Net Insight – Efficiency first: streamlining sports video delivery

Net Insight – Efficiency first: streamlining sports video delivery

Jonathan Smith, Solution Area Expert – Cloud, Net Insight

Innovation has always been integral to the broadcast industry, such as with the rise of HD, digital audio and 4K, as well as more recent developments surrounding IP. Each new wave of development has encouraged experimentation, leading to solutions that stand the test of time, like the ones mentioned, and solutions that do not. The latest experimental wave is, of course, AI which finds itself full of potential but lacking enough real-world use cases to make it resonate across the industry.

As sports rights fees continue to rise significantly each year, it is becoming increasingly important for broadcasters to prioritize streamlined content delivery; efficiency is the way forward. This means broadcasters and media companies’ spending has become much more careful as they shift their focus from innovation for its own sake to tangible ROI, especially around live sports events.

Tier 1 live sports events require flawless delivery of high-quality content to millions of viewers. Broadcasters need to feel protected against the serious financial and reputational consequences of failure, including technical glitches, latency issues, poor video quality, etc. To foolproof against these risks, broadcasters are ‘going back to basics’ focusing on efficiency over endless experimentation.

Hybrid approaches: combining reliability and flexibility

The increasing demand for efficiency and flexibility means hybrid distribution models are top on the broadcasters’ priority list. These models present the best of both worlds, with the robustness of traditional, hardware-based workflows alongside the scalability and efficiency of IP and internet-based solutions. As Tier 1 events still demand the reliability that only hardware solutions can provide, fully transitioning towards flexible IP solutions is not the answer. However, hybrid distribution allows media companies to access the agility and scalability of IP where necessary while also relying on hardware solutions when high-quality live broadcasts are required.

For large-scale sports events, using a hybrid video distribution model allows broadcasters to harness reliable, broadcast-quality technology for the primary feed, ensuring a seamless, high-quality experience. They can then utilize IP-based workflows for additional feeds like social media content, providing a cost-effective and adaptable solution. This approach enables broadcasters to meet audience demands effectively and distribute engaging content across various platforms without exceeding budget constraints.

From experimentation to real-world application

AI holds great promise for transforming live sports broadcasting, but it’s still in the early stages. The focus should be on finding solutions that improve efficiency and elevate viewer experience today, instead of chasing hype.

As rights fees increase and budgets tighten, there’s a high demand for solutions that streamline workflows, scale affordably, and require minimal customization. Broadcasters prioritize technology that integrates seamlessly into their current systems without the need for a complex custom-built model. Solutions that deliver on their promises with minimal disruption and high performance are invaluable.

Traditionally, discussions about pricing would follow technology conversations, but now both conversations are taking place in parallel. Broadcasters are after transparent pricing to plan and adjust their budgeting and understand the specific value of their investments. Today, innovation alone isn’t enough; solutions need to be efficient, measurable, and simple to implement.

Optimizing ROI

For top-tier sports events, the ROI comes from the live event itself. Broadcasters gain the most value from these events, but this doesn’t require full-on deployments of the latest technologies. Instead, it’s about using tools strategically and leveraging various distribution solutions for the same core content.

With more audiences watching through multiple channels, social media has become an integral part of the viewing experience. This shift has led broadcasters to split their approach: the main game feed is handled by reliable, broadcast-grade workflows, while experimental, budget-friendly methodologies are used for distributing content on social platforms like Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok.

For Tier 1 events, such as global football tournaments or the NFL, broadcasters can’t risk disruptions — the primary live feed must reach millions without interruption. To meet this standard, they rely on traditional hardware workflows or hybrid setups that combine IP and hardware, ensuring the efficiency and quality required for these premium events. At the same time, they experiment with more cost-effective approaches for delivering supplementary content to social media. Highlight reels, behind-the-scenes clips, and live commentary for social platforms don’t demand the same tech investment as core broadcasts.

Social platforms benefit from quick, flexible production workflows. IP-based and cloud solutions enable broadcasters to scale social media feeds according to the event’s needs. Social media content serves a unique purpose: it engages fans in real time, provides additional viewing experiences, and broadens audience reach. By taking a more agile approach to social content, broadcasters preserve the integrity of the main broadcast while tapping into the growing power of digital platforms.

Looking to 2025

As we look ahead to 2025, the future of sports broadcasting appears promising. Recent lessons—balancing innovation with efficiency, optimizing ROI, and adopting hybrid distribution models—are creating a more robust and efficient industry. For high-stakes Tier 1 sports, where expectations and investments are sky-high, broadcasters are finding smarter ways to deliver exceptional, reliable live experiences while embracing flexible, cost-effective, and experimental methods for secondary platforms like social media.

By returning to core principles, focusing on efficiency where it matters, and implementing scalable solutions that adapt to rapid change, the sports broadcasting industry is set to continue thriving. As broadcasters refine their strategies, hybrid models will allow them to expand capabilities, experiment when needed, and uphold the highest standards for live events.

In 2025, efficiency will be a key focus, helping broadcasters future-proof their operations and confidently deliver the world’s most thrilling sports moments.

nanocosmos – With cutting-edge B2B real-time streaming, nanocosmos drives dynamic content and revenue growth for providers of monetized content

nanocosmos – With cutting-edge B2B real-time streaming, nanocosmos drives dynamic content and revenue growth for providers of monetized content

Oliver Lietz, CEO, nanocosmos

Since mobile devices took the stage of online content, nanocosmos has been a leading innovator in B2B real-time streaming solutions designed for revenue growth and consumer engagement across industry sectors like live auctions, iGaming, and sports betting.

While the increasing demand to monetize content 24/7 globally without interruptions remains an ongoing trend, platform operators and content providers have recently requested specific features—particularly those that help them grow their reach. To meet this demand, we have recently added Live Processing features to our real-time video streaming solution, designed to unlock monetization potential. With these updates, users of our solution nanoStream can, for instance, rewind and view previous sections of live streams, as well as easily clip and share the best highlights on social media or other channels.

As AI reshapes the future of content delivery for both providers and viewers, we have added new features to our Webcaster that improve the video experience by integrating AI filters, such as beautification overlays. Additionally, automatic speech recognition provides live captions and multilingual support, helping content providers broaden their reach. These new AI-related features not only create new revenue opportunities but also make content accessible to diverse, global audiences.

However, we see these not as isolated features. By delivering a comprehensive streaming solution for interactive use cases that integrates the latest advancements, we ensure compatibility with each use case according to current industry trends.

In addition, when it comes to delivering high-quality, real-time streaming experiences, scalable content and a robust Content Delivery Network are critical factors for our clients to stay competitive in the era of live, 24/7/365 content worldwide, even in locations with subpar internet connections.

About nanocosmos

Since 2015, nanocosmos has led B2B real-time streaming innovation, empowering industries and interactive use cases like iGaming, live auctions, and sports betting to enhance audience engagement and drive revenue growth with real-time streaming. Our latest updates address current industry trends, enabling content providers to expand reach, boost monetization, and keep audiences connected seamlessly and effortlessly—anytime, anywhere.

MainConcept – Will Multiview HEVC pave the way for Extended Reality and the Metaverse?

MainConcept – Will Multiview HEVC pave the way for Extended Reality and the Metaverse?

Geoff Gordon, VP Global Marketing, MainConcept

The next frontier of entertainment lies in interactive and immersive experiences, where traditional TV and device screens give way to rich, 3D environments that surround the viewer. And while video compression technology might not grab the headlines, it’s the backbone of 3D video content creation and delivery, enabling the seamless, high-quality experiences that extended reality (XR) and metaverse applications demand. Interestingly, the codec, Multiview HEVC (MV-HEVC), which is designed to enable 3D video experiences, is currently enjoying a surge in market adoption. This increase is largely driven by Apple’s launch of the Apple Vision Pro headset, which uses the MV-HEVC codec. Since then, many more OEMs are adding in support for the codec to their devices. What impact will this have on the industry, and might it help facilitate widespread adoption of extended reality and acceleration of the metaverse? For clarity, extended reality and XR are used throughout as a catch-all term for virtual, augmented and mixed reality.

Immersive experiences

Viewers today are being presented with more interactive and immersive viewing experiences. VR headsets like the Meta Quest have grown in popularity among consumers, enabling users to experience things like travel to exotic destinations, rock climbing, riding a roller coaster, watch movies and TV shows, play multiplayer games, and socialize with friends from the comfort of their living room.

Unsurprisingly, the Apple Vision Pro has generated a huge amount of interest since its launch, merging virtual with augmented reality so the experience is not limited by the physical confines of the TV or device, but instead happens in the space all around the user. Starting with the iPhone 15 Pro, Apple added support for MV-HEVC, enabling users to capture spatial video to create 3D content that can be played back on the Apple Vision Pro. The MV-HEVC codec is instrumental in delivering the high-quality immersive experiences that the Apple Vision Pro will undoubtedly provide.

Understanding MV-HEVC

The volume of data needed to create 3D and VR experiences is vast and much greater than traditional 2D video. For VR, content creators can use stereoscopic lenses to capture scenes from ‘a left and right eye’ perspective to more closely resemble the way we view the real world. For 360° videos, cameras record the entire scene in every direction via multiple overlapping lenses. This use of multiple views for every frame creates a vast amount of data, which needs to be compressed efficiently so that it can be stored and then transmitted to VR headsets. The sheer amount of data involved in this process is often considered as one of the barriers to widespread VR adoption.

MV-HEVC is the multiview extension to the highly efficient HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) codec, extending the scope of HEVC to include 3D video. MV-HEVC is designed to reduce the file size by reducing the amount of redundant information stored from one view to another. It compares the similarities between different views, and by recognizing these similarities, it can avoid storing redundant data, effectively reducing the overall file size. Put simply, MV-HEVC makes the video files smaller by finding and reducing similar information across multiple views, storing less data. And importantly, the way that MV-HEVC efficiently encodes spatially related left eye and right eye image views, means that it is able to compress the video without losing noticeable quality, which can be an undesirable consequence of the compression process.

Potential impact on video industry

So, with all this in mind, what might the increased uptake of MV-HEVC mean for the video industry? Just as with all advanced codecs, by efficiently compressing files and reducing bitrate, MV-HEVC helps to reduce storage and distribution costs, and enables video to be transmitted quicker with lower bandwidth requirements. But its potential impact goes much, much further than these practical advantages. The compression efficiency that MV-HEVC provides is crucial for creating high-quality immersive experiences, because it allows for smoother interactions with less lag, making virtual environments feel more realistic and responsive. These factors are both critical components to delivering a great XR user experience.

MV-HEVC’s ability to efficiently compress multi-angle views would also enable the development of more intricate and detailed virtual worlds, allowing users to explore richer environments in real time. This capability could lead to more engaging and interactive experiences, whatever the application, whether in gaming, travel experiences, education, live streaming, or social interactions.

The increased use of MV-HEVC could help to accelerate the adoption of VR, AR and the metaverse as a whole by delivering high-quality immersive video with reduced data and bandwidth requirements. By lowering the data needed for high-quality content, these experiences would be more accessible to users with slower internet connections or in areas with less robust infrastructure, as well as a diversity of device-types. This wider accessibility would encourage greater adoption of these technologies, allowing more people to participate in immersive experiences and shared virtual environments in the metaverse.

The bottom line

Like HEVC, MV-HEVC is still relatively early on in its lifecycle, having been released in 2014 as part of the second version of the HEVC standard. And as such, there’s still a way to go before it is supported across the majority of platforms and devices. However, its increase in uptake and strong support from companies such as Apple does show a willingness and expectation within the industry that XR technology will become more mainstream over time. Ultimately, as MV-HEVC grows in popularity across the industry, it’s highly likely that it will drive innovation in immersive content, boost the growth of XR technologies, and set the stage for a more interactive and immersive video industry.

LTN – Harnessing the power of IP video distribution to drive cost efficiency and ROI

LTN – Harnessing the power of IP video distribution to drive cost efficiency and ROI

Rick Young, SVP, Head of Global Products at LTN

The media industry is changing rapidly. Fierce competition is fueled by the entry of big tech companies and digital platforms, as well as, the decline of traditional linear television viewing. It’s never been more important for Tier 1 media companies to remain laser-focused on delivering more customized content globally and increasing ROI while staying on budget. Content providers need to reassess their operational models and leverage scalable, cost-efficient video distribution solutions to overcome these challenges and maintain their competitive edge.

Today, more than ever, technology investments are assessed based on the cost savings and ROI they deliver. IP video distribution stands out as an intelligent option because it empowers traditional broadcasters, streaming players, and content owners to move from hefty capital expenditure (CapEx) infrastructure to simplified and easier-to-manage operational costs (OpEx) — while confidently harnessing new monetization and growth opportunities. Once upon a time, content was king. In this new media era, customized content is king. The players who master cost-efficient customization and distribution at scale will reign supreme.

Driving scale and growth with IP video distribution

Traditional satellite and fiber distribution used to be the methodology of choice. However, the broadcasting landscape has shifted. Media businesses are expanding beyond traditional linear television to reach diverse digital platforms, meaning that live video distribution needs to be flexible and scalable to reach any multitude of digital, OTT, and FAST platforms across all geographies. Satellite and fiber distribution models lack the flexibility, agility, and scale required to deliver multiple, customized versions of live content to global destinations.

Industry players can no longer afford to be restrained by the limitations of traditional distribution models. People are rapidly pivoting to managed, multicast-enabled IP video distribution strategies which enable greater scale and customization while drastically reducing the total cost of ownership of legacy hardware systems and infrastructure.

Maximizing the value of your content investments

Boosting ROI is top of the agenda for all media players. With skyrocketing rights fees, cumbersome production costs, and the value of traditional broadcast advertising under question — and declining 3.5% per year in the US according to eMarketer — media organizations are under pressure to make their existing investments work harder for them. IP-based video distribution unlocks critical capabilities like automated digital linear channel creation and live event versioning. Live content can be scaled and regionalized with custom graphics, language, audio, and targeted ads across platforms and geographies, reaching millions of eyeballs and creating new revenue streams. Automated channel creation and playout solutions empower content providers to spin up and manage a larger volume of linear streaming and FAST channels from a primary linear channel, delivering tailored programming for local and regional audiences.

Importantly, media companies can drive business outcomes without having to expand their master control room infrastructure or worry about resourcing limitations. IP-based video distribution scales operational teams and extends the reach of content empowering creative organizations to achieve business success cost-effectively.

Staying in control of your budget with cost predictability

Technological change, extended global macroeconomic instability, and market uncertainty mean media players are hesitant to invest in new solutions without clear and discernible paths to ROI. To rationalize their technology and business models, media organizations are moving away from CapEx to OpEx models for greater flexibility and cost-efficiency.

However, the widely accepted shift to OpEx strategies comes with challenges, especially around pricing transparency and cost predictability. Software as a service (SaaS) technology partners often offer pay-as-you-scale pricing structures that can include additional fees per ad break or per impression across digital channels. Media businesses delivering new and higher-performing offerings across FAST channels and other digital platforms might find themselves penalized with incremental costs or sharing a proportion of CPM with their technology partners for expanding their scale and driving new revenue.

This challenge is also familiar to companies leveraging public cloud with media organizations ending up splitting their tightened cloud storage budgets between fees and actual storage capacity used. Public cloud-reliant models are unsustainable — media companies need clear and transparent pricing without unexpected egress fees, vendor charges, or hard-to-predict costs.

A managed IP video distribution strategy enables media organizations to more easily stay on budget. Media companies can ensure their spending maps back to market conditions and audience demands in real time without committing to large upfront investments. Fixed-cost models deliver the cost predictability media players need to budget with confidence and scale their business without compromises.

IP video distribution as the growth factor

When it comes to increasing cost efficiency and ROI, there is no time to waste. Media companies can no longer be held back by traditional video distribution workflows created to facilitate one-to-one distribution. The costs and complexities are far too great. And while every dollar counts when tech investment is about business scale and growth, driving down costs cannot compromise business operations or mission-critical reliability.

IP video distribution equips media businesses with the agility and scalability they need to scale their content cost-effectively to more global destinations and audiences, tapping into new revenue avenues. IP-based video distribution was created for today’s media landscape and will evolve to adapt to tomorrow’s requirements. It’s a strategic business and technology investment that will not only deliver growth but will streamline and rationalize workflows, operations, and resourcing — all while providing the cost predictability that media organizations need to plan for success.

Knox Media Hub – A fast(er) road to FAST?

Knox Media Hub – A fast(er) road to FAST?

As any other player in M&E industry, we are witnessing growing interest in FAST and AVOD channels, especially as they offer a response to the SVOD churn we are witnessing.

Interestingly, companies are increasingly looking to us for solutions to repurpose content—much of which is destined for these very channels. Generating new revenue streams from existing content is every company’s dream, right? We’ve been helping clients develop impactful strategies for content repurposing, and as tech providers, we bring a unique perspective to this trend.

The challenging road to AVOD and FAST channels

The “Streaming Wars” is on everybody’s lips and 2024 has brought together all in agreement: with the SVOD churn now a reality, content providers are turning to FAST and AVOD to diversify channels and revenues (recommended Kantar’s extensive research).

Subscription costs increased by 44% over the last year (a mid-2024 Forbes survey quantified these streaming trends) and consumers are unwilling to pay more or subscribe to more platforms. We are not short on statistics illustrating this issue, and the big streamers (Netflix, Amazon, Disney, etc.) seem to take turns announcing their latest big-budget acquisitions to attract viewers through exclusive content.

Reports, including IABM’s, largely agree: in their need to diversify channels and to prepare for SVOD churn, content providers have to turn to FAST channels and AVOD. The literature on their benefits is prolific, showing those platforms can become a solid revenue stream, a retention tool, an alternative to traditional channels when in crisis, and so on. FAST distribution is already gaining special prominence in the U.S. market and is proving a game-changer in news and sports (the spring 2024 printed edition of Streaming Media had very insightful articles on this topic).

At the same time, these same reports highlight that generating revenue from FAST, AVOD or even Social Media requires high volumes of content to start to see some money. Simply put, these channels tend to reward quantity over quality.

Here lies the challenge: content must be adapted for those channels. Our observation is that after moving from one crisis to the next, companies are reluctant to dedicate resources and headcount to the task of repurposing content or do not yet see the value in what was once marginal revenue. Also, FAST is performing very well in the US but is not yet mature in Europe. There’s insecurity and skepticism, so there’s no will to risk and invest.

And if we look at AVOD and Social Media, a new challenge appears: the necessity to be quick. These platforms thrive on immediacy; they are now proven to be a primary source for news (in the US 54% of Americans now consume at least some news daily via social media — numbers are a little lower in Europe).

The DPP captures this sentiment in their latest report of Demand vs Supply series at the IBC 2024: “In general we feel the pressure of organizations to make more, faster, for less”. We feel the same.

So here is what we are seeing from our viewpoint as a technology provider: companies do want to generate profits repurposing assets, but this requires that the cost of repurposing the content be significantly lower than the revenue generated from FAST and AVOD. To achieve this, they turn to technology providers to get the job done.

AI to make more, faster for less

Here is a use case we frequently encounter: companies with extensive back catalogs seeking to monetize them. Rather than allowing these assets to sit unused, the clever strategy is to repurpose them for the previously mentioned FAST and AVOD channels.

Given the challenges outlined above, any tool that might help FAST and Social Media teams in cleaning up and reformatting hundreds of files is generating significant interest. At Knox Media Hub we are already observing powerful results (soon to be published) from companies leveraging our Smart Trimming tool — an AI powered feature that automatically detects and removes all the technical non-relevant elements such as color bars and slates— to get their back catalog ready for publishing. This tool is saving countless hours of manual drudgery editing, representing a small investment that both reduces operational costs and helps generate new revenues with positive contribution margins.

Is AI the way forward then? It might be. Amid all the buzz and excitement surrounding AI, we are reaching a point where both tech providers and buyers are discovering real value in this technology, presenting here a strong use case. Consider this second example – AI transcription for quick translation and subtitling; it is to be seen everywhere trade shows and markets, with FAST and AVOD channels being the first distribution platforms to adopt it. While AI may not be perfect, it significantly accelerates localization workflows, particularly for these channels.

Research findings by Caretta research released last September illustrate well how AI is being adopted and shows that our instincts are heading in the right direction. First, 61% of buyers and vendors report seeing AI replace routine and repetitive tasks (hence the case stated above), and making work easier and faster: exactly what media companies need to enter FAST and AVOD channels. Secondly, buyers find it easier to adopt this technology through existing vendors that embed AI functions. In our case, our AI features, combined with orchestration and automation tools, enable clients to tap into these new revenue streams at minimal cost.

Laying the groundwork for a 360 distribution strategy

In a broader context, atomization and fragmentation of channels appears to be the “new normal”. The media and entertainment industry has been evolving these past years towards a 360-degree distribution model, where everyone will have a presence across multiple platforms. This new standard applies to all stakeholders, including media houses and traditional broadcasters, particularly in the digital landscape where everything is more fragmented and niche.

As media consumption habits shift rapidly, we as technology providers must be prepared to support any distribution channel or production method that emerges, enabling clients to compete across formats and distribution strategies.

We understand that adaptability and scalability are crucial. Legacy technologies and closed systems will not meet the demands of this emerging model; we need to be extremely flexible. Over the past few years, we’ve heard that media technology has undergone more transformation in five years than it has in the past 30. So, to thrive, media companies will need a highly efficient and scalable infrastructure. This is why Knox Media Hub was built in the cloud in the first place; however, it now extends beyond that. There is a growing need for interoperability and communication with other systems, and this flexibility should define the culture of your organization and the architecture of your services.

Imagine Communications – The Home Field Advantage: France TV delivers coverage of Paris 2024 Olympics in UHD, with an assist from Imagine Communications’ SNP

Imagine Communications – The Home Field Advantage:

France TV delivers coverage of Paris 2024 Olympics in UHD, with an assist from Imagine Communications’ SNP

In the past for its coverage of the Olympic Games, France TV has built a dedicated facility at the International Broadcast Center (IBC) in the host city and delivered signals back to its headquarters in Paris for distribution to viewers via over-the-air TV. However, with the 2024 Games taking place in its own backyard, the broadcaster saw a unique opportunity — it could forgo the IBC and instead use its own facilities for the event. Furthermore, to enhance the viewer experience, France TV committed to delivering its Olympic coverage in UHD.

Transitioning to IP

Ahead of the Games, France TV had already decided on a major technical upgrade at its headquarters. The broadcaster planned to transition its master control room (MCR) — which runs on an SDI routing system — to a SMPTE ST 2110-based IP infrastructure. The project called for a number of gateways to bridge existing SDI equipment to the IP network, and France TV selected Imagine Communications’ Selenio™ Network Processor (SNP) for the task.

Yannick Olivier, technology engineer at France TV, receiving the Selenio Network Processor ahead of the buildout of the broadcast production facility for the Olympic Games in Paris.

“We published a tender to purchase 2110 gateways for the new MCR, and after testing all the players, we had confirmation that the SNP was indeed the best tool for the job,” said Yannick Olivier, technology engineer at France TV. “The decision to utilize the platform for the transition to IP in our MCR was an easy one to make, but even more than its capabilities as a gateway, what really stands out about the SNP is its versatility.

France TV’s machine room — SNPs unique versatility made it the perfect solution for France TV’s coverage of the Paris Olympic Games

“With four processing engines in each unit, it’s an extremely flexible solution that can be used for a variety of applications. From conversion and synchronization to connecting facilities via JPEG XS, it can handle pretty much anything you throw at it. And to change between these applications, all you have to do is click on the UI and it automatically redoes its whole setup for the selected function. It couldn’t be easier.”

Utilizing the SNP for the Paris Olympics

It’s the SNP’s unique versatility that made it the perfect solution for France TV’s coverage of the Paris Olympic Games. Given the sheer amount of equipment that goes into a production of this size, it was more cost effective for the broadcaster to put its MCR transition project on hold, and instead temporarily utilize the SNPs it had purchased for its Olympic broadcast.

France TV’s temporary MCR combined an SDI router for HD with the Selenio Network Processors (SNP) to establish an ST 2110 infrastructure for UHD broadcasts at the Olympics

At its headquarters, France TV created a temporary MCR for the Olympic Games, combining an SDI router for HD with the SNPs to establish an ST 2110 infrastructure for UHD broadcasts. Thirty units were deployed at the MCR, while another four were included in the playout system, and one was located at the IBC.

France TV used 46 Selenio Network Processors (SNP) in total at the Paris Olympics of which 30 were used to bridge existing SDI equipment to the IP network at its multi-site facilities across the city.

France TV’s Olympic setup also included two OB trucks. The UM1 truck, stationed at the broadcaster’s headquarters, was dedicated to UHD production and featured 10 SNPs. The UM2 hybrid SDI/2110 truck, located at the Stade de France, was used for coverage of athletic events and featured seven units.

The SNPs were used for a wide range of applications across the MCR, OB trucks, and IBC. Some performed conversion between SDR, HDR, UHD, ST-2110, SDI, and other formats. Some were used to downscale 2160p HDR/HLG to 1080p. Other SNPs were used for synchronization of the wide variety of signals, including HD-SDI to ST 2110, ST 2110 to ST 2110, MADI audio to ST 2110-30, 1080p ST 2110 to SDI, 2160p ST 2110 to 12G-SDI, and more.

In the playout system, France TV also leveraged the SNP’s automatic changeover (ACO) functionality, which uses content-aware metrics to determine the health of each feed in terms of video presence and quality, caption presence, audio levels, and more. The ACO function switches seamlessly between A and B feeds to maintain a consistent on-air output.

Because the link from the IBC to the Stade de France was only available in 10G, France TV took advantage of the SNP’s support for the JPEG XS codec to transmit and receive compressed UHD signals. Two units each in the UM2 truck and MCR were used for encoding and decoding JPEG XS, enabling the broadcaster to reduce latency to the bare minimum while maintaining production picture quality.

France TV Takes Gold With SNP

“I’m not sure how a production of this scale would have been possible without the SNP,” added Olivier. “All the units across Paris performed flawlessly and the ST 2110 infrastructure they enabled provided us with a great deal of flexibility in terms of formats and resolutions, while dramatically increasing the efficiency of our workflow. And the video quality offered to our viewers with JPEG XS was exceptional. Delivery was very fast with no latency, and it was impossible to see the difference between the native and uncompressed video.

“Furthermore, deploying this massive number of units couldn’t have been easier, as the SNP is basically plug and play. With its support for API, we were able to develop a script that could configure the units in a matter of minutes. And now that the Olympics are over, we can continue with the project of transitioning our MCR to IP. When the day comes that we no longer need the SNPs as gateways at our facility, we’ll simply push a button and put them to use for something else.”

Cinegy Capture’s ENVY’s post-production workflow

CAPTURE, a specialist remote workflow division of award-winning post-production house ENVY, delivers on-location recording and media management services for rig productions, powered by Cinegy Capture and Cinegy Multiviewer.

Thanks to Cinegy, ENVY has created highly mobile, compact on-location post-production kits that are far smaller than would otherwise be possible. These ENVY CAPTURE mobile rig kits include hardware custom-designed to operate efficiently with minimal crew and are very accepting of environmental conditions. Each kit creates high-resolution and proxy versions of incoming video feeds for edit-ready media, eliminating the need for backup and ingest workflows in the field.

Initially, the CAPTURE mobile workflow was used on projects such as C4’s Love Trap, Amazon’s Lovestruck High and BBC3’s Love in the Flesh. More recent projects include series 1 of British reality TV competition Squid Game: The Challenge, series 2 of American and British reality TV offering The Traitors, ITV 2’s recent offering Olivia Attwood’s Bad Boyfriends, and NBC’s The Anonymous.

Who is ENVY?

Since opening in 2006, ENVY has established itself as a full-service, end-to-end post-production facility with expertise across documentary, entertainment, factual entertainment, scripted and shortform content. The company has won multiple high-profile awards, including six Best Post Production awards at the Broadcast Awards, making it the most decorated post firm in the awards’ history. Its creative staff has also been honored with numerous RTS, BAFTA, Grierson Awards and Broadcast Awards.

Why Cinegy?

With productions generating over 10,000 hours of live feeds, ENVY needed a workflow supporting quick, reliable multi-feed ingest across different formats. Cinegy Capture provides flexible, reliable ingest supporting various video formats while creating multiple formats and proxy copies simultaneously. The award-winning Cinegy Multiviewer displays and monitors streams from remote locations, satellite feeds, live cameras, and playout devices.

“Cinegy was the best choice for us by far due to its flexibility,” said Toby Weller, Capture Solutions Architect at ENVY. “We found that other software and hardware options on the market were less versatile, while Cinegy runs in as many ways as you could ever imagine. Cinegy and their Professional Services team have been excellent at tailoring the product to our specific requirements, we feel like they’re fully on ‘Team ENVY’ and are invested in making sure that every show is made as smoothly as possible.”

Technical capabilities

ENVY runs two rigs that can combine for larger jobs. Each CAPTURE rig supports up to 48 HD channels, 24 UHD channels and up to 768 uncompressed audio tracks. Depending on the codec, each Cinegy Capture node records either up to 16 video inputs with 16 mono audio embeds of high-quality data or 12 streams of both high quality native and proxy data — creating a native, proxy and multiviewer stream based on Cinegy Multiviewer.

In a typical OB environment, ENVY uses Cinegy Multiviewer alongside live production feeds to monitor stream status and incoming audio, while providing production teams with record confirmation. All in all, each Capture node creates up to 48 different live encodes, with up to six nodes per rig packed in to create a fully redundant, incredibly dense system.

“With hardware and software optimizations, we’ve been able to significantly increase our capabilities,” explains Weller. “In production, we’ve gone from 6 HD record streams per server to 16, depending on the codec. A record stream includes a native, a proxy, and a multiviewer stream encode. This is our current production figure, but with further testing, we’re hoping to achieve even higher numbers.”

Quality at scale

ENVY distinguishes itself by providing quality at scale. “We wanted to offer a much higher quality native XAVC Intra codec as standard and combine that with live-creating proxy versions,” said Weller. “This saves huge amount of time on the back end instead of creating them on other transcode engines.”

“The great thing about Cinegy Capture is that it encodes on the CPU. This offers an awful lot of buffering potential; you can choose where those buffers are and how much protection you have to circumvent the bumps in the road. This enables us to record straight to ultra-fast network storage, allowing immediate creation of LTOs as well as sending data back to base for editing.”

Recent work on NBC’s The Anonymous highlighted a new workflow that not only records hothead cameras into the rig but also directly records larger, higher-grade camera heads such as Sony’s Venice II, circumventing the process of managing higher quality footage shot to card, backed up and sent back to post. This delivers similar quality output across the board while saving both time and money.

Future Vision

ENVY continues to push boundaries with its CAPTURE mobile rig kit. “With the help of Cinegy, we aim to eke out more performance while reducing our hardware, thus keeping our footprint small,” said Weller. “We want to try to keep it as mobile as possible. Our CAPTURE kit must fit into the smallest area possible, while remaining fully redundant and capable of dealing with all sorts of conditions.”

ENVY has already seen promising results in testing: “Right now we see a single record server reliably handle 8 streams of UHD XAVC-I Class 300, as well as a DNx HD proxy. This hasn’t yet been proven in the field but it’s encouraging.”

ENVY usually has more than one CAPTURE in the field at any one time and is confident in the template it has created for the very large jobs it has coming up on its books. “When you start to record, you need absolute confidence. Every year, we are trying to improve the CAPTURE rig by up to 20% in terms of efficiency and footprint. Cinegy Capture and Cinegy Multiviewer are central to this success.”

“ENVY is all about the adaptability of workflows and the optimization of resources and there’s a parallel thread here between how ENVY is using our technology and how we develop it in that same fashion,” said Daniella Weigner, owner and Managing Director of Cinegy. “ENVY has been using our products for years and can simply build upon a solid, existing Cinegy foundation for years to come.”

IBC2024 – reactions from the IABM Bursary students

IBC2024 – reactions from the IABM Bursary students

Stuart Ray, Head of Skills and Development, IABM

As many of us reflect on our nth IBC this year, for some it was the first time experiencing the event. Among them were IABM’s Bursary winners – ten lucky students from universities in the UK, France and Germany who were selected to receive the sought-after award. Their travel, hotel and Delegate Pass were all paid for, along with a daily stipend for food and drink during the four-day event. We’ve gathered together some of their thoughts and reflections on IBC this year to gain a different perspective.

For many of the students the sheer scale of the event was a surprise. “The place was huge, with around 15 halls, thousands of exhibition stands and plenty of visitors from around the world,” said Nicolas Thys, a second year Post Production Masters student at Universite-Polytechnique Hauts-de-France. Sophie Burgess, recently graduated from Southampton Solent University, commented “When I first arrived, I was overwhelmed. I wasn’t expecting IBC to be as large as it was.”

All the Bursary winners had free rein to tailor their IBC experience to their own interests. All were invited to participate in the ‘World Skills Cafe’, a Global Media talent Manifesto initiative which was held on the Thursday afternoon prior to the official IBC start date. “This great event inspired me because of all the interesting and diverse people that I came to share experiences with about the subjects of education, recruitment, retention, diversity, transferable skills and future technology. I will definitely be looking to follow up on similar events,” said Friederike Fluit, a final year Media Technology degree student at RheinMain University of Applied Sciences in Germany.

“I really liked how open the discussion was and that I could contribute my perspective as a student and former apprentice in the M&E industry. The small groups with people from very different sectors were also a great opportunity to network,” added Jan Ludwig, another RheinMain student.

For Robin Braun, also a RheinMain student, the World Skills Cafe “allowed us, the next generation, to provide insights on how the media industry can connect better with younger talent. It emphasized the importance of understanding and promoting media careers early on to inspire the future workforce.”

The Friday morning started with all the students from the three different universities meeting for the first time. After introductions they were unleashed on to the show floor. Most had planned what they wanted to see. Many attended the IABM’s ‘State of the Industry’ briefing which launched the event before navigating their way around the 14 halls, outdoor exhibits and pods.

Most had a clear plan of who and what they wanted to see. For Niklas Ehrenklau, also from RheinMain, “Sennheiser was my personal highlight of the day. Their new digital wireless system impressed with its ability to manage simultaneous sending and receiving at very low latency. The system’s flexibility in allocating resources, such as sample rates and bandwidth, makes it adaptable to all kinds of production needs and the first of its kind.”

“As a student working in Post Production,” says Nicolas Thys (Post Production Masters student at Universite-Polytechnique Hauts-de-France), “I was looking for everything related to post production software. As a result, I spent a lot of time in Hall 7, where all the video editing, visual effects and 3D software were located. I could discover the new tools that were added into DaVinci Resolve, or in Adobe and Avid software, but I also had the pleasure to discover Maxon! I’d never heard of Maxon before the event, but their stand quickly became my favorite.”

“My first aim was to see each of the 14 or so exhibition halls, to try to get my bearings and a sense of the scale of it. This took me almost all of day one, as I inevitably was ‘side tracked’ by a wide array of interesting stalls. One that stood out for me was Ross Video’s stall, equipped with a SpiderCam, live news set and Ross Video socks!” says Tom Holland, a recent graduate of Live Event Technology at Southampton Solent University. Tom had also used the IBC app to create a shortlist of companies he wanted to visit. “While their new products were of interest, the Netgear AV academy training program was what was most memorable, as this something I am working on completing post show,” he said.

Fellow Southampton Solent graduate Sophie was focused on camera tech, equipment and accessories. “One company that absolutely blew me away was Canon. Their display showed how their cameras have evolved over time and their live set showed how versatile their cameras are.”

Mattieu Fernandes (Universite-Polytechnique Hauts-de-France) found he was able to draw on his University work when visiting the StageTec stand. “My final year project involved developing a system for locating sound sources in space. This combination of microphones provides optimum sound detection in three dimensions in space…I was able to see this microphone in operation…I had a discussion with an engineer who was interested in my project, and we exchanged some ideas and suggestions on how to make it happen.”

This opportunity to discuss projects and areas of interest was a key element of the IBC experience. Robin Braun had created an XR short film at university and used an HTC Vive headset. “Their team was enthusiastic about my studio integration project, and we discussed possible future collaborations, sharing my XR short film and their joy in our usage of their product makes me smile even today. I am thrilled to use their new App to make a future description of their products to other students more exciting.”

Students receive full delegate passes and all made good use of the opportunity to attend conference sessions. “The highlight session of the weekend, was an IBC accelerator and panel discussion around ‘The Fight Against Disinformation’ in news and the lengths to which broadcasters go to authenticate stories and trace the provenance of these. This was a fascinating subject, even if this is an area of broadcasting not aligned with my normal interests. A panel on ‘The Evolution of Live Production’ in respect to IP transformation, was one of the most useful sessions I attended for my personal understanding and interests,” says Tom Holland.

The session on ‘XR – Advances in Capturing, Rendering and Delivering’, appealed to Robin. “This session piqued my interest the most, as XR is my passion. The presentation delved into innovative research on capturing and rendering technologies that push the boundaries of immersive experiences.”

For Sophie, “The most eye-opening was about the 2024 Olympics. The Olympic Broadcast Services (OBS) needed more than 1000 cameras and 4000 microphones as they were going to be filming over 11,000 hours of content in 47 different venues. OBS managed to make this happen by teaming up with companies such as NBC and Bien Media, who provided over 50 OB vans for the games. Seeing companies work together in this way brings me hope for the future of the industry as companies are too often put against each other and viewed as competition rather than potential assistance.”

All the students made good use of the opportunity to network and meet with industry professionals. With the added attraction of free drinks, the IABM awards, Rise WIB and SMPTE’s evening, all proved to be draws. All participated in the Monday IBC Talent Programme sessions, “where I heard inspiring panels about organizations that are working to recruit and retain young people in the media industry, and in particular to get more women into the industry. I made some contacts there that I plan to follow up on,” says Friederike.

The overall experience proved to be memorable for all our bursary students. Sophie described it as an “absolutely amazing” event, which brings “so many industry professionals into one space where they were able to collaborate and build connections in a professional but friendly environment.” For Niklas Ehrenklau, “Attending IBC 2024 was an incredibly rewarding experience, offering the chance to explore the latest industry innovations, gain insights from professionals and make meaningful connections. It was a perfect blend of learning, hands-on experience and networking, and it has given me valuable perspectives that will undoubtedly influence my future in media technology.”

Robin Braun: “IBC 2024 provided a unique platform to connect with industry professionals, gain valuable insights into upcoming technologies, and reunite with colleagues. It has opened doors for potential future collaborations and furthered my understanding of the ever-evolving media landscape. I am extremely thankful for this invaluable experience, and it will certainly shape my future career.”

Broadcast Solutions – Driving success through company values

Broadcast Solutions – Driving success through company values

Maximilian Breder, COO, Broadcast Solutions GmbH

The idea of a statement of company values is nothing new. It’s been around for 30 years, since Jim Collins and Jerry Porras published their book Built to Last in 1994, proposing a set of principles called core values.

The book ushered in a rash of management initiatives to invent value statements. Most had no relevance to what the business was about, and more important they had no impact on the commercial success of the business.

Some confuse company values with aspirations. If you are a start-up, you cannot claim technological leadership as a core value, because no-one has heard of you yet, and is certainly not following your leadership.

The value statement must describe your company’s DNA, taking the essence of what your business is about, and stating it in a way that everyone can understand and adopt in their daily lives. The values must be at the heart of every path the company takes, every decision it makes.

And they have to be a part of the routine work of everyone in the business. That can be challenging: how do company values impact the work of the welder or wireman, or indeed the COO? Only when the management and executives live the values will they permeate through the entire company and make a real difference.

Most important, company values should deliver business advantages. They need to be recognized by customers, to see your company as one whose principles match their own and can therefore trust with mission critical projects. Company values should not be secret: they must be visible.

Perhaps all will be made clearer if I talk about the value set we have established at Broadcast Solutions. We are a mid-sized business, based in Germany but with operations around Europe and the Middle East, primarily in systems integration, remote production and outside broadcast construction. We have five values at the heart of what we do.

First, For the Love of the Game. We have a passion for our industry, we love what we do, and we are inspired by its advancement. That makes us hungry for knowledge and, to stay on top of our business, we need to share that knowledge with everyone. We grow as a team only if our learnings are shared.

And because we love what we do, we want to deliver exceptional results and experiences. Our delivered systems and solutions are the embodiment of our passion.

Linked to that is Raising the Bar. We are comfortable and confident leading our industry and taking pride in our accomplishments. We should celebrate each milestone.

To do that, we push ourselves – and our collaboration partners – to always seek the next level, valuing feedback as an essential tool for our growth and always knowing there is room for improvement. We turn plans into action and goals into accomplishments: a promise made is a promise kept.

You might say that our third value, Respect 360˚, is something that should be a value for humanity, although sadly not always achieved. Passion and professionalism are in everything we do, but they are incomplete without a fundamental respect for others.

Every single colleague, client or partner is a valued part of the whole, making an important and valuable contribution. Their skills, knowledge and experience are essential to success – the people who do the job always know it best – and we respect that in every interaction.

The extension of this is respecting humanity, and the environment, in all our actions. We embrace diversity as a strength in our business, and we have zero tolerance for disrespectful behavior.

We bring all those individual skills, talents and experiences together so that Broadcast Solutions is Winning as One. Seamless collaboration across all our locations and competencies leads to the best results. Successful collaboration depends upon transparent and respectful communications: the more we share, the more we know; the more we know, the more we care.

Reflecting Respect 360˚, we help our colleagues when they need it, and we welcome help when it is offered. We want our colleagues to succeed, and we trust that they want the same for us. Our commitment to inclusion means that every voice must be heard and equally valued.

We play for the team, and we win as a team.

Finally, if we are delivering excellence for our clients, we are also Enjoying the Ride. Delivering projects on spec, on time and on budget is great, but we actively seek the joy in the journey, with all its ups and downs.

Designing and developing advanced media systems is a complex and challenging business, but that does not exclude fun and shared laughter. We must enjoy the challenges and the successes with our colleagues and collaborators, in the atmosphere we foster at the workplace, taking fun seriously.

These values sum up Broadcast Solutions: your businesses will of course be different. But if you do not have a set of company values then I urge you to consider the idea, so everyone is clear about the enterprise you want to be. As the leadership guru Simon Sinek wrote, “people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it”.

Brightcove – UK media makeover: new opportunities for local broadcasters

Brightcove – UK media makeover: new opportunities for local broadcasters

Marc DeBevoise, Chief Executive Officer, Brightcove

In recent years, media consumption in the UK has seen a drastic transformation. Streaming giants like Netflix, Amazon and Apple have increasingly dominated the scene, leading to shifts away from traditional broadcast viewing. Ofcom’s Media Nations report highlights that streaming has become a primary mode of content consumption for many, with more than 80% of UK households now having access to at least one streaming service.

Despite early fears that streaming would undermine local broadcasters, the opposite has proved true. As audiences flock to digital platforms, UK broadcasters have a major opportunity to reach new viewers, particularly younger audiences, and to monetize local programming in fresh, compelling ways.

UK broadcasters have actively responded to the digital shift by launching streaming services and catch-up platforms including BBC iPlayer, ITVX and All 4, to align with changing viewer expectations. With advances in technology, it has never been easier for broadcasters to deliver live and on-demand content.

Embracing digital opportunities

Local broadcasters in the UK, while contending with issues around content rights, still control a vast amount of valuable, locally produced content, especially in categories such as news, sports and current events. This gives them a unique advantage: the ability to bring their regionally focused content directly to audiences through digital means, capturing new engagement and expanding their market presence.

There’s also an increasing understanding that global media companies, despite their scale, aren’t set to dominate every market. Regional media organizations have a detailed grasp of local preferences and trends, which gives them a competitive edge. Some of our UK-based customers have shown that regional broadcasters can gain traction and become leaders if they prioritize audience-focused streaming services.

Broadcasters in the UK can harness steaming to drive revenue growth and enhance their brand presence by focusing on three key areas:

Precision advertising: Streaming offers more targeted advertising options, making it easier to reach specific audiences and track effectiveness, which ultimately leads to a great ROI. First-party data on streaming platforms can allow UK broadcasters to deliver ads that resonate more directly with local viewers, adding value beyond traditional demographic targeting. Connected TV is quickly becoming a leading advertising platform, giving local broadcasters the chance to capitalize on their region-specific content.
Enhanced monetization models: While streaming audiences don’t replace broadcast viewers one-to-one, streaming platforms unlock multiple revenue opportunities through models like ad-supported (AVOD), subscription (SVOD), transactional (TVOD), and free ad-supported TV (FAST). With the ability to target ads more accurately, streaming CPMs are often higher, and the availability of premium paid options also introduces new revenue streams. A hybrid approach, combining free and paid content, could allow broadcasters to reach a wider audience while boosting revenue.
Adaptability of digital media: The flexibility of digital platforms empowers broadcasters to experiment with programming and engage different viewer segments, which can lead to higher CPMs and more effective use of advertising inventory. Digital media allows broadcasters to quickly test new shows of coverage strategies and receive immediate feedback, enabling them to optimize their approach.

Addressing technical hurdles

The transition to streaming, while lucrative, requires a robust technical infrastructure which can be complex and resource-intensive. The investment needed to build and maintain a seamless streaming platform can be significant with ongoing requirements for a skilled team to ensure high performance, stability and innovation.

To overcome this, many broadcasters are partnering with expert providers like us at Brightcove. These partnerships streamline the setup and maintenance of streaming platforms, enabling broadcasters to concentrate on content creation and audience engagement, all without getting bogged down by technical challenges.

What does the future hold for the UK media landscape?

The evolution of streaming is allowing UK broadcasters to move beyond traditional, broad demographic targeting, enabling them to deliver tailored content that appeals to specific audiences. With streaming, broadcasters are positioned to offer advertisers a valuable platform for increasing brand awareness and reaching high-value viewers more directly.

Looking ahead, the integration of AI promises to reshape how broadcasters manage and present content. AI tools, such as automatic summarization, text-to-video transformations, and enhanced ad targeting, will help broadcasters deliver highly relevant and engaging content faster.

The notion that streaming poses a threat to traditional broadcasting no longer rings true. For UK broadcasters willing to embrace digital strategies, the shift to streaming represents an opportunity to strengthen audience engagement, expand reach, increase revenue, and play a pivotal role in the future of media.

Net Insight – Efficiency first: streamlining sports video delivery