User`s guide

Chapter 1: Welcome to DekoMOS
10 Pinnacle Systems DekoMOS User’s Guide
How MOS Enhances Newsroom Efficiency
Traditional Methods for Supporting Stories with Graphics
The process of capturing a newsworthy event on camera, creating and editing a story about the
event, and then presenting the story on-air involves several people and several media devices.
After the initial shooting, the piece is edited and then stored either on a tape device or digitally on
a video server. A reporter enters the story text into a Newsroom Computer System, or NCS. The
story is displayed on a teleprompter for the anchor to read and graphic elements are applied from
other devices to identify and support the story.
Depending upon the size of the news department, there may be one or any number of reporters
contributing to a single news program. Several media devices may be used in the process
including, but not limited to:
• Video tape recorders, for playing a taped video recording of a story
• Video servers, for playing a digital video recording of a story
• Still stores, for accessing topical graphics, typically presented as over-the-shoulder graphics, to
introduce a story
• Character generators, for creating lower third, over-the-shoulder, full screen, or other graphics to
identify and support story topics
• Teleprompters, to display the story script for the anchor to read
The stories created by reporters are managed by the producer, who places them in an appropriate
order for broadcast. This order is called a rundown. The rundown is entered as a list into the NCS,
printed, and used as a guide for individuals operating the various media devices. The NCS can
sort media, obtain newswire feeds and archive the stories of each reporter.
The process of creating stories with graphics and placing them in a rundown must be repeated for
each news program that airs. Each rundown is completely dynamic. During a news program,
stories are added, dropped, and reordered, sometimes just before the story is intended to air.
Traditionally, this would force individuals, sometimes in different locations, to scramble with
their printed rundowns and reorder their tasks. If one person is not synchronized, there is a chance
that the incorrect media will air.
Using DekoMOS to Support Stories with Graphics
MOS stands for Media Object Server, a communications protocol for management of media
devices by newsroom computer systems. MOS facilitates and coordinates the use of various
media devices in news presentation. Quick changes can be made more easily with less chance of
error. MOS can be used to control all types of devices including character generators, such as the
Deko product line from Pinnacle Systems. MOS creates an active network link between each
media device and the active rundown in the NCS. Through MOS, items for broadcast can be
easily and quickly added, deleted, or reordered within a rundown.