NEVADA CITY, Calif.—SES has gone with Telestream to provide a number of new technologies to its new London-based remote broadcast center that will provide system timing, waveform monitoring and quality control.

The SES broadcast center provides playout infrastructure for linear TV channels and can support HD formats and HDR services. While based in London, the network management is operated in Munich.

Telestream’s SPG800A sync generators for system timing applications and its PRISM SDI/IP waveform monitor for all video monitoring and QC applications have been installed at the broadcast center.

SPG800A comes with an ECO8000 change-over unit with newly released firmware that enables full remote operation through a web user interface. This enables the SES teams in Munich to switch network timing sources or GPS receivers remotely without being on-site in London.

The PRISM monitors, meanwhile, serve as the main tool for monitoring SDI signal quality and deep video analysis. Telestream’s “NoVNC Access” allows engineers in Munich to remotely operate and view all PRISM functions through a browser connection.

For more information, visit www.telestream.net.  

WALTHAM, Mass.—More than half of the executives from 80 leading media industry companies attending a webinar on remote monitoring and broadcast operations this week believe they will need a permanent ability to live stream with broadcast quality from remote locations, such as homes.

The poll, taken during a Zixi-sponsored webinar titled “Pivoting to Remote Monitoring and Broadcast Operations,” comes at a time when media operations, especially those in New York City, have been grappling with how to keep workers safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It found 53% of the executives believe current statewide shutdowns will last for another two months, while 16% say the shutdowns will last more than six months. Two-thirds said they believe the crisis and its impact on operations is not a one-time event.

More than 80% said their media organizations need a permanent remote workforce capability to address future outbreaks of the coronavirus crisis or other possible future incidents, according to the poll.

PLUS: Pandemic Brings TV to the Forefront

In its release of the findings, Zixi, which specializes in technology to enable live broadcast-quality video over IP connections, also announced it was offering new and current customers complimentary use of its cloud-based Zen Master video control plane for three months. Using the control plane will allow media personnel working remotely to provision, orchestrate, monitor and manage live video streams.

“While an abundance of Zixi’s customers have virtualized their workflows and have been able to reduce onsite employees as much as 80%, many media organizations have not and are now scrambling.” said Gordon Brooks, executive chairman and CEO, Zixi. “The number of companies that have broken the glass on what were long range plans is keeping us very busy and we hope making a difference.”

More information is available on the Zixi website. 

UNIVERSITY PLACE, WASH. – Jordan Spieth was crowned the new U.S. Open champion at Chambers Bay this past Sunday as Fox Sports concluded its first ever broadcast of one of golf’s major championships. Fox Sports’ broadcast was able to make some more history thanks to Game Creek Video, who was the exclusive provider of remote production facilities for what was the largest single event broadcast in remote television history, according to Game Creek.

Inside one of Game Creek's remote production facilities.

Game Creek Video captured more than 155 hours of coverage from the tournament through its various mobile units. The “Encore,” with a large scale IP-based routing system, was the primary home for event coverage, but Game Creek’s “Glory,” “Pride,” and “Justice” were also used to cover Fox Sports’ U.S. Open 360 program, studio shows and feature group/hole coverage.

Using Sony cameras, including 10 new Sony 4300s, Game Creek provided 65 of the 118 cameras on site. They also provided the Evertz EXE SDVN to facilitate router salvos, source virtual ports, destination virtual ports, images, TX Paths and discrete feeds. Game Creek also employed more than 200 microphones and stored 5,751 clips and 1600 hours of record space on the EVS Network for replays.

“We began planning for this event 18 months ago,” said Mike Copeland, Game Creek’s project manager. “Countless hours of preparation led to the largest single event in the history of remote television, and an outstanding on-air product for our longtime partner and client – Fox Sports.”

Game Creek Video is offers mobile production systems for live broadcasts and recordings. They are headquartered in Hudson, N.H.