05 April 2010, Cleveland Ohio, USA

Telos Systems has announced that they will premier the world’s first VoIP Talkshow System for broadcasters, the multi-studio Telos VX, at the 2010 NAB Convention in Las Vegas.

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technology is the basis for the Telos VX system, which uses Ethernet as its network backbone — a powerful yet simple way to share phone lines among studios and connect system components. VX uses standard SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) and RTP (Real-time Transport Protocol) protocols, so it works with VoIP-based PBX or SIP-trunking Telco service to direct up to 80 lines of phone traffic.

VX is scalable to provide its advanced phone interface capabilities to facilities with just a few studios, or dozens. A variety of control options allow talent, producers and board ops to choose multiple phone, console and software interfaces: VSet12 offers a familiar phone-set design and big, bright, color-LCD display. VX Producer call-screening software, with a built-in soft-phone, turns any PC into a phone station. Direct console integration with Axia IP-Audio consoles let talent make and take calls directly from the board. Each Vx Engine supports up to 100 control devices, in any combination.

"Integrating VoIP into the mixing console allows rich, direct interaction with the telephone system and provides enhanced interaction with callers and expanded program-production capabilities," explains Steve Church, CEO of Telos Systems. "Now a single VoIP console module can replace several digital phone hybrids and simplify call screening. Ultimately, VX is designed to bring broadcast content closer to the style of social media and ‘Web 2.0’ applications that provide rich interaction between talent and audience."

VX Engine

The Vx Engine is the heart of the system. It has a capacity of up to 80 incoming phone lines, each handled by its own third-generation Telos Adaptive Digital Hybrid. Smart AGC, noise gating, a high-pass hum filter, Telos’ famous Digital Dynamic EQ, and a three-band adaptive spectral processor sweeten caller audio, while send audio receives a frequency shifter, AGC/limiter and exclusive new Advanced Echo Cancellation, developed by Fraunhofer Labs, which completely eliminates open-mic feedback.

Up to 20 studios can connect to a single VX Engine; talent can customize their workflow using Show Profiles to store commonly-used show configurations – for talk shows, interview segments, or anything else – and recall them for instant use.

Vx Engine features include:

• Easy web-based configuration via standard Internet browser
• Works directly with VoIP-based PBX or SIP-trunking Telco service
• Also connects to traditional phone lines via Telco gateway, including T1/E1, ISDN, and POTS
• Capacity of up to 80 incoming phone lines
• Adaptive Digital Hybrids with Advanced Echo Cancellation
• Supports up to 20 studios and 100 control devices per Engine
• Fan-free, silent operation
• Rack-space friendly 2RU chassis

VSet12

The new Telos VSet12 phone is beautifully designed, with a visually arresting full-color LCD display screen with Telos Status Symbols that provide detailed line status, caller information and fader assignments at a glance. Each VSet12 can manage up to 12 phone lines. The info-rich display shows caller ID for each line, along with time ringing-in or on-hold, and even screener comments from the VX Producer software application.

VSet12 gives talent unprecedented power to control their telephone system. Groups of lines may be mapped to a single fader, making it simple to take screened calls to air sequentially using the Next key — or, operators can use the Fader Assign function to map lines to individual console faders for precision control of multi-call interviews or conferences. One-touch controls let talent step through queued calls, busy incoming lines, lock calls on-air, even start an external recording device.

VX Producer

Windows-based VX Producer software streamlines call screening, recording and editing, providing talk show producers all the information they need in an intuitive, easy-to-read format, including caller status, screener's comments, Caller ID and time per call for up to 12 lines. Like the VSet12, VX Producer's Fader Assign feature can map calls to up to eight specific console fader locations, and includes an address book and call history log. There's also a Chat function that lets producers and talent using VX Producer communicate quickly off-air.

But VX Producer is much more than just a call screening application. Plug a headset mic into its host computer, and screeners can make and take phone calls directly from the VX Producer PC — no external phone set needed. There's also a built-in audio editing application that lets you record, edit and play back conversations without the need for any third-party software. When you're done editing, click "Send to Studio" and it's ready to play on-air.

Visit Telos at the 2010 NAB Show in Las Vegas – Central Hall at the Telos / Omnia / Axia display in Booth #C146. You’ll see firsthand the possibilities the VX system offers for your studio.

For more information, contact Angi Roberson via email at angi@telos-systems.com, via phone at +1-216-241-7225, and visit Telos-Systems.com.

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Telos Systems, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio with offices in Europe, is a leading manufacturer of ISDN, coded audio and telephone interface products for talk-shows, teleconferencing, audio production, remote broadcasts, and intercom applications.