EVS X-One Production System Takes Software-Based Tech to New Level

System targets smaller productions where budgets and staffing are a challenge

Although EVS has been synonymous with high-cost replay systems, with the launch of X-One, an all-in-one production tool that makes use of touchscreen technology to allow a single operator to produce a show with up to six camera, the company is taking a major step in expanding its customer base.

EVS is expanding its potential user base with the X-One production system.

“People come to love EVS technology, but they can’t afford it,” says James Stellpflug, VP, product marketing, EVS. “So we took the essence of our technology with a software approach to create a 2RU frame that brings our brand to a whole new class of user. This is the beginning of many things you will see from EVS in the next three or four years as we make use of software rather than dedicated hardware boards.”

XOne is designed to be operated by a single user, who can take advantage of its contextualized user interface, which adapts to the type of production on which it’s deployed. Different sports or entertainment productions will have dedicated interfaces that highlight specific features and removes unnecessary ones. This puts the user in a unique production environment with predefined functions and simplified operation. The dedicated UIs will be available on the EVS cloud and can be quickly downloaded and installed ahead of any production.

The new system is based on EVS’s software-defined technology and puts all the capabilities of a control room in the hands of a single production operator, who controls everything via touchscreen.

“Producers of smaller-scale live operations are challenged to find the right creative production toolset that meets their needs for professional technology at a lower budget,” explains Laurent Petit, SVP, product, EVS. “XOne is filling that gap. It offers the best compromise between quality and price, and [it] features an ultra-simplified production system that allows all aspects of live production to be managed and controlled by a single operator.”

Stellpflug considers the first version a solid bet for tier-two sports productions and says the next couple of versions will allow it to scale so that it can be used for shows that need more cameras, 4K production, or super-slo-mo functionality.

Petit adds that it is also an intuitive system, with enough variable functions to give users what they need today. “This is what we call contextualized production.”

The system also allows the import of files that operators use to create replays, control audio, cut together a live feed with the built-in video switcher, and even add graphics to live programming, which is output in broadcast-standard quality.

“There are currently no on-board apps from a third party, but it’s built so an external graphics system like a Viz or other high-end system can link via an NDI link,” says Stellpflug. “There is also an API available.”

The system natively supports AIMS-compliant uncompressed IP ST 2110 feeds and further assists production operators with functions deployed through a number of apps and plugins, which can be built and continually added into the system. XOne’s architecture can be easily configured to expand in inputs/outputs, as well as deliver UHD/4K formats for future needs.

And, because it’s built with EVS technology, users can be sure that XOne will provide the speed expected in a production system, the reliability needed in the live environment, and the after-sale and ongoing support provided with EVS products. The system will be available for purchase by the end of this year, with software upgrades available in Q1 2018 providing users a wider range of applications and features.

EVS’s software-defined architecture is built on a new foundation of GPU-based technology, which opens up more-creative capabilities for users able to customize and personalize operation workflows. The software-defined architecture has so far been implemented into the company’s DYVI switcher, Xeebra VAR system, and several products currently in development and due for announcement soon.

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