EVS Installs XT-VIA Servers in NHK 4K Truck; DYVI Switcher Generates New Content for French TV Station

EVS, the leading provider of live production solutions, today announced that its XT-VIA live production servers have been purchased by NHK Media Technology (MT) and NHK Global Media Services (GMS), subsidiaries of NHK, one of the world leaders in higher-resolution content creation. In addition, exactly 34 years after Canal+ went on air, the French media group in association with Première Fois Productions, launched Clique TV, a channel dedicated to providing a voice to artists. The new channel worked with facilities provider BOB in France to deploy an EVS DYVI live production switcher.

NHK Puts XT-VIA Serves in New 4K OB Truck
Three of the latest servers from EVS have been integrated into a new 4K-OB1 mobile production truck as it’s rolled out for live UHD productions.

“As we prepare to launch our new higher-resolution content, we need a mobile production facility that features the latest, state of the art technology. This truck enables us to create the highest-quality content as efficiently as we can,” says Koji Mochizuki, Manager at MT.

The servers have been integrated alongside three new XFile3 archive and transfer engines as the truck is deployed to produce multiple sports and entertainment programming in UHD-4K resolution. The servers have been purchased through, and will be delivered by, EVS’ local sales partner and one of the region’s leading media technology providers, Photron.

“EVS’ latest live production technology is built with multiple resolutions and operating environments in mind,” says Goh Miyazawa, General Manager, Photron. “When MT approached us about integrating this new truck, we knew EVS’ XT-VIA servers would be the perfect solution to sit at the heart of its production workflow.”

The XT-VIA was announced earlier this year by EVS and represents the most significant update to the XT range of servers yet. It provides six easily-configurable channels of UHD I/O and 12-plus of Full HD, 1080p. And with support for live HDR operations and the ability to operate in 12G SDI or IP environments, the XT-VIA is the perfect server for users that want to adopt new ways of operating for higher resolutions.

Photron delivered MT’s new servers in September, so they could be integrated ready for the truck’s initial deployment in October.

DVYI Enables Clique TV to Create a New Generation of Programming
The DYVI switcher from EVS was quickly selected because it features a software-defined architecture that helps the producers create rich and diverse content as efficiently as possible. The new French channel produces various magazine and talk shows on music, video games, sports, literature and current affairs, as well as documentaries and comedy sketches.

“The content that Clique TV distributes – in format, topic, and genre – is specifically created to appeal to the next generation of television viewers,” says Julien Hua, Clique TV’s Head of Production. “The way this programming is created is reflective of this target audience and takes advantage of the latest in new production technologies.”

The team uses DYVI to create graphics and production layouts ahead of going live. And then saving those to the system using macros, they’re able to recall configurations in an instant making switching between setups quick and easy.

Before the rollout of the new channel, one of its most-watched programs, Clique Dimanche, was broadcast on Canal+. Directed by some of France’s most renowned directors, including Serge Khalfon, Didier Froehly, and Nicolas Druet, it was the popularity of this first iteration that led to the media group seeing the potential in rolling out an entire channel dedicated to a generation of digital natives.

“When producing Clique Dimanche, we benefitted from DYVI’s ergonomic panel and the speed of operation it allows,” says Khalfon. “This new switcher is perfect for the shows that we produce at Clique TV.”

The channel’s technical facilities, into which DYVI has been integrated, are provided by BOB (Boîte à Outils Broadcast), a French company of broadcast facilities and services.

“For the production of Clique TV’s original programming, DYVI was an obvious choice,” says General Manager Cyril Mazouer. “The limitations of traditional switchers meant that once the team started using DYVI, they didn’t want to go back.”