EVS Supports ESPN's NASCAR Coverage

ESPN has introduced several new features to its live coverage of NASCAR races this season including all-HD in-car cameras, enhanced on-screen race information, and robotic cameras, with help of a new workflow system led by EVS Broadcast Equipment.

The EVS IP Director production tools and server-based digital asset workflow systems allows each race's complete program, three additional ISO's chosen on-site, all highlight/melt clips, and field logs that create all metatags to be published from ESPN's onsite production hubs to EVS servers and databases located in ESPN's third party, post-production facility at Bluefoot Entertainment in West Hartford, Conn.

There, ESPN's feature producers can repurpose these complete digital archives for further programming and other uses. The IP Directors not only facilitate the transfer of over 20 hours of HD material onto 3-4 hard disks, they also provide program logs that make it easy for editors to browse, search and select specific material. This new workflow replaces the videotape melt process, and reduces the accompanying tape stock and personnel costs.

Bexel Broadcast Services, which has experience with EVS's entire product line, advised and supported Bluefoot's integration of a four-channel EVS XT[2] HD video server, EVS X-File digital archive server, and several IP Director workstations. Bexel is a division of The Vitec Group, a U.K.-based broadcast manufacturer and service provider.