“We’ve unlocked all the potential of HD output which could never have happened in London”
single interface for media management in all ingest and playout servers as well as nearline storage. All live broadcast feeds from
multiple competitions are ingested into XT3 and XS servers offering about 400 hours of live storage. The system can record up to 36 simultaneous live HD feeds encoded in ProRes422 QuickTime at 120 Mbps, complete with files imported from ENG crews using various card formats. The files are instantly available for browsing, editing or playout while an IP Ingest Scheduler offers a complete overview of incoming feeds. All material is also
automatically streamed onto a Harmonic MediaGrid with proxy files generated to nearline storage using timecode references.
The media management component of IPDirector further speeds up the process by allowing producers to place restrictions on what media is available to view – for example: editors working on a football package may only need to see
football-related clips, making their search time quicker. Descriptive metadata are added to each clip at ingest and more information is added whenever a clip is used or modified, allowing a comprehensive history of each clip to be built for archive. HD media recorded onto EVS systems in the studios is transferred to the MediaGrid, available to the post production team. Production teams and editors can search and review proxy media throughout the network using IPBrowse.
Review with Davina A new web-based browsing interface solution called Davina is also available for most other BBC users to review content. Davina uses an IPDirector API to seek proxy files available in the MediaGrid and to retrieve any relevant metadata. Proxy files are re-transcoded and stored on a dedicated web storage system based on a Harmonic Rhozet server. After media selection and clip compilation, the rough cut edit is displayed in a work in
TVBEurope 29 London 2012 Countdown
controls EVS playout servers for rundown playlist operations. Based on the MOS support protocol of EVS’ content management systems, all final packages referred in the IPDirector database ready for airing, can be linked to the rundown playlist on the NCRS. The playout operation can be
Sports news teams work alongside text teams while radio production and senior editorial sit adjacent to ingest areas and galleries
progress area of the central storage found in FCP online edit suites. Final Cut systems are connected directly to the MediaGrid storage for edit-in- place operations.
FCP editors can also find media created by producers or search and import media to FCP projects with the same metadata as producers. Once an edit is complete, a Final Cut Pro export plug-in sends it to the proper playout server and creates browsing copies for journalists and producers to review.
Using BBC News’ file
exchange system (JEX) with the new production infrastructure, selected clips from the media storage via IPDirector can be sent or restored to/from any BBC News bureau or regional site. Operators can drag and drop
files, and integrate with the AP ENPS newsroom computer system (NRCS) to enable automated running order playouts in the Sport News gallery. The BBC’s playout
automation system, BigTed, is used in the gallery playout and
entirely managed from the NRCS. Without that control, on- air operations can be managed using IPDirector’s playout schedule interface. In critical scenario situations, material can always be brought to air using LSM’s playlist remote controller as a backup tool. “The SPS allows a complete
overhaul of workflow production and technology which has transformed the volume and quality of what we can deliver,” says Cope. “The facility allows us to take all production into the HD and tapeless domain and to have capability for 5.1 audio delivery. It’s a bit of rollercoaster at the moment and we’ve had to hit the ground running. There’s been a lot of learning along the way and there’s plenty of evolution still to come.”
WHATS’On updates our secondary events and verifi es compliance before generating a ready-to-air playlist. Even during broadcast.