Draft:Utah Scientific

Utah Scientific is an electronics dealer and manufacturer specializing in broadcast technology, mainly for video and audio application. Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, the company currently offers equipment for routing and distribution, control panels, master control systems, multiviewers, and sync generators to major broadcasting networks and communications infrastructure across the United States. However, Utah Scientific is most well-known for its early creation of equipment capable of supporting HD-compatible signals, which later aided the switch from SD to HDTV in the United States.

Utah Scientific partners with both CVE Italy and with EVS (formerly Axon ) to serve customers domestically and internationally.

History
Utah Scientific was founded in 1977 by Lyle O. Keys and Earl G. Gray. Prior to founding Utah Scientific, Keys had been a founder of TeleMation, Inc. and Gray had been employed by TeleMation as Production Manager. After selling their stake in the company, the two men set about developing their first product, routing switchers for the television broadcast industry. This development culminated in their first routing switcher, the AVS-1, which was sold to KUED-TV in July 1978.

For the company's 10 year anniversary, at NAB Show 1987 Utah Scientific introduced its signature 10-year hardware warranty. This warranty, the most competitive in the industry, is still included with all Utah Scientific routers sold today.

The Switch to HDTV
In July 1997, in preparation for the switch to digital signal, Echostar Communications purchased a Utah Scientific UTAH-300 256x256 router and SC-4 control system for its Dish Network (Later DISH). The router was selected for its ability to support both digital and analog signals simultaneously, as well as its ability to switch inputs from an analog to a digital signal by swapping cards (as opposed to discarding the entire system).

That same year, Vyvx Services (later Level 3 Communications, ultimately absorbed by Lumen Technologies) implemented Utah Scientific routers as a major part of its network, placing routers at teleports in Steele Valley (Los Angeles), Denver and Upsouth Teleport in Atlanta, as well as POPs in its 13,000-mile fiber optic network spanning Chicago, Colorado Springs, Denver, Los Angeles, Portland, Miami, Tulsa and Washington. This network is currently used as a conduit for television broadcast as well as video streaming for companies like Netflix.

Reformation (2000 - Present)
In March 2000, Utah Scientific purchased the routing switcher product line from Artel Video Systems. As part of the acquisition, Utah Scientific assumed all existing warranty and service obligations to the acquired products, Lyle Keys became honorary chairman, Earl Gray assumed the CEO position, and Carmelo Catalano, owner of CVE, became Chairman of the Board. Previously, CVE had represented Utah Scientific products in Italy and was a major investor in Artel.

At NAB Show 2001 Utah Scientific released the industry's first HD-compatible Master Control Switcher, the HD2020.

In 2008 Utah Scientific unveiled the UTAH-400 XL, the first video router offering 1056 inputs and 1056 outputs in a single equipment rack. November of that year Utah Scientific also acquired Norwegian routing switcher distributor and manufacturer Sandar.

In 2015, the company partnered with Axon, later acquired by EVS.

Routers
The UTAH-400 Series 2 routers range in size from 72x72 (32 inputs, 32 outputs) to 1056x1056. The 400 series is designed to provide a hybrid routing hub, supporting all inputs including those used in IP networks. The Series 2 routers feature built in MADI and some feature crosspoint redundancy. These routers can be customized with a wide variety of modular input and output cards, which are hot swappable.

The UTAH-100 UHD-12G line of routers are designed for enterprise-class routing of 4K UHDTV signals, while continuing to support the routing and distribution of all SDI signal formats. These routers are available in sizes 32x32 to 288x288.

The UTAH-100 UDS routers feature compact design for smaller spaces and unique network architecture. Available in sizes 10x10 to 288x288, these routers act as simple distribution amplifiers and most feature programmable control buttons.

Router Control Panels
Utah Scientific produces both hardware and software control panels for its routers:

The UCP line is a comprehensive suite of hardware panels suitable for all Utah Scientific routers. These panels feature LCD panels, touchscreens, and/or programmable buttons with adjustable colors for simple organization.

WebPanel, SoftLC, and Softpanel are the three software panels available for Utah Scientific devices. All three allow users to group and program buttons according to their preferences, and can be used on any computer running Windows, PC or Linux. WebPanel, as its name implies, can be accessed by multiple users via the web to make adjustments and control system configuration on the fly.

Router Control Systems
Utah Scientific's SC-4, -40, and -400 control systems act as a bridge between router and control panel, monitoring and managing signals. These control systems can be expanded or bolstered using the U-NET hub, MX-Lator, or UCI-400.