NAB Perspectives: EVS Takes Evolutionary Approach

At the NAB Show, EVS is continuing its push to be at the center of clients’ complete production needs, from server storage in production trucks, broadcast facilities, and stadiums to publishing highlight clips to the Web and mobile devices. Toss in more integrated workflows, some new options to existing products in the EVS lineup, and there is plenty to see and discuss at the NAB booth.

And, while much of the attention at the show will be focused on next-generation technologies like 3D, 4K, and improved second-screen publishing and content creation, Fred Garroy, GM, EVS Americas, believes that finding a complete tapeless solution remains the biggest need.

“Networks want to ingest once and then be able to deliver content to stations across the whole country,” he adds.

EVS is taking steps in that direction with advances for the XT3 server line, including more storage and the addition of automatic low-res–proxy creation, a feature expected to be available in the near future. The goal is to make it easier than ever for broadcasters to implement the workflow that best suits their needs.

“For events like the Olympics, more and more broadcasters want to be working from home,” says Garroy. “So we’re adding power to XT3.”

Among the new products at NAB will be the GX server, with the 1RU server offering fill and key playout of HD graphics instantly and with full control capabilities from all standard switchers and controllers. The server can be used to import any graphics-file formats via RS-422 VDCP or Odetics protocols.

The GX server points out a key message from EVS this year: one product will not be able to replace everything. Maximizing the infrastructure that is in place for recording live content, increasing the recording capacity, and making multiple-format encoding easier are all top of mind for EVS.

“The future for broadcasters is figuring out how to maximize the value of their content,” says Marketing and Communications Director Nicolas Bourdon. “They need to exploit content much more than they are currently, and, today, upwards of 80% of content [recorded for sports events] is underused.”

The trick is figuring out how to get content more easily from the EVS servers in the field to EVS servers and editing systems back at the broadcast center.

Also new at the NAB Show, XSnano, a four-channel record-and-play server designed for studio production operations that use third-party control systems. The server includes EVS loop recording with Gigabit networking capability, and EVS sees the system as a VTR replacement for smaller production trucks or station or venue control rooms.

The new offerings are part of the company’s Sports 360 branding strategy, which highlights the ability to have live recording, live interaction with the archive, and delivery through a multimedia platform with EVS C-Cast.

“Broadcasters want access to the content in the truck, and they may want to send everything to the broadcast center, depending on their workflow,” says Garroy. “But they want access to the truck without disturbing the truck and the load on the network.”