Digital Vision Takes Tape Out of Post Production with EVS

Digital Vision, the Norwegian production company part of
Prisma Outside Broadcast (MediaTec Group), broadcasts up to six TV-channels in
Norway from their headquarters at Bjerke Travbane, including two 24-hour
channels: SportN (ViaSat/NRK) and RiksToto Direkte (the national horse-racing
channel). EVS’ XT production servers and AirBox software are already in use for
the capture and playout of programming for these channels, while content is
edited on AVID workstations.

To speed up their post production process, Digital Vision
has decided to integrate EVS’ XStore[2] media storage system and gateway unit
into their existing workflow. The XStore[2] will connect all the parts of the
workflow into a tapeless production environment, making it easy to interchange
files, with the XStore[2] acting as a gateway between the Ethernet-based AVID
system and the EVS XNet2, high bandwidth production network of XT.

“Our main objective is to be more effective in production and to
abandon the use of videotape when moving content from the AVID editing
platform,” said Arne Stenstadvold, Technical Chief of Digital Vision.
“We have done several tests and concluded that we will be able to
interchange content from the AVID to the EVS system two to three times faster
by going file-based with XStore[2]. In addition, we can have fewer machines in
our production system. Also, we can do the format conversion at high
bitrates and will thus have better image quality.”

None of the input channels in the XT servers need to be occupied while moving
the material, and the edited material can be transferred to the XStore[2]
storage unit the instant the edits are done on the AVID. “This will
make our workflow far more effective,” said Stenstadvold.

Digital Vision will also be using the XStore[2] as a backup and archiving
unit. In the past, before every new
OB
production it was necessary to erase all the content stored on their EVS
servers to make room for new content. “Now, instead of using
videotape to store and transfer the content, we will be using the XStore[2] to
store the content in the native EVS format,” said Stenstadvold. “By
simply moving files we omit any quality loss on our stored content.”

Transfer of files from the XStore[2] is four times faster than in real time
using videotape. The XStore[2] will also convert between all the
different formats Digital Visions uses in their productions

As an added feature, operators will be able to transfer the content stored
on the XStore[2] to fixed positions on the XT servers, allowing a package of
highlights for the given program to be ready at the same position on the XT
servers.