A rip and replace is underway at the Department of Parliamentary Services (DPS), as the broadcasting section plans to install 150 new broadcast quality monitors.
The monitors are used to produce radio and television coverage of chamber, committee and related parliamentary proceedings. DPS operates two chamber local control rooms, nine production control rooms, 18 committee rooms and a television studio.
Department documents state that the control rooms are currently equipped with a mixture of cathode ray tube (CRT) and liquid crystal display (LCD) monitors, along with multi-view systems to drive the LCD monitors.
“The aim is to identify a panel of suppliers for broadcast quality, vision monitors for use within the Australian Parliament House,” the documents read.
“The established panel will supply small, medium and large vision monitors, multi-viewer controllers, and supporting vision monitor/mounting equipment.”
DPS’s requirements include five multi-screens, 65 monitors ranging in size up to 10 inches, 60 monitors up to 24 inches in size and 10 monitors up to 50 inches.
Documents state that this may include one-for-one replacement or a combination of multi-viewer and/or multi-monitor options.
“The vast majority of current vision monitors are mounted in 19 inch racks,” the documents read. “Although DPS prefers to use 19-inch rack mounting for ease of installation and simplicity, some monitors, such as 40-inch LCD types, have had custom racks contrasted.”
The monitor replacement follows plans in December 2010 by DPS to consolidate its physical servers from 300 to 150 by 2011.
Follow Hamish Barwick on Twitter: @HamishBarwick
Follow Computerworld Australia on Twitter: @ComputerworldAU