’, these presentations are used by US television and cable programmers to sell pre-season commercial time, for which projected audience levels are guaranteed.
“This is a very tense time for television programmers since they have a lot riding on the outcome,” said Mandato. “It was important to put TNT’s best foot forward for them and present their shows in the most attractive manner possible. It had to be perfect. The iQ performed the way I needed and delivered the material in HD faster than any other system.”
(GB)