Beijing 2008 | Sports Technology Blog

Beijing Olympics Draw Largest Ever Global TV Audience
by | Sep 5, 2008 - 11:15:05 AM

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[ Visit Website ] Beijing Games: End of a Broadcast Era?
by | Aug 21, 2008 - 6:25:57 PM

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With the 2008 Summer Games winding down this weekend, one can’t help wondering if this is the end of an era when networks sent massive production teams to the location of the Olympics.

Both NBC Olympics and the CBC are proving that it’s possible to use existing transmission pipes and file-based workflows to pump content thousands of miles for final production and distribution. And for 2010, the BBC is already eying a similar move…toss in the fact that London is hosting the 2012 Games, and odds are that BBC presence at the IBC for the next two Games will be much smaller, impacting not only the head count but also the sense of international community.

Then, of course, there is what the Olympics have done to this nation. As Charlie Jablonski, self-proclaimed NBC “Olympic hanger-on,” told me the other day, “Look around because you will never, ever see an Olympics like this again.” The Chinese not only threw people at the Games (and let us not forget, threw people out of homes) but also threw billions of dollars, a move that was self-evident through not only the occasional blue skies but the smooth operations everywhere.

But leaving aside the pomp and circumstance, the real change will be the result of technical advances. The move to server-based storage, tightened content exchange between EVS and Avid editing systems, and 1.5-Gbps infrastructures is the norm for even the smallest broadcaster in the IBC (in fact, the smallest simply ride on top of the BOB EVS infrastructure, delivering prepackaged networks).

So for me, it was great to be here, not only to revel in the Olympic excitement and spend some quality time with top engineering and production talent but to experience something that might not exist again: a vibrant, impressively large IBC that felt like the world’s largest TV production truck (complete with staffers sleeping on couches). Or over-sized on-site staffs that meet the over-sized demands for content delivery.

Time will tell, but odds are, technology will help make it easier for broadcasters to deliver top-quality productions from afar. And while the taxi-cab drivers in London may not like to hear that, it should be music to the ears of TV-network finance departments the world over.

Just let me savor this one.

Inside BBC's Beijing Effort
by | Aug 21, 2008 - 6:02:20 PM

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One of the challenges for U.S. viewers was simply navigating the wealth of Olympics content available across the different networks. The BBC faced a similar problem but made use of its BBC Interactive technology to deliver a channel that featured one large video window plus four small windows stacked on the right side of the screen that showed viewers what was on other channels. Charlie Cope, BBC technical consultant and editor, says the channel is available to 80% of BBC viewers via either the Freeview DTV service or BSkyB.

Charlie Cope, BBC Post production editor and technical consultant, with the network's IBC EVS servers.

Cope also says the BBC will be looking to do things differently when it comes to the 2010 Games in Vancouver. The goal will be to leave the majority of staffers home in the UK and operate most of the operations out of London. Expect staff in Vancouver to be focused on building original feature stories and other content while the live feeds are passed directly back to the UK.

Breaking it Down!
by | Aug 21, 2008 - 5:56:43 PM

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Olympic broadcast centers and compounds...they go up, they come down. Yesterday, NBC began packing up certain venues, all during a massive morning downpour. Here are some of the staffers and freelancers breaking down the compound at the gymnastics venue.

Bexel Hercules Shows Strengths
by | Aug 21, 2008 - 11:53:22 AM

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Eliminating foam padding helps keep racks aligned properly.

My Olympic adventure is almost over (closing thoughts tomorrow!), but the last day, while filled with lots of rain, was also filled with some cool new discoveries. Craig Schiller, VP/general manager of Bexel Broadcast Services, gave us a tour of the diving/swimming compound during the seeming typhoon and pointed out some neat features that could apply to future Bexel integrated systems.

First is removing the need for a bunch of small LCD panels usually used in EVS operation. Bexel figured out how to pump EVS clip information to the 40-inch NEC monitors via an Evertz multiviewer. It allows EVS operators to watch video clips on the same monitor as the EVS rundown.

EVS can now be interfaced via an LCD panel.

Yes, the move saves money by cutting back on monitors, but it also has gotten positive feedback from the operators, who like not having to look away from game action.

Schiller also showed off a new military-grade wirerope isolator that is placed between the shipping case and the rack rail frame "These isolators have been a great addition for us because we needed the increased stability for our dual rack configurations," he says. "In some of our older flight cases, the foam did not provide enough strength for the rack rail frame, and that causes the racks and the contents to shift during shipping.

New Workflow for World Feeds
by | Aug 20, 2008 - 5:58:40 PM

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So this is one of the coolest things we've seen in terms of a hint at future workflows. This is NBC's enhanced version of world feed coverage. Typically world feed coverage involves taking the world feed and layering NBC announcers over the top.

There is a fresh approach to handling pure world feeds for events like wrestling.

But this system takes it to another level, adding in a camera feed from the venue. It's come in handy for wrestling coverage and gives the network sharper and more focused programming for U.S. viewers hungry for coverage with an angle. This simple system at the IBC is connected to the venue via Ethernet and allows the producer to bring the world feed, announcers, and additional camera feed together. The system is not being used for every world feed but it has already been deemed a success so odds are it will have an expanded role in Vancouver in 2010.

East Meets West
by | Aug 20, 2008 - 5:50:51 PM

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Chopsticks vs. Silverware. Silk vs. Cotton. Dumplings vs. Buffalo Wings. Forget it...when it comes to East vs. West this picture encapsulates the most important cultural difference of all!

Beijing's Nest is Best...Simple Stunning
by | Aug 20, 2008 - 5:37:56 PM

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Okay, we're impressed...it looks even better from the inside.

As a wee child my favorite book was "My Nest is Best," one of those lesser known Dr. Seuss tales. Well, my nest is no longer best. Last night I had a chance to head out to the Birds Nest and catch some of the competition but, more importantly, see the venue up close (although I will take a second, more in-depth look today). Yowza...it definitely looks great in photos and on TV but it is stunning in person. First, the thing is flipping HUGE. But second, look at this photo. As you pass through the nest the different layers become apparent and the stadium as a complexity and depth in design you won't find anywhere.
So the folks in London, once again, have their work cut out for them. But one area they can surpass the Birds nest? Install one of those massive bazillion dollar (err, pound) and super-huge scoreboards.

Now THAT's a Cable Tray!
by | Aug 20, 2008 - 5:24:25 PM

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IBC cable trays keep more than 200 miles of cable nice and orderly.

Okay, okay, okay....occasionally, I hear the gripe that SVG can get a little too techy, but that's just because we love toys. Not as much as most of our members do, but we love them. And then, of course, there are things like cable trays. Lord knows, a cable tray shouldn't be interesting, but we really like the way the team at BOB approached laying down its 200-plus miles of cable. Located 112-115 feet off the ground are four trays stacked on top of each other, with each tray holding cables for a different purpose. The BOB video cable tray is on the bottom, audio above that, data and fiber above that, and finally, BOCOG service cables on top of that. Nice and clean and something the engineering staff really finds useful...we like!

Got Sleep?
by | Aug 19, 2008 - 5:56:30 PM

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No one denies that the Olympics can push a production team to the limit with 18-hour days.

If there is ever an image that captures the Olympic spirit on the production side of the industry, this is it! Located on the wall inside the main production area outside the Bird's Nest stadium, the collage of NBC Olympic freelancers and staff personnel catching some valuable sleep anywhere they can shows just how they give their all prior to and during the games. No doubt a few more shots will be added by the end of the games...