WUPPERTAL, Germany—Riedel Communications announced that Argentina’s Asociación del Fútbol Argentino (AFA) has renewed and expanded its centralized video assistant referee (VAR) system for another five years.

Operated by Torneos and powered by Riedel’s SimplyLive technology, the system debuted in 2021 as Latin America’s first centralized VAR deployment and continues to set the standard for efficiency and scalability across one of the world’s top football federations.

Located at AFA’s state-of-the-art replay center near Buenos Aires, the system features five video operation rooms (VORs) and eight OB vans, enabling up to five simultaneous matches and supporting 12-14 games per weekend – around 400+ matches annually. This centralized approach reduces travel costs, improves working conditions for referees, and ensures consistent, high-quality officiating across Argentina’s vast geography.

“Riedel’s SimplyLive solution gives us flexibility, redundancy, and ease of use,” said Ramiro Prado, director of technology at Torneos. “Our referees appreciate the intuitive touch-screen interface, and the system’s ability to handle high-tier games with supermo cameras and additional feeds ensures we’re ready for any challenge.”

The system includes 15 SimplyLive 16-channel HD servers, configured for redundancy and scalability, with two additional servers added during the renewal to support larger matches that scale to more than 32 ingest channels for standard and high-frame-rate cameras.

It also incorporates Simplylive RefBox and replay capabilities for broadcast workflows. Each VOR and server room is fully redundant, ensuring uninterrupted operation during peak demand.

The solution supports NDI and SRT delivery methods for seamless integration with production workflows, while Riedel’s intercom technology provides clear, low-latency communication between referees, replay operators, and production teams.

The project adheres to FIFA certification requirements, which mandate rigorous testing and annual compliance checks to maintain operational standards. Referee training began with simulators (Mini8 units) before full deployment, ensuring a smooth transition and system reliability.

“This renewal by one of the world’s top football federations underscores the trust placed in our technology,” said Andrew Grant, Sales Manager Live Production, East, at Riedel Communications. “Together with SimplyLive, we’ve built a centralized VAR infrastructure that meets FIFA standards while delivering tangible benefits – from reduced travel costs and improved quality of life for referees to consistent, high-quality officiating across Argentina.”

See Riedel at the 2026 NAB Show in Las Vegas (April 19–22) at booth #C4908.

For more information on Riedel Communications, go to www.riedel.net.

CUPERTINO, Calif.—TVU Networks is reporting that Big Ten Network (BTN) has deployed the TVU Remote Production System (RPS) platform to bring super slow-motion replay to a broader range of collegiate sports—extending the capability beyond football and basketball to events like baseball, soccer, and volleyball.

BTN has also expanded the role of TVU RPS Link encoders in its field production trucks, using them as a hot backup to fiber-based workflows and as an early access network that provides connectivity before venue fiber is even activated.

"The primary hurdle for moving our super slo-mo workflows to a remote model has always been the synchronization drift over the open internet," said Nick Smith, VP of Engineering, Big Ten Network. "TVU has allowed us to take super slo-mo replay where it wasn't previously possible."

BTN's football and basketball productions already rely on established, high-end replay workflows. But fans increasingly expect the same caliber of 3x, 4x, and 6x super slo-mo replays from a collegiate wrestling match or soccer game. Until now, the synchronization demands of high-speed replay cameras made that impractical for events without dedicated fiber infrastructure, or having replay hardware on site, which isn't practical for all events. The TVU RPS platform now gives BTN a new option to extend super slo-mo to more sports and more venues—complementing its existing production model rather than replacing it.

TVU RPS units at each venue encode multiple super slo-mo camera feeds and transport them over standard internet, 5G, or Starlink connections to BTN's central production hub, where they arrive perfectly synchronized with zero drift. The hub's Evertz DreamCatcher replay servers then create the super slo-mo content viewers see on air. TVU's synchronization has proven stable over multi-day continuous operation—a level of precision that competing transport solutions have been unable to match, often drifting or requiring manual resets that disrupt live coverage.

For these additional sports, the system also gives BTN full remote control of cameras in the field. From the central studio, operators can adjust cameras, manage tally and intercom, and produce shows across different venues without anyone traveling—allowing BTN to extend its production quality to more events without scaling up on-site crews.

Separately, BTN has also integrated TVU RPS Link units into its regional field trucks as a hot backup for its existing fiber-based productions at major events. If the primary fiber connection fails, the TVU system seamlessly takes over, maintaining the synchronized super slo-mo feeds. The units also run TVU Router, which provides immediate high-speed connectivity to production trucks before venue fiber is activated—giving crews operational access from the moment they arrive on site.

"Big Ten Network's implementation is a brilliant example of total network orchestration," said Matt McEwen, VP of Product Management, TVU Networks. "They saw an opportunity to use TVU RPS to bring super slo-mo to more sports and more venues, while also adding resilience and flexibility to their existing fiber-based productions. It's a smart, layered approach, and we're proud to support their vision for expanding what's possible in collegiate sports production."

To learn more download the white paper: Super Slo-Mo Anywhere: The Democratization of Elite Sports Production via TVU's Bonded RPS REMI Ecosystem.

MELBOURNE—Mediaproxy will present its latest features for the company’s Monwall multiviewer, including instant replay and HTML content monitoring, and other innovations for remote monitoring workflows and cloud deployment at NAB Show New York, Oct. 22-23, at the Javits Center in New York City.

Monwall’s new instant replay feature enables broadcast operators and engineers to review live incidents instantly without interrupting ongoing monitoring. Operators can rewind mosaic outputs in real time through a web interface or control surface, ensuring fast and precise incident analysis, Mediaproxy said.

Scalable across multiple mosaics and accessible via low-latency browser connections, the new feature provides centralized and remote teams with the speed and flexibility to resolve on-air issues fast.

The company also will unveil HTML content monitor, which allows operators to embed live web dashboards, analytics and dynamic streaming sites like YouTube into multiviewer mosaics, enabling broadcasters to oversee traditional broadcast and web content via a unified interface, the company said.

Mediaproxy also will highlight the debut of Monwall Server, an extension of its establisher multviewer platform. This option produces streaming output in multiple low-latency formats, supporting multi-screen mosaics and hybrid deployments without needing additional virtual servers, it said.

It will also feature a new cloud licensing model that offers broadcasters a scalable, pay-per-use approach to deploying LogServer and Monwall on demand, which is well-suited to live events and flexible channel management, it said.

See Mediaproxy at NAB Show New York 2025 Booth Level 3-563.

More information is available on the company’s website.

LIÈGE, Belgium—The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) has selected EVS’s Xeebra video review system to power its new centralized VAR (Video Assistant Referee) Center.

The facility, located at the RBFA’s headquarters, will be fully equipped by Euro Media Group (EMG) ahead of the upcoming Jupiler Pro League season kicking off in July.

The new VAR Center will feature six state-of-the-art booths, each outfitted with EVS’s Xeebra system—a FIFA- and FIBA-certified multi-camera review solution that is used across 13 sports worldwide. Xeebra enables officials to review action from multiple angles in perfect synchronization, with touchscreen controls that allow for precise zooming and slow-motion playback.

“This investment represents a significant leap forward in our commitment to innovation and fairness in football,” explained Peter Willems, CEO of the RBFA. “By centralizing our VAR operations with EVS’s Xeebra technology, we are equipping our referees with the most advanced tools available — ensuring more accurate decisions and reinforcing Belgian football’s position as a leader in integrity and technological excellence.”

“We’re proud to see Xeebra at the heart of Belgian football,” added Nicolas Bourdon, chief commercial officer at EVS. "This collaboration with the RBFA and EMG is a testament to our shared vision of delivering the highest standards in officiating through cutting-edge technology. And with access to the VAR Center for training and demonstrations, we’re excited to make Tubize a hub for VAR excellence in Europe."

MELVILLE, N.Y.—HBCU Go, a leading media provider of sports and content from the nation’s 105 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), has acquired an end-to-end first-and-10 graphics solution and illustrated replay and sports analysis production tool from Chyron’s Hego division, the company said today.

Used for production of NCAA Division I and Division II HBCU football games, the technology has put HBCU GO on par with major network broadcasts, the company said. 

HBCU Go deployed Chyron’s Virtual 1st system and an on-site operator for the 2022-23 football season and added the company’s PAINT telestration tool for the 2023-24 season, it said. 

"The technology delivered by Chyron, with Hego services, allows for unparalleled in-game analysis and player storytelling, contributing to the consistently high production values evident in our live football coverage and confirming HBCU Go's commitment to showcasing the rich history, diversity, perspectives and cultural experiences at HBCUs," said HBCU Go founder Curtis Symonds. "With the Virtual 1st system, every play looks fantastic, and with Chyron's PAINT telestration tool, we unleash the full potential of our knowledgeable commentary team. It's a powerful combination that brings added depth and dimension to every game-day production."

The Virtual 1st system seamlessly delivered the dynamic on-field graphics, including virtual lines of scrimmage, first-down markers and sponsored advertisements, that sports fans expect from top college football broadcasts. Based on advanced real-time image-processing algorithms, the Virtual 1st optical tracking system enables fast calibration and setup, giving HBCU Go the means to incorporate these visual elements in any live broadcast, the company said.

For the 2023-24 season, commentators have had PAINT's toolset of replay creation tools and 3D telestration effects at their fingertips. The network will feature 22 engagements, including two championship bowl games, between teams representing NCAA Division I and Division II college sports programs within the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) and Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), it said.

More information is available on the company’s website. 

Fox and AWS have laid out many new details about their development work on what the two companies are calling a groundbreaking AI-based replay system. The system was first developed for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and has since been expanded for use during broadcasts of Major League Baseball (MLB), the United States Football League (USFL) and the FIFA Women’s World Cup. 

The Recap Feature and Catch Up With Highlights was built with Amazon Media Replay Engine (MRE), the companies said. 

In a blog post, Fox and AWS noted that with the digitization and continued advancement of broadcast delivery technology, sports fans have come to expect a dynamic viewing experience. Whether streaming a game live or recording to view on-demand, audiences are increasingly looking for standout elements in the coverage of their favorite teams, from compelling graphics and data insights to timely replays and highlights. When the games in question are some of the most anticipated in sports, the stakes are even higher, the companies explained. 

To meet those audience expectations, Fox built and deployed its new AI-powered Catch Up With Highlights feature ahead of its US broadcast coverage of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

Leveraging Amazon’s open source Media Replay Engine (MRE) framework for automating video clipping and replay generation, alongside Amazon Web Services (AWS) infrastructure and solutions, Catch Up With Highlights is an end-to-end solution that can ingest broadcast streams, identify valuable match moments through AI-trained computer vision, and then encode delivery streams with metadata across user devices. With AWS already the foundation of Fox Corporation media workflows, the development team was able to stand up the complex new feature in about eight weeks, the companies said in a blog post. 

“Over the last five years our team has had tremendous success with unlocking the power of data through the building of advanced and intelligent platforms and products,” explained Fox’s vice president of data products and machine learning (ML) strategy, Phil Martin, who led the Catch Up With Highlights development and first deployment. “In addition, we’ve really rallied around the idea of revolutionizing fandom. We believe that sports should be enjoyable and accessible for everyone, which is why we've designed our platform to make it easy to engage with and enjoy. Our Catch Up With Highlights feature is a great example of this philosophy. We understand that the level of play at events like the World Cup is exceptional, and we wanted our feature to reflect that standard. To achieve this, we developed a cutting-edge AI technology to create a highlights engine that can dynamically retell the game's story in real-time, highlighting key moments and events as they unfold. This ensures that our users can stay up-to-date with the action and experience the excitement of the game, no matter where they are. Prior to and through this journey, AWS has been a trusted partner of ours and together we were able to take another step forward in revolutionizing fandom with data all while on the world’s biggest sporting stage.” 

Upon launch, the feature ran seamlessly with very little human input, the companies said. Martin and his team built Catch Up With Highlights to continually optimize the highlight recap video as the game progressed, retelling the game story upwards of 20 times per match with event-driven updates. This approach ensured that the viewers would be able to access a comprehensive recap of the game to date, available via the FOX Sports app on connected TVs and mobile devices. Incremental improvements were rolled out based on performance, such as adding a thumbs-up or down; and event enhancements, including shots saved and penalty kicks. Ultimately, 731 recap videos were published autonomously across 61 matches.

The Catch Up With Highlights workflow includes AWS Lambda event-driven serverless compute, and computer vision with Amazon Rekognition. Sports data is housed in an Amazon DynamoDB NoSQL database, then piped into MRE. Live video is quickly delivered to viewers via AWS Elemental MediaConnect, with videos stored in Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3), and Amazon ElastiCache for caching live clips, the companies said.

“Soccer is often referred to as ‘the beautiful game’ because of the flowing and artistic style of play and objectively it’s a simple sport: score more goals than the opposition,” Martin explained. “However, training models and developing logic around a game that lacks set patterns is anything but simple. To further compound the complexities, it was our first time publicly releasing a platform feature that ingests multiple concurrent streams, truncates clips for inference, contextualizes and optimizes each segment, and transcodes and delivers directly into our CMS in a matter of moments of an event occurring.”

Additionally, the team had limited reference information from the event organizers. Instead, they relied on audio cues and camera angles to help train the computer vision model. Clips were auto-assembled with polished elements, like transitions and a fade to black, to ensure a high-caliber viewing experience for fans. Now, with a proven, scalable approach, Martin looks forward to replicating the Catch Up With Highlights playbook for other sports broadcasts.

Martin concluded, “We are extremely bullish on this space and already expanding to other sports properties. Fans can experience the feature today during broadcasts of Major League Baseball (MLB), the United States Football League (USFL) and the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Catch Up With Highlights is coming to football broadcasts this fall and more personalized content is on the horizon. The possibilities are endless and we’re just getting warmed up.”

BLOOMINGTON, Minn.—Zeplay has announced that the Rochester Red Wings Baseball organization in Rochester, New York has implemented fresh technology updates for their Zeplay instant replay servers. 

The latest hardware and software bring new technology improvements and operational efficiencies that optimize the in-venue and live streaming experience for fans, Zeplay reported. 

The Triple-A Minor League Baseball Affiliate for the Washington Nationals has been a Zeplay customer for ten seasons.

“It has served us very well for 10 years,” explained John Blotzer, who joined the team as director of video production in June 2011 and implemented the system after he arrived. “This year, it was time to invest in a system upgrade that would bring us new production capabilities and freshen our approach, which includes an expansion of our video export capabilities.”

Currently, Blotzer and his team use Zeplay to deliver content for in-venue displays, streaming broadcasts on the MiLB.tv app, and local news organizations. 

“We have four cameras in the field positioned on home plate, first base, third base and center field,” explained Blotzer. “We can take in video from any angle at any point, and show it on the live app stream, two large video boards, and closed-circuit televisions around the venue. We also provide replays to monitors that our official scorers have access to if they want to review a play to confirm if an error or wild pitch happened. Zeplay has always allowed us to cue up these different angles; with the latest upgrade, we can do it quicker and smoother, and with better precision.”

Zeplay’s current software also streamlines the ability to export files to multiple locations. “We will send game highlight clip packages to different news stations,” said Blotzer. “Our replay operator will cut the highlights of all scoring plays and other special plays, and the new software makes it easier to distribute the compressed files in the right formats to the right targets. That also makes it easier for the news organizations that need to download the content. The new software also allows us to add presets for exporting all these video files for faster content sharing.”

As for the replay operators, many learn Zeplay on the job.

“We always have new interns and operators for each season,” he said. “By the third or fourth inning of their first game, they feel ready to take control of Zeplay,” said Blotzer. “That starts with the basics of recording feeds, tagging plays and firing instant replays. Editing is less important since we don’t currently have a local broadcast TV presence, but even the more advanced Zeplay tools are quick to pick up. I have even put people from our marketing department at the controls on short notice if we are short-staffed.”

Blotzer adds that the built-in multiviewer is helpful not only to review and select angles for live replays, but also to help with production processes like color correction. “We never really expected that, but since our camera control station is right beside Zeplay and its visual content presentation is so clear, it helps our directors and producers ensure consistency across the production workflow. Zeplay is capturing all those color angles, so it gives us an excellent quality assurance platform.”

But for Blotzer, even with new advanced features and improvements and consistent ease of use, it really comes down to the fan experience. “We are getting replays on screens faster than ever with the new software,” he said. “The fans really enjoy watching the replays and how quickly we turn them around, and we even now have advertisers who sponsor the replays. And as Zeplay continues to improve the product, it will be a staple of our production workflow for years to come.”

BLOOMINGTON, Minn.—In the runup to the 2023 NAB Show, Zeplay LLC has announced that it will be showing a new feature that allows broadcasters and in-venue content producers to dramatically increase the flexibility and number of inputs of their instant replay server through a simple software upgrade. 

The upgrade will allow Zeplay customers to reassign output connections as inputs, enabling Zeplay to record additional camera feeds.     

“When we introduced Zeplay in 2009, most of our customers were producing shows with two or three cameras,” said Brandon McKenzie, founder, Zeplay LLC. “Zeplay’s quick learning curve made it easy for operators with varied technical experience to manage a greater number of live camera feeds, and it wasn’t long before we had customers with two or more systems to serve productions with more than four cameras. We have now reached a point where more than four cameras are common for most of our customers. Our new software upgrade will allow Zeplay customers to leverage greater flexibility from their existing Zeplay hardware and save them the cost of having to buy an additional system.”

The new feature comes at a time when sports venues are bringing a wider variety of cameras into their live production workflows for content acquisition. That includes an increase of POV and robotic cameras to capture very specific action, such as dramatic scoring angles. With more cameras in the mix, customers can now reallocate Zeplay’s I/O for 5x3 or 6x2 configurations to suit their production’s needs, the company reported. 

With more content coming into Zeplay, the customer has immediate visual access to more angles as they make replay decisions inside venues or for live broadcasts. Unique to Zeplay, operators have a clear view of all camera feeds coming into the system as well as playback channels on Zeplay’s multiviewer. This means that the operator can see all playback angles simultaneously instead of having to repeatedly cue multiple angles to review each one. The result is a quicker operator reaction for a more engaging fan experience, the company explained. 

The latest Zeplay innovation continues the company’s tradition of adding new software features that are compatible with existing hardware. Rather than forcing customers to buy new hardware or expanding its hardware-based product line, Zeplay is focused on consistently improving the user experience for its enduring instant replay system. One recent example: Zeplay recently added Open Sound Control (“OSC”) to enable user-defined control of Zeplay from external systems.

Zeplay and its namesake instant replay system celebrate their 15th year at the NAB Show, where the company will exhibit at West Hall Booth W3272. 

“We have one of the few products that can truthfully claim that the first system we sold is still in operation,” said McKenizie. “Longevity of our products is a hallmark of Zeplay’s heritage, which we expect to carry into the next 15 years and beyond by providing reliable hardware, consistent performance improvements, and expanding feature sets through future software releases.”

AMSTERDAM—Media Distillery has unveiled Ad Break Distillery, a new solution that identifies the exact start and stop times of ad breaks in broadcast video, enabling video platform operators, service providers and broadcasters to enhance monetization opportunities for on-demand viewing while also improving user engagement.

“With the ad break markers we provide, video service providers are now enabled to do dynamic ad replacement, enforce trick play restrictions during ad breaks only, and deliver novel viewing experiences,” commented Roland Sars, CEO of Media Distillery.

The solution is designed to help companies capitalize on the gradual shift of viewership from linear viewing towards on-demand streaming services, and ever-intensifying competition for audience attention by providing viewers with personalized video experiences and by opening up new ways to monetize catch-up and replay services. 

More specifically, this allows broadcasters and operators of video entertainment platforms to: 

• Create new ad inventory: Replace existing linear ad breaks with dynamically inserted and personalized ads for catch-up and replay.
• Enforce trick-play restrictions: Apply restrictions during ad breaks but allow viewers to freely navigate through the content: no more complete limitation due to not knowing where the ad breaks are.
• Repurpose broadcast content for FAST and AVOD: Extremely useful for content archives where existing ads no longer hold value – for instance, ads for campaigns that have ended, promotions that have expired, ads for products that no longer exist, or ads on foreign channels, all cases where the ads offer no current value to the advertiser or the viewer.
• Bring the OTT experience to Replay: Elevate catch-up and replay viewing experiences to be in line with OTT UX with shorter and personalized ads.
• Ad skipping subscription model: Offer a premium subscription that allows ad-skipping.

Ad Break Distillery builds on the same core technology as EPG Correction Distillery, which detects a program’s true start and stop times, so that viewers have a VOD-like experience for catch-up and replay. EPG Correction Distillery today improves catch-up and replay experiences for over 1,000 channels across the globe.

Ad Break Distillery also offers flexible integration options, the company said. Through AI-powered video analysis, Ad Break Distillery generates ad break markers that can be integrated directly into the video platform or delivered via integration with a video service’s existing EPG metadata provider.

More information is available here. 

LIÈGE, Belgium—ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE has acquired EVS solutions to equip its new broadcasting and production studios with the latest generation MediaCeption Signature solution for end-to-end asset management and LiveCeption Signature solution for live production, replays and highlights, EVS reported. 

The new broadcasting studio will be part of the new campus, consisting of three buildings designed to accommodate approximately 1,700 employees from mid-2023 onwards, the companies said.  

The future EVS-driven setup will allow ProSiebenSat.1’s production and editorial teams to benefit from flexible and new collaborative workflows for creating fast-turnaround content for the broadcaster’s live sports and entertainment formats.

“The move to our new campus is an opportunity for us to completely revamp our day-to-day operations” said Holger Schwenk, vice president playout & production solutions at ProSiebenSat.1 Tech Solutions, the tech department of ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE. “We were looking for a rock solid, fail-safe solution that would help us maximize our live production workflow with the ability to easily scale up to support our future growth.”

Powering the entire workflow, EVS’ XT-VIA and XS-VIA production servers, which allow the production team to reliably ingest multiple live feeds in various video formats, including UHD/4K, 1080p, and HDR. Adding to the overall flexibility, the EVS servers also offer 1080p to UHD-4K upscaling. At the same time, the EVS setup allows for an easy transition path to IP, thanks to the servers’ enhanced live IP support of industry standards like ST 2110 and NMOS, EVS reported. 

For the live PAM, ProSiebenSat.1 has chosen to rely on EVS’ end-to-end MediaCeption Signature solution, designed to enable users to perform all the different media workflow functions in live or near-live productions from intuitive web-based interfaces. It leverages EVS’ industry-leading live production servers, media workflow management tools, a storage system, and offers advanced interoperability with other 3rd party technologies, including Avid MediaCentral for powerful edit-while-capture workflows for live sports and entertainment.

Central to the LiveCeption Signature solution, LSM-VIA systems will offer advanced functionalities for replay operators and provide instant access to content for efficient, and creative replay and highlight operations. Replay operators will also benefit from faster transfers of content thanks to the XNet-VIA 10-Gbps bidirectional Ethernet-based network, EVS said. 

“With our comprehensive solutions, ProSiebenSat.1 will benefit from a simplified production architecture that will help them increase the speed and flexibility of their operations as well as ramp up the value of their productions as it begins its new phase of growth and development," concluded Nicolas Bourdon, chief marketing officer at EVS.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—TVU Networks has announced that it will be demoing a multi-camera control sports app called TVU Replay at the 2022 NAB Show that enables officials to instantly review play during games and for producers to include that live video within their coverage. 

The Replay app is part of an overall modular, microservice-based building block approach from TVU Networks, with the cloud-based production platform TVU Producer providing management of camera inputs, live feeds, audience interaction and audio mixing. 

TVU Replay will be demonstrated for the first time at the 2022 NAB Show between April 23 to 27 in Las Vegas at the TVU booth W3806.

“We’re introducing TVU Replay in response to customer feedback,” said Paul Shen, CEO, TVU Networks. “We’ve been speaking with various collegiate conferences and their need for a next-generation review solution. Everything we do is in response to solving customer challenges. With our devops culture, we quickly and easily built a solution that’s versatile for a variety of applications. We’ve created a tool set that has revolutionized the way replay is handled in terms of ease of operation and within a fully realized cloud workflow.”

Called TVU Replay, the app will have two modes – Review and Replay. 

The Review mode enables officials and coaches in game to immediately “review” any close call from their phone or tablet. Replay provides all production elements necessary to output clips to any device. The app is as simple to operate as any smart phone interface, TVU said. 

Frame speed in Replay and Review can be controlled with the user’s fingers on the touchscreen of a phone or tablet or using a video game controller for a laptop. 

“By replacing purpose-built replay hardware with a video game controller, we’re opening up the door to a new, potential talent base,” added Shen. “This is just another example of innovation through listening. We’ve heard from customers about the challenges they face and the roadblocks to doing what they want, how they want. The old way is just that, the old way. Our cloud solutions are available today.”

TVU Replay is ideal for sports teams, sports leagues, broadcasters and production companies.

In addition to Replay, TVU will be demonstrating its latest in cloud and IP solutions that are reinventing the media supply chain. Experience hands-on demos of TVU Channel, a 24/7 cloud-native broadcast solution with: full SCTE ad insertion, FAST Channels, emergency offsite remote master control and dedicated OTT Channels. TVU will also showcase REMI remote production and the latest in aggregated 5G cellular IP transmission with support for 8K, the company said. 

To schedule an appointment for a demonstration at the TVU Cloud Booth #W3806 in the West Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center, visit info.tvunetworks.com/nab-2022.

BERGEN, Norway—Vizrt has released Viz Libero 8.0, the latest update to its editorial analysis and replay tool for sports.

The update, driven by input from producers and users, enhances the user experience and gives operators ways to reduce the turnaround time needed to create pre-, post and in-game content for live sports, the company said.

“The ability of an operator to move fast and deliver compelling content is a competitive advantage for any broadcaster. Viz Libero now offers the fastest and most complete sports analysis solution on the market with endless possibilities to create stunning analysis content that broadcasters want to use on every match-day,” said Richard Einstein, senior product manager for sports solutions at the company.

“The new user interface, which offers an amplified user experience alongside the advanced features with the latest release of Viz Libero enables broadcasters to produce more high-impact content in less time in game, consequently increasing viewer engagement, coverage uptake and ROI.”

The update’s new graphical user interface (GUI) is more powerful and offers faster interactions with fewer clicks to create analysis clips. All functions, including video selection, calibration, adding and previewing graphics and exporting clips, are at the fingertips of users. Switching between different workflow steps is now done in an instant, enhancing productivity and the quality of the output, the company said.

Viz Libero 8’s new streamlined design makes adoption by new users fast. Within only a few minutes, new users can operate the tool, thereby reducing the expense and time needed to train operators and making it faster for broadcasters to grow their pool of operators, the company said.

Viz Libero 8 also adds a new preview function, available during the complete workflow, for precision calibration, keying or editing of 3D camera flights, making it possible to see the effects instantly in the final clip without rendering. Vizrt has added a clear structure with improved visibility to the product’s NLE editor, enabling faster access and accurate adjustments to all relevant elements in the timeline, it said.

The company has scheduled an online demo on April 28 at 11 a.m. EDT. Sign up, is available online.  

More information is available on the Vizrt website. 

NEVADA CITY, Calif.—Telestream has announced that French broadcaster M6 used its Lightspeed Live Capture server system to create new and radically different ultra-fast replay workflows during its coverage of the UEFA EURO Championships.

Already a major Telestream Vantage, DIVA Content Management and PRISM Waveform Monitors user, M6 has invested in a replay system that utilizes Telestream’s Lightspeed Live Capture server to assure both ultra-fast replay and the highest quality viewer experience for live broadcast programming, including the recent UEFA EURO Championships and other events. 

Using the technology, M6 created ‘Replay’ – a new online service that provided consumers with replays of the EURO championship games (via www.6play.fr) as close as possible to the live broadcasts and in the highest quality. 

Lightspeed Live Capture was used to ingest feeds in both HD and UHD formats, create mezzanine formats as growing files, deliver the content to Amazon Web Service (AWS) S3 storage, and then notify the Replay platform of its availability.

“Our choice of Lightspeed Live Capture is based on the system’s robustness, its capability to ingest HD and UHD using codecs such as XAVC 4K Intra and, a seamless integration within our existing Vantage workflows,” commented Franck Martin, Directeur de L’Ingénierie at M6. “And the ability to manage the Live Capture servers via API adds another layer of intuitive operation to this project."

Lightspeed Live Capture also has a built-in API which enables users to pause and resume recording to create a unique file for output. So, for example, all advertising from the live broadcast can be extracted from the feed before it is made available online.

Using M6’s Vantage workflow, Lightspeed Live Capture simultaneously creates three file formats of the broadcast content – one file for use on Replay, one file for ingest within the broadcaster’s Avid PAM system, and one file for mastering in the AS-10 format, the dominant mastering format used in France.

“Benoît Godard, Senior Solution Engineer for VIDELIO and an expert on the Telestream product line has guided our team through every stage of this project from initial system design, through integration to ultimate workflow creation and that support has been invaluable,” Martin concluded.

SAN ANTONIO—NewTek has unveiled its latest product, the 3Play 3P2 video replay and telestration system that is built to produce 4K-quality instant replays for sports productions. With built-in NDI Telestrator capabilities, NewTek says that 3Play 3P2 is the first native IP and SDI replay system.

3Play 3P2 is a software-driven, network-based 10-channel replay system that offers eight external inputs and two outputs. The inputs can be any combination of NDI sources with four SDI connectors built directly into the chassis. The outputs can be independent or work together in a preview/program workflow, including live animated, 3D-warped visual transitions.

Also built-in to the replay system are zoom and tracking features, which allow operators to select multiple points of interest and zoom in and out to capture a play. There is a key-frameable feature to scrub clips so as to pinpoint timecodes of plays.

The system offers shareable playlists that allow NewTek TriCaster live production systems to work with 3Play 3P2 and create a collaborative experience that increases the speed and flexibility of sports production, per NewTek.

NewTek is offering to train purchasers of the 3Play 3P2 with a free NewTek University 3Play course. This offer is good until Sept. 30.

3Play 3P2 is now available at a price of $24,995. For more information, visit www.newtek.com.  

Portland, Oregon, October 10, 2019 – Variant Systems Group, a leading provider of live broadcast production tools for the sports media and entertainment industry, has received a strategic investment from FOR-A Company Limited, a worldwide provider of broadcast and video production technology. VSG and FOR-A have also finalized a global distribution agreement whereby FOR-A will offer, on an exclusive basis throughout the world, VSG’s Envivo family of products. The investment and the agreement are part of FOR-A’s ongoing strategy to invest in innovative companies that can bring new ideas, market knowledge and services into the company’s worldwide business.

Variant Systems Group provides best-in-class live production solutions for the ultimate in audience and fan engagement. The Envivo family of products is transforming the way media producers approach live production. Launched at the 2017 NAB SHOW, Envivo Replay offers a complete live event replay solution packaged in an intuitive user interface with continuous multiple iso-channel recording capabilities, simultaneous clip storage of multiple angles to clip bins, playlists for highlights playback, built-in branding capabilities, direct publishing to social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, WeChat, and Sina Weibo as well as support for high speed super slow-motion cameras. Launched at the 2019 NAB SHOW, Envivo Studio offers the same intuitive interface in a product specifically designed to address the needs of fan and audience engagement in live production workflows.

Adolfo Rodriguez, Co-Founder and CEO at Variant Systems Group said: "This strategic investment allows Variant Systems Group to fast-track our development and innovation efforts and to partner with a well-established, global leader in television and media, while expanding our mutually strong US position across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Variant Systems Group and FOR-A have a very strong alignment on the requirements of live production workflows, and this investment ensures our two companies continue to innovate and grow together."

Katsuaki Kiyohara, President and Representative Director at FOR-A commented: “This investment demonstrates FOR-A’s ongoing commitment to identify and leverage emerging technologies that can enhance our products and provide our customers with improved workflows. This is an exciting opportunity to gain insights from a leader in live production solutions for the benefit of FOR-A’s customers and our mutual ongoing businesses.”

FOR-A, a worldwide, industry-leading manufacturer, offers a wide range of Broadcast and Production products with a focus on cutting-edge technologies including: HD, 4K and IP Products.

FOR-A continues to offer future-ready, cost effective, advanced technology solutions. Products include: Video Switchers, Routing Switchers, Multi Viewers, Full 4K High-Speed Cameras, IP Encoders/Decoders, Multi-Channel Signal Processors, 8K/4K/HD Test Signal Generators, Color Correctors, Frame Synchronizers, File-Based Products, Character Generators, Video Servers and much more.

For a full range of HD and 4K Production and Processing solutions, as well as IP-Based Products, visit www.for-a.com.

Headquartered in Portland, Oregon and founded by a team of video professionals with over 60 years of combined industry knowledge specific to the Live Production market and live event workflows, Variant Systems Group provides top-notch live production tools like “Envivo Replay” and “Envivo Studio” that fills a gap in the college sports market, as well as the high-end production market. Envivo Replay delivers a replay solution that offers ease of use, intuitive and ergonomic designs, and flexibility in addition to features, and workflows to support revenue-generating models. VSG’s Live Replay solution offers a proprietary user interface, which capitalizes on the effective interface of touch-screen user input, as well as mechanical hardware control input devices. Envivo Studio delivers a fan and audience engagement solution with the same intuitive interface in a product specifically designed to address the needs of live production workflows incorporating a Still Store, a Spot Box, Clip Store, a Live Switcher (For Cutting Camera Inputs), Loop Record, Internal Keyer (for Multi-layer Overlays), Switcher Support (Key/Fill Outputs), Drive Multiple Venue Screens (IMAG), VDCP Control, and many more capabilities.

For additional information please visit www.envivoreplay.com.

Cypress, CA, May 28, 2019 – A range of flexible video production switchers, video servers, and graphics systems that consistently support both 12G-SDI/4K and 3G-SDI/HD resolution will be a focal point of the FOR-A® booth at the upcoming InfoComm Show in Orlando. Demonstrating video production solutions for corporate video, worship, sports and live event applications, FOR-A will exhibit in Exhibit Hall, West Level 2, Booth 1861 during the show which runs from June 8-14 in the Orlando Convention Center.

FOR-A’s booth lineup includes the HVS-490 and HVS-1200 HANABI switchers, Variant Systems Group’s Envivo Studio production suite and Envivo Replay sports and live event replay solution, ClassX content creation and graphics playout solution, and the ODYSSEY Insight video server.

The compact HANABI HVS-490 opens the door to more affordable 4K production. HDMI 2.0b specification support provides 4K output to a multi-viewer. Offering exclusive features, including MELite™ technology, which extends the switcher’s 2 M/Es to offer 6 M/E performance, the HVS-490 is designed for use in any live environment, including mobile shoots, events, and in-house corporate productions. The switcher provides users with event memory and macro functions, as well as integrated frame synchronizers and multi viewers - making it easy to set up quickly for live performances.

The HANABI HVS-1200, a compact 4K/HD compatible switcher, builds on the features of the HANABI HVS-490 video switcher and adds 12G-SDI support as standard. The switcher also utilizes a single cable for image processing and is configurable as both a 12G-SDI/4K and as a 3G-SDI/HD switcher. In HD mode, the switcher accepts up to 40 inputs, and in 4K mode it accepts up to 10. In 4K mode, the switcher provides 2 M/E performance (1 M/E + 1 MELite™), and in HD mode it’s a 6 M/E (2 M/E + 4 MELite) switcher virtually.

Just introduced at NAB 2019, Variant Systems will showcase the new Envivo Studio to InfoComm attendees. Shown for the first time at InfoComm, Envivo Studio is an all-in-one live production system that includes a clip player, still store, shot box, and powerful capabilities, including:

- Live switcher (cut camera inputs)

- Internal keyer (multi-layer overlay)

- Switcher support (key/fill)

- Drive multiple venue screens (IMAG)

- VDCP control

- 24hr loop record inputs

- Built-in slow-motion replay

- Coaching review tool

- Time shift

FOR-A is the exclusive distributor of Variant Systems Group’s Envivo Studio and Envivo Replay sports and live event replay solution in the U.S. and Canada, along with Central and South Americas. Envivo Replay offers a complete replay solution packaged in an intuitive user interface with continuous multiple iso-channel recording capabilities, simultaneous clip storage of multiple angles to clip bins, playlists for highlights playback, built-in branding capabilities, direct publishing to social media platforms, and support for high speed super slow-motion cameras. At InfoComm, both Envivo systems will be shown with a Dante audio interface, enabling the systems to support uncompressed, multi-channel, low latency digital audio over a standard Ethernet network. Studio and Replay also support NDI (Network Device Interface), a free protocol for Video-Over-IP, developed by NewTek.

A demo of the latest ClassX solution of 2D/3D character generation and live motion graphics and playout software integrated with FOR-A video switchers will be on the FOR-A Infocomm stand. ClassX’s graphics suite of solutions is popular with universities, digital signage, live event, and sports production applications. FOR-A is the exclusive distributor of ClassX in North, Central and South America. The agreement provides broadcasters and live event producers with the ability to create and play out ClassX real-time broadcast graphics integrated with FOR-A video switchers.

ClassX offers a complete solution with pixel-perfect, real-time 2D and 3D motion graphics and titling, SportsGraphics, SocialServer, MOS newsroom interface, clip playing automation, picture-in-picture and a multi-functional scripting facility. ClassX is 12G-compatible and supports Dante digital audio for playout.

ODYSSEY’s Insight Production Server is a multi-channel playout system, available in a two- or four-channel configuration. Offering a Web interface for control from any device with a web browser (no installation required), the video server provides a wide range of supported wrappers and codecs for media contribution and video play out with time delay playback. Insight's flexible event processor allows users to connect multiple devices and interact with FOR-A production video switchers, routing switchers, CG generators, GPIO-connected devices and other studio equipment to orchestrate event triggering for a seamless production. 

Cypress, CA, May 14, 2019 – The newly launched Spanish-language Hipica TV (TSG Network) selected Envivo Replay from Variant Systems as the heart of its production system. The daily live show features races, replays and offers handicapping selections on races from The Stronach Group-owned (TSG) Gulfstream Park, Santa Anita Park, Laurel Park, Golden Gate Fields, and Pimlico Race Course. The horse race programming is available every day at GulfstreamPark.com and youtube.com/HipicaTV.

The HD broadcast is independent of its English broadcast with separate producers, directors, cameras, on-air talent, race caller and now replay using Envivo Replay. Envivo Replay is being used to capture all TSG tracks to archive the day’s races, create race re-caps, and upload Spanish content to social media.

“For us, it was critical to archive each race track simultaneously and provide quick re-caps,” said Guillermo Burgos, Vice President & Executive Producer at Sellitto Video Systems (SVS). SVS produces the live broadcast for both Gulfstream Park simulcast and Hipica TV. SVS also manages all A/V requirements at Gulfstream Park. “It was so easy to archive all the race tracks in the Envivo system. The only thing we spent time learning was the sequence that would work best for the production team. The system is very intuitive and smart. And the company’s technical support is top notch. We’ve been very impressed so far with Envivo.”

In addition to race replays and highlights, the Hipica TV team is taking advantage of Envivo Replay’s built-in social media interface. This capability allows Gulfstream to streamline their social media postings of individual race highlights and race day summaries.

“One huge plus Envivo had was its social media upload extension tool. There was no learning curve at all,” added Burgos. “There are a lot of components in our control room. With the Envivo replay system, our team can easily save clips from our different race tracks, make playback recaps and upload to social media content faster than any other tool we’ve ever seen. It is simply amazing how fast we can load content to social media, which for us, is a must.”

“We are delighted that Guillermo and his team selected Envivo Replay to cover race replays, highlights and social media clips for their Spanish broadcasts," said Adolfo Rodriguez, Variant Systems Group Co-Founder and CEO. “It’s fantastic to see how the capabilities of Envivo Replay are enabling Hipica TV to streamline their workflow.”

During its first month on GulfstreamPark.com and LaurelPark.com in March of this year, Hipica TV reached an average of 76,000 unique viewers each week and nearly 800,000 total views. Along with live races, Hipica TV will include live interviews, feature stories, and insights from its four anchors.

FOR-A is the exclusive seller of the Envivo Replay solution in North, Central and South America. The distribution agreement gives live event producers and broadcasters the ability to use Envivo Replay as part of a complete live event workflow with FOR-A’s HANABI series of video switchers, ClassX 3D graphics and video writer telestrators.

Launched in 2017, Envivo Replay offers a complete replay solution packaged in an intuitive user interface with continuous multiple iso-channel recording capabilities, simultaneous clip storage of multiple angles to clip bins, playlists for highlights playback, built-in branding capabilities, direct publishing to social media platforms, as well as support for high speed super slow-motion cameras.

Cypress, CA, April 23, 2019 – Social media and sports go hand in hand. So much so that when it came time for the professional video production team at Western Michigan University (WMU) to add a second replay system, they wanted something easy to learn as well as a system that would provide social media branding and video playout – all in one system.

WMU already had one Envivo Replay, a sports and live event replay solution from Variant Systems, which is used to capture slow motion footage of the school’s Division I football team for in-stadium replays and for streaming coverage to ESPN and ESPN+. As part of the school’s video production unit, Bronco Productions, students are responsible for the school’s sports programming feeds to ESPN and ESPN+. Based on its simple to learn user interface and the system’s built-in branding and social media playout integration, the school purchased its second Envivo Replay system. The goal in mind with the second Envivo Replay is the creation of more live content for WMU’s social media platforms and for scoreboard playout at the stadium.

“We want to get great looks in the arena and then get that content out to social media instantly,” said Thomas Delves, Director, Bronco Productions. “We envision this new unit being used very much for social media content creation and promotion and to get more video out in-game. Being able to brand and playout all in one system is a huge plus for us. It also gives us an opportunity to train our students before they start providing replay feeds to our ESPN shows. Another benefit is that we’re able to teach students on technology similar to what broadcasters use.”

Delves credits the support he’s received from Variant Systems as another factor in the decision to go with a second Envivo Replay system: “Having that support is one of the main reasons we want to continue to work with Envivo. Olaf Bahr [Vice President of Marketing, Variant Systems] has been an amazing resource. They’re always looking at making it better with updates and tweaks. Just all-around incredible service.”

Variant Systems’ Envivo Replay is sold all over the world, and exclusively by FOR-A in North, Central and South America. Envivo Replay is a complete replay solution with an intuitive user interface that offers support for high-speed slow-motion cameras, as well as playlists for highlights playback, built-in branding capabilities, and direct publishing to social media platforms. It allows for multiple camera inputs and multiple controlled outputs.

Envivo Replay is part of a complete live event workflow with FOR-A’s HANABI series of video switchers, ClassX 3D graphics, and video writer telestrators.

About FOR-A

FOR-A, a worldwide, industry-leading manufacturer, offers a wide range of broadcast and production products with a focus on cutting-edge technologies, including: HD, 4K and IP products. FOR-A continues to offer future-ready, cost effective, advanced technology solutions. Products include: video switchers, routing switchers, multi-viewers, full 4K high-speed cameras, IP encoders/decoders, multi-channel signal processors, 8K/4K/HD test signal generators, color correctors, frame synchronizers, file-based products, character generators, video servers and much more.

For a full range of HD and 4K production and processing solutions, as well as IP-based products, visit our web site at www.for-a.com.

# # #

FOR-A CORPORATION OF AMERICA, 11155 Knott Ave., Suite G&H, Cypress, CA 90630 Phone: 714-894-3311, Fax 714-894-5399 Web site: www.for-a.com 

At this year’s NAB Show, exhibitors showcased storage, recording and cloud technologies with unique technologies to accelerate broadcast workflows, provide media production capabilities on demand, handle the ingest of live video to the cloud, and record and play back broadcast-quality content.

CLOUD

AMAGI MEDIA LABS introduced TORNADO, a machine learning-based content preparation service that enables TV networks and content owners to scale their operations, accelerate broadcast workflows, generate new revenues and reduce operational costs.

AVID unveiled Avid|On Demand, a cloud services and solutions platform that provides media production capabilities on demand. Media organizations can deploy the capabilities they need on a per-project basis and allows teams to manage and deliver content to any device anywhere—all in a secure environment with controlled access.

AWS ELEMENTAL showed the newest version of the AWS Elemental Live L000 Series appliance, which ingests live video to AWS Elemental MediaStore to show cost-efficient contribution to the cloud for low-power, space-constrained or remote facilities.

BROADCAST PIX introduced the ioGates Desktop App, a solution that allows users to view and distribute large content files through a secure cloud-based video management service. With the new app, users can customize content delivery to specific devices to accommodate various workflows and format requirements. The system is compatible with Mac, Windows and Linux operating systems, whereby users can view and browse files—as well as upload files—within specific folders of an ioGates cloud account.

DNF CONTROLS unveiled new and enhanced solutions focused on helping users transition to virtual and cloud-based IP control with Cloud Content Control. Via a collaboration with AWS Elemental, this live cloud playout system includes play-to-air automation that controls a GTP-32 control processor that emulates a video server channel, with content housed remotely on Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) and accessed via Elemental’s Live Cloud. The company also showed its GTP-V1 software-only control solution for radio and TV applications.

EVERTZ and INTERRA SYSTEMS announced a new cloud-enabled integration solution of the Interra BATON file-based QC solution with the Evertz Mediator X media asset management platform to simplify automation of quality control for media developers, producers and distributors.

IBM ASPERA unveiled IBM Aspera on Cloud, a new hosted service that provides the means to transfer, exchange and deliver content from any location. It overcomes the file transfer challenges of the hybrid cloud by allowing media companies to move content securely across on-premises and multi-cloud environments.

IMAGINE PRODUCTS and STORAGE DNA partnered to introduce the myLTOdna, a new product that integrates elements of the Imagine Products myLTO tape-authoring application and StorageDNA HyperTape access tape solution powered by dnaLTFS.

PEBBLE BEACH demonstrated the newest versions of Beluga, which integrates with the company’s playout automation system to prep content for linear playout, OTT and VOD distribution via the cloud; and Orca, a virtualized IP channel solution for playout from the private or public cloud.

PLAYBOX TECHNOLOGY introduced a new transcoder for its SaaS-based CloudAir playout solution, with support multiple file wrappers and formats including MPEG PS/TS, MXF, QT, AVI, MP4, GXF, MPG2, H.264, ProRes, DNX HD and MJPEG. Other new features for CloudAir include an enhanced graphics editor template preparation interface, improved playlist editing, advanced playlist export to EPGs and automated linking of stored assets.

QUANTUM introduced a hybrid cloud/onpremise solution known as aiWARE for Xcellis. It’s a hybrid on-premises and cloud version of the Veritone artificial intelligence platform that uses cognitive analytics—such as object recognition, optical character recognition and transcription—to extract value from video and audio stored on Quantum appliances.

ROSS VIDEO launched Streamline.cloud, a cloud-based version of the Streamline media asset management that allows for files to be stored either in the cloud or in a local facility and moved between locations using Ross Video’s Cloud Gateway.

SDVI debuted two new features within its cloud-based SaaS service. Rally Gateway creates customer-branded content submission portals to serve as automated on-ramps into the media supply chain. The second, Rally Access, presents media supply chain managers with a timeline-based view of issues discovered during preparation and packaging. 

TELESTREAM introduced new features for Telestream Cloud Services, a service portal that provides access to a number of digital media processing capabilities in a SaaS model. New features include auto-transcription and file-based quality control as well as Flip transcoding and Workflow services.

VIZRT announced the availability of its Viz One MAM on Amazon Web Services, a move that the company said will provide more flexibility and choice for organizations who are looking to use the scalability and accessibility of cloud-based solutions. Media companies are able to access content from virtually any location with the with Vizrt’s Viz One either entirely on AWS or as part of a hybrid architecture.

XYTECH introduced Dash, a new cloudbased software solution that gives smallto mid-sized media and post facilities robust workflow management capabilities. Available on an affordable monthly subscription basis, Dash is based on the Microsoft Azure Managed Cloud platform.

STORAGE, RECORDING & REPLAY

1BEYOND introduced the Beyond Net-Drive and ThunderTape 3 systems, both of which support LTO-8 drives. The Net-Drive archiving devices are designed for transferring files to LTO tapes and can be used as standalone devices or attached to a network. All come standard with RAID storage and multiple 1/10 Gigabit connections. The ThunderTape 3 archiving device is a portable LTO device available with dual drives that is designed for individual users or small post facilities looking for a way to connect a tape drive to an existing Macintosh for an LTO backup solution.

360 SYSTEMS introduced the TSS-2470 II, a new hybrid IP/SDI server which also serves as a variable time delay.

ATOMOS announced that its Shogun Inferno and Sumo 19 monitor/recorders will now offer real-time recording in the new Apple ProRes RAW format from the sensor output of Panasonic, Sony and Canon cameras.

AVID introduced Avid NEXIS|E5 NL, a new nearline storage, high-density onpremise solution that manages media across all online, nearline and archive storage resources. Features include a new web-based Avid NEXIS management console app for managing, controlling and monitoring Avid|NEXIS installations. Extending the Avid NEXIS|FS (file system) to a secondary storage tier eliminates the need for third-party tools to search for, find and import media from multiple pools of third-party storage, the company said, which enables users to locate content distributed throughout an operation more quickly.

CONVERGENT DESIGN showcased the newest version of Apollo, which can record up to four 1080p streams and offers live switching, and the Odyssey 7+, a monitor recorder with a 7.7-inch OLED monitor with 3400:1 contrast and 1280x800 resolution.

DATAVIDEO introduced the HS-13, a new all-in-one system that offers streaming and recording within a portable production studio. It features an H.264 streaming encoder and recorder as well as a six-channel video switcher and LCD monitor for multi-view. The company also released the NVS-40, a four-channel video encoder, streaming unit and recording station.

EDITSHARE announced that its XStream EFS shared storage solution now features ACL Media Spaces and offers new storage space reporting capabilities. The company also showed new capabilities within the EFS 40NL nearline storage solution for EFS tiered storage.

EVS introduced XT-VIA live production server for UHD-4K and IP operation as well as an integration with VIA, EVS’ new technology platform of modular services and workflow engines. By connecting to the XNet-VIA media network, XT-VIA connects to all new EVS products and solutions, offering a flexible way to share live content to and from anywhere in the workflow.

FACILIS TECHNOLOGY showcased the latest version of its Facilis Shared File System, which builds on v7 and features real-time and historical bandwidth monitoring of volumes and workstations, RAID50 and RAID51 management through an admin console, automatic load balancing of clients and remote client deployment.

HARMONIC launched new VOS SW Cluster software, which embeds media processing capabilities with support for cloud and hardware compute environments, thereby enabling operators to quickly launch OTT services.

MASSTECH debuted a new version of its FlashNet media object storage solution, and MassStore, a media object framework platform that orchestrates services and workflows from multiple vendors.

NEWTEK showed the newest version of NewTek Remote Storage, which offers four streams of direct NDI playback.

PRIMESTREAM introduced a new Media Player Recorder and Media Processing Framework designed to boost 4K workflow and give users the ability to edit-while-capturing in Adobe Premiere Pro and Apple Final Cut Pro. The company also debuted Review Hub, a new SaaS system integrated into Xchange that allows users to securely share and collect feedback.  

PLAYBOX TECHNOLOGY introduced Neo TS Time Delay, a 1U IP-based delay server providing fully transparent delay of IP transport streams such as DVB/ATSC MPEG broadcast-quality compressed video and audio.

QUANTUM debuted enhancements to its Xcellis workflow storage family and StorNext shared storage and data management platform. The new version of the Xcellis scale-out NAS platform delivers scalable Ethernet-based storage and combines high-performance media and metadata management to support collaborative workflows.

QUOBYTE introduced new hyperscale storage software for M&E collaboration. This parallel distributed file system leverages “hyperscaler technology” (the ability of an architecture to scale appropriately as increased demand is added to the system) to unify file, block, and object storage to allow post production, visual effects, and playout workflows to reduce administrative overhead while providing secure data integrity for collaboration across a workflow chain.

ROHDE & SCHWARZ has rebuilt its R&S VENICE platform for live production, studio production and channel playout applications. The rebuild features an ultra-robust design for airplay with a new underlying software structure called virtual storage access (VSA) technology that enables an interruption free playout operation.

ROSS VIDEO launched the Abekas Tria News playout server, designed for television newsrooms, offering efficient ingest and reliable playout of newsroom media assets from four independent PGM playout channels.

SUITCASETV showed off the newest version of the MediaStor storage platform and the MediaStor File System, which aggregates multiple storage servers into a single unified structure.

VIDEO CLARITY introduced the Venue Player IP video server, which automatically plays multiple uncompressed segments of content to multiple screens in precise timing and sequence. It applies recently developed and standardized media flows for playing video and audio according to SMPTE ST 2110.

VIDEO DEVICES introduced a new set of features for the PIX-E Series of 4K-compatible recording monitors. With Firmware v3.50, the PIX-E Series offers playback functionality such as the ability to add, delete, and locate to cue markers; create a custom playlist; and loop playback of individual recordings, regions or playlists.

BURLINGTON, ONTARIO—The instant replay is a staple of any sports broadcast, and when it came to the in-stadium replays for Super Bowl 50, the production utilized Evertz’ 4K DreamCatcher replay system and IP infrastructure systems, including its 10GbE Double Density DreamCatcher-458D devices networked together via 10GbE infrastructure.

With the 10GbE DreamCatcher network, Van Wagner Sports and Entertainment Productions—who handled the in-stadium production for Super Bowl 50—was able to build a six input UHD system that could be controlled by one operator. The operator was able to scroll through all UHD angles before choosing which one to use. The DreamCatcher system also features a customizable touch interface and 4K capabilities.

Evertz provided seven DreamCatcher systems to the Levi Stadium broadcast configuration, three of which were 10GbE DreamCatcher units.

ST. PAUL, MINN.—Fans of the Mean Green can get more of the action with the addition of Tightrope Media Systems’ Zeplay instant replay server to the University of North Texas’ Athletics video department.

Replacing its previous instant replay system, the Zeplay offers the university multi-channel capacity with the ability to provide eight channels; four in and four out. The Zeplay system allows operators to switch camera angles on the fly during replay playback, while also continuing to record during playback. Tightrope’s replay system also features integrated sequence editing and export capabilities.

Tightrope Media Systems is a provider of digital signage and broadcast automation systems headquartered in Saint Paul, Minn.

MONTREAL—Entering into its second season as the broadcaster for Saudi Arabia’s professional league, Middle East Broadcasting Center has acquired Grass Valley’s K2 Dyno Replay System for its soccer broadcasts.

The K2 Dyno is an instant replay and highlights generation system for HD, SD, 3G and UHD/4K that also features pan/zoom technology and high-frame-rate productions with GV’s LDX camera systems. With its AnySpeed technology, the K2 Dyno can offer smooth playback from zero to 200 percent speed, including transitions.

The K2 Dyno system works with MBC’s existing K2 media server and on-air graphics system.

ST. PAUL, MINN.—Whether it be a earth shattering slam dunk or a game-winning touchdown, Northwestern University has decided to go with Tightrope Media Systems ZEPLAY instant replay system in an effort to capture all the highlights from the school’s athletic teams.

Northwestern’s Broadcast Operations department is responsible for creating HD highlights and other video messages during games through the new HD control room that connects with the Ryan Field football stadium and Welsh-Ryan Arena. With the installation of ZEPLAY, the Broadcast Operations department is able to capture and send signals to the appropriate location via a switching feature. ZEPLAY features eight feeds—four input and four output—independent control of every outputs channel, and a built-in multiviewer to monitor all angles. The system also allows video to be quickly added to the department website.

Tightrope Media Systems is a digital signage and broadcast automation systems provider based in St. Paul, Minn.