Sony has partnered with Norwegian broadcaster NRK on a Proof of Concept project involving a cloud-based automated production tool.

Codenamed Metadata Wrangler, the toolset aims to refine the production process by removing the duplication of metadata entry combined with automated content management.

Metadata Wrangler works by automatically connecting files (in this case proxy files) from connected cameras with existing preproduction metadata sourced from production planning.

Incoming files are identified, populated with metadata and placed in the appropriate cloud folders,  which Sony says makes them easily searchable by editors and production staff. Developed and refined during production of "Kokkeliv" ("A Chef’s Life"), NRK and Sony refined iterations of the service for each season across a 12-month period.

Metadata Wrangler has been built to work with Sony’s Ci media Cloud platform.

“For us, transferring proxy versions of captured footage directly from the camera to a server or cloud service has shown a great production value,” said Trond Ramberg, technology supervisor, post production workflow, at NRK. “This combined with an early metadata harvest and preservation all the way to the editing stage is an important measure for efficient media management. If solved, this has the potential to become a game-changer for the industry.”

HACKENSACK, N.J.—After debuting at IBC 2016 back in September, LiveU’s LU600 cellular bonding unit is heading out into the fields of Norway to support public broadcaster NRK. NRK, which previously employed LiveU’s LU500 models, will upgrade with more than 60 LU600 units.

The LU600 delivers high video quality and up to 20 Mbps bitrate, as well as 80 Mbps file transfer, 0.5 second delay, and 100 Mbps high-speed bonded internet connection. In addition, the unit is field upgradable to H.265 HEVC.

The deal was overseen by Mediability, LiveU’s Scandinavian partner.

MALAGA, SPAIN—Tedial’s Evolution media workflow is on its way to Norway to be installed by public service broadcaster NRK. The next-gen workflow is expected to provide NRK with multi-site Enterprise MAM, Capture Manager software and a designated Disaster Recovery facility for its Oslo headquarters, as well as 12 regional sites.

Tedial Evolution is designed to reinforce a collaborative working environment and drive workflows for linear, VOD and OTT services. It will do so for NRK by providing a configurable MAM that can be accessed by all NRK sites across the country. The Capture Manager software offers NRK a central interface for controlling and monitoring devices and advanced ingest features. Then the Disaster Recovery facility allows business continuity options to manage content replication and transfer to multiple sites.

The Tedial Evolution will be fully integrated with NRK’s existing metadata bank and third-party ecosystem.

BERGEN, NORWAY—With millions of people all over the world tuning in for the Women’s World Cup this past June, Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, NRK, leveraged Vidmond Highlights to create and stream video clips from live footage to the Internet in minutes.

Vidmond Highlights combines a rapid short-form clip production and distribution to social media with broadcast quality recording and editing tools to offer a new approach to live-to-VOD conversion. Available as a SaaS or on-site installation, Vidmond Highlights supports MPEG-Dash, HLS, Smooth Streaming and RTMP formats, accepts multi-bitrate source streams, and can ingest streams encrypted with any of the AES-128 based DRM technologies.

 Users can create DVR windows that can stream record for up to three hours. Multiple DVR windows can be set up, record and create assets automatically through the API, using structured metadata information from an EPG.

In addition to being used for this past summer’s Women’s World Cup, Vidmond Highligts will also be used for the Summer and Winter Olympics for TV 2, Reuters TV News for Reuters TV, and more.

OSLO, NORWAY—Camera support manufacturer Shotoku Broadcast Systems recently installed its SmartTrack rail system and a nationwide remote camera system to NRK, Norway’s national public broadcaster.

SmartTrack rail system in NRK studio

The SmartTrack systems are able to support both rapid camera moves and slow on-air crawls. Four SmartTrack systems were installed in multiple NRK studios, all of which are now using Shotoku’s TR-XT touchscreen control system. Each TR-XT can access any of the studio’s cameras to define camera movements in advance. TR-XT can also control cameras in other studios over WAN connection or third-party integrated PTZ cameras.

Shotoku also installed a nationwide camera system to NRK’s 11 regional studios with PT&H systems. Cameras at all 11 studios can be controlled either locally with the TR-HP Hot-Panel, with the Viz Mosart automation system, or the TR-XT systems at the Olso headquarters.

Shotoku Broadcast Systems is a provider of camera support products. The company is based out of Japan.