Multiviewers from Apantac Streamline Broadcast Operations at AMS Pictures
Over four decades ago, Andy Streitfeld founded AMS Productions in a spare bedroom in Bedford, Texas, with a $30,000 loan from his grandmother. The company, now known as AMS Pictures, continues to operate in the Dallas area, offering video production services, studio rentals, and original documentaries and unscripted TV programs. Apantac has been a key player in the company's growth since 2010.
During its switch to HD, AMS Pictures made a significant change by converting to KVM systems, a trend that continues to grow in production houses in 2025. Bret Harrell, COO of AMS Pictures, deemed KVM "essential to the operation" of HD productions. With about 15 terminals and 16 computers on their KVM, the company is able to operate efficiently, using any PC from any position in any of the three control rooms.
In 2010, when AMS Pictures fully upgraded to HD, multiviewers became popular. Apantac, which offered the best picture quality when scaling the source video and had an open API to integrate with custom software, became Apantac's multiviewer system of choice. The only maintenance performed on the TAHOMA multiviewers has been cleaning the dust from the inside and replacing some fans, illustrating their reliability.
Today, the central part of AMS Pictures' control rooms makes use of nine frames of Apantac's TAHOMA multiviewers, providing about 100 multiviewer inputs feeding 25 multiviewer monitors. Over the past 15 years, AMS Pictures has incurred only $830 in maintenance costs, demonstrating the durability and long-term value of Apantac's technologies.
Apantac's customer support is another factor in the collaboration's longevity. In the past, Apantac's founder and president, Thomas Tang, has worked closely with Harrell and his engineers to revise software, providing a level of support that makes continued use of their products an easy decision.
- The growth of AMS Pictures, a small-business in the video production industry, has been significantly influenced by Apantac's technology since 2010, particularly with the adoption of KVM systems and TAHOMA multiviewers.
- In 2010, when AMS Pictures transitioned to HD, they chose Apantac's TAHOMA multiviewers due to their superior picture quality and open API, facilitating seamless integration with custom software.
- Over the years, Apantac's reliability in providing durable technologies has been evident in AMS Pictures' minimal maintenance costs – only $830 spent over the past 15 years, making Apantac's products a long-term valuable asset.
- Apantac's customer support has also played a crucial role in the long-standing partnership between the two companies, with Apantac's founder, Thomas Tang, collaborating closely with the AMS Pictures team to revise software to meet their unique needs.
