WHERE TELEVISION AND STREAMING CONVERGE Fantastic studio facilities no longer require vast, warehouse-sized spaces to transmit a program. That’s just one of the takeaways from a March visit to Red House Streaming, powered by CP Communications. Thanks to tech advancements, opportunities abound. One of the nation’s hottest housing markets is Pinellas County, Fla., where growth can be seen, from toll road construction to the cranes dotting the downtown skyline of St. Petersburg. On the northern edge of this city, hidden among warehouses, is a company that is perhaps on the leading edge of broadcast and streaming technology. How so? Its cost-cutting products and services are one reason Red House Streaming and its parent, CP Communications, deserve attention. The other eye-popping takeaway one walks away with following an on-site visit is just how little space is devoted 30 · R B R . C O M
· SPRING 2022
to studio use. In fact, the majority of CP’s Florida headquarters is used for storage — and a cool new camera on wheels that is already revolutionizing the delivery of live sporting events airing on television stations across the nation. The main studio area available in the Red House space is about the size of a typical child’s bedroom. Yet, with a green screen in place and remotecontrolled cameras and lighting, that’s just fine for those who use the area for their live-streamed shows or a newscast. A second, more cozy space is ideal for a talk show environment.
On display is the ENG CamSTREAM, which was brought to market in January 2020, weeks before COVID-19 robbed it of its big planned NAB Show splash. With that opportunity now in the past, the ENG CamSTREAM’s capabilities have now been enjoyed by its customers for over two years. The benefits of the product? Broadcast-quality production and bonded cellular streaming, something CP believes is ideal for broadcast news applications. Given the importance of broadcast news as a driver for local over-the-air television viewership, streaming live shots is one practical application. The other, on display in St. Petersburg, is the sit-down studio set. An entire chroma key studio is in place, with cameras that enjoy tilt and zoom capability. “The only people who are present in the studio during a live show or