DARMSTADT, Germany—All sound engineers probably agree that delivering high-quality audio mixes for sporting events requires a versatile mixing console, a good speaker setup, and carefully selected microphones with an excellent tonal balance.

For my work at tier-one events, I need a console that provides quick access to all critical features, is easy and fast to configure, and is flexible. For this, I use as many direct access buttons and custom functions as possible. Designed to address these needs, the Lawo mc²56 console makes it easy to check the availability and status of hundreds of audio sources.

Dolby Atmos Sound
This is especially important for Dolby Atmos productions where I need to create and monitor several 5.1.4 presentations, as well as 5.1 and stereo renditions provided by the mc²56’s downmix function—both with and without commentary. Near-instant tweaks are of the essence when the world is watching.

Automation tools such as audio-follows-video, Lawo’s KICK software for tracking-based, close-ball mixing that delivers crisp ball and other on-pitch noises—and increasingly AI, which I use to clean audio signals such as commentary—have become essential. Without them, the high audio-quality standards viewers have come to expect would probably be impossible to achieve.

I prefer to mix remotely, in an optimized acoustic environment, which usually involves audio sources coming from several locations. The Remote Audio Control Room (RACR) in Germany, where I mix frequently, provides such an environment. While this might work with proprietary MADI over Ethernet connections, only an IP-based network allows me to mix signals originating from different parts of the world.

The total absence of bleed from the venue allows me to make informed decisions about the sound. Today’s audio and video workflows more than justify using a networked ST 2110 backbone for the production of top-notch TV events, be they World Cups, four-year athletics jamborees or music performances.

Lawo mc² consoles have become the de facto standard in all productions I work for. Almost all OB trucks in Germany and the Benelux are equipped with Lawo desks, and the host broadcaster for global soccer events also provides them. So, for me, there is definitely a muscle-memory dimension to Lawo consoles: I know them inside out and find their layout highly intuitive. Working with an mc² console almost feels like my fingers can reach inside the desk and directly touch what I need to refine. This gives me speed, reliability and confidence.

I also use a lot of plug-ins, such as Waves, high-quality Seventh Heaven reverbs, AI tools such as Clear or Clarity and many others, depending on the production, as well as new metering tools that we developed at the university.

Quest for Big Audio
I am very lucky to work on so many immersive audio mixes: the whole crowd is cheering, music is playing, different camera angles are shown in rapid succession—and everything is immersing you. This conveys the impression that viewers at home are actually at the event.

We spent the last 20 years looking for “bigger” audio as video moved from SD to HD, then to UHD and HDR. The tricky part was figuring out how to get rid of unwanted noises in the audio for optimal channel separation. We now have the tools to provide an enveloping sound experience, and we can even specify the scale of an immersive mix to match the average screen size viewers have in their homes—or make it as huge as we like.

More information is available on the Lawo website.

BRISBANE, Australia—I’ve spent nearly two decades working in sound design and voice-over, and for almost half that time my focus has been “Bluey.” I lead sound design on the show and voice Uncle Stripe, working between my home studio and my studio at Folklore Sound in West End Brisbane on a series that started in Queensland and has grown into one of the most-watched children’s programs in the world.

My brother Joe created “Bluey” with a clear brief: No exaggerated cartoon effects, just an organic soundscape built from the sounds kids actually recognize from their own backyards. That direction has shaped nearly everything about how I work, and for almost the entire run of the show, the tool I reach for most is the Sennheiser MKH 416 shotgun microphone.

One Career Constant
My path into voice-over happened almost by accident. I was working at a postproduction house as a sound designer, spending my days recording other people, when a director walked in one day and asked me to step up to the microphone and read an advertisement myself. That one moment changed the direction of my career, and the microphone that has stayed with me through nearly all of it has been the 416.

I first used the 416 at postproduction house Cutting Edge, where it was the standard microphone for commercial voice-over recording. In 2016, I bought my own for my home studio, where it remains in daily use. I now own three. In Australia, the 416 has long been the benchmark for commercial voice-over work, and once I began using it on “Bluey,” its directional control and durability made it an obvious choice.

Capturing the real sounds of suburbia means stepping out of the studio and into unpredictable environments. I frequently do what I would call “guerrilla” field recording, using the 416 to capture audio directly from the locations reflected on screen. For slides down playground equipment, I want the real sound, which has occasionally meant climbing into large enclosed slides with the 416 in hand, banging around to capture real physical movement.

For years, I paired the 416 with a Zoom H5 recorder while gathering effects for “Bluey.” Today I use a Zoom F3 and a Sennheiser MKH 8018 in MS stereo, a microphone I’ve been thoroughly enjoying for location work.

Over eight years of field recording, my 416s have endured Queensland’s challenging conditions without missing a beat. The tight directional pattern and strong off-axis rejection let me isolate precise foley and ambient sounds outdoors, while the RF condenser design shrugs off the humidity and temperature swings that come with recording in Queensland.

The 416 has also defined my career as a voice-over artist. In Australia, it’s the microphone performers reach for, because you can work right up into its barrel and presence region to get the classic, relatable read advertisers want.

When we began production on “Bluey,” I brought in a Neumann TLM 103 to record several of our child actors. I have since added a Neumann U 87 for studio Foley and an MKH 8018 MS stereo microphone for location work.

When working from Brisbane with production and post teams on the other side of the world, having a kit built around trusted names carries real weight. When international studios connect with me over Source Connect, seeing an MKH 416 and TLM 103 on my equipment list immediately signals broadcast-quality standards before recording even begins.

Sounds of Australia
I love that I get to show the rest of the world how beautiful Australia sounds. Our native birds and suburban noise might feel mysterious to international viewers, but for us, they are simply the sounds of home. Having a microphone kit I can rely on, whether I am out in the field or mixing in the studio, means every detail translates cleanly to millions of homes around the globe

More information is available at on Sennheiser’s website.

SAVANNAH, Ga.— What started in 2015 as a college summer baseball team selling just a handful of tickets in its opening months has evolved into the phenomenon known as the “Savannah Bananas,” selling out every single game since we adopted the moniker in 2016.

This year marked the Savannah Bananas’ biggest broadcast season yet. In June, we brought “Banana Ball” to ABC for the first time, taking on the Party Animals at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore., and our new Banana Ball Championship League is bringing more fans into more packed stadiums than ever.

Our exclusive distribution deal with Disney+ and ESPN—the most ambitious in Banana Ball history—allows for every game to be streamed on the ESPN App and Disney+, with select games airing across ESPN networks and ABC. True to our “Fans First” ethos, every broadcast remains free to watch on YouTube regardless of where else it airs.

REMI Banana Ball
With our audience growing at pace, BTV (Banana Ball TV, our production arm), has needed to rapidly build up its technical capabilities. We’ve seen a lot of growth for the 2026 World Tour season, so we’ve rebuilt our facilities over the past two years to increase our efficiency and output. Prior to this latest expansion, we were operating with consoles not designed for broadcast production, which caused a number of challenges.

Working closely with Sean McCluskey, our head of engineering, we designed and implemented a REMI workflow that gives our production staff consistency without compromise as they move from room to room and site to site. Spread across two main control rooms at our remote facility in Savannah, and with flypacks positioned out in the field, we’ve placed Calrec’s audio network at the core of our REMI operation, building in the capacity our rapidly expanding operation demands.

We adopted an agile, distributed system, installing three 36-fader Argo M consoles, three Type R systems, and True Control 2.0. This gives us a combination of analog, embedded SDI, MADI and Dante. All of our audio gets a first-pass mix and level set before it’s embedded in our video transmission back to Savannah. We make sure lip sync is correct on-site, so when everything reaches our control rooms, we can focus on mixing the broadcast as if we were at our home stadium.

The Calrec Assist GUI gives us full remote console control, keeping our operation agile whatever the demands. Using a browser means we can access any console from inside the stadium to make changes, and I can also work remotely from home to support our shows and fix issues quickly. It’s a genuine game-changer.

Range of Venues
That agility matters because no two venues where we play are the same. We love massive stadiums, but we also love the smallest ones equally. We recently played at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, one of the largest venues in the state with a seating capacity of more than 100,000; two days prior, we played at a high school with free admission and a maximum capacity of 1,000. We are here to deliver a consistent entertainment experience.

That range of venues also demands an adaptable approach, which is why we work with local audio operators rather than carrying a full crew with us. Many of these engineers come from an entertainment and film background rather than broadcast, but the Calrec consoles have made it extremely easy for them to make that transition and excel.

Banana Ball is as much about performance as it is sport. It’s designed for casual fans who love great entertainment as much as for die-hard sports fans who want a legitimate season to follow, and creating that fun, positive environment is what resonates with people.

With our Championship League in its inaugural season and our television and streaming output expanding, Calrec’s Argo consoles have dramatically improved our production, putting us in the best position to broadcast the next chapter of one of sport’s most extraordinary success stories.

More information is available on Calrec Audio’s website.

BURBANK, Calif.—R-Gear is a communications and engineering equipment rental company specializing in audio and video for large-location builds in the reality TV genre. For more than 20 years, we’ve built production communications for some of the most logistically complex shows in the genre—”The Bachelor,” “Bachelor in Paradise,” “Temptation Island,” “The Challenge”—productions where the physical environment is unpredictable and the crew is rarely in one place.

On a typical reality build, we might be setting up communications across a multifloor mansion, a resort with satellite locations or a remote competition site—with producers, art department, lighting, audio and engineering all working in different spaces simultaneously. A single show might have 15 to 20 ENG camera and audio crews covering 30 cast members spread across an entire beachside resort, with control positions in trailers, tents or wherever space allows.

Producers regularly change their minds about coverage areas at the last minute and, when that happens, we need to extend fiber runs and add hardware quickly without disrupting what’s already running. The communications system must work the first time, every time.

Building for Distributed Productions
We’ve been building on Riedel systems since R-Gear’s earliest days, starting with the C44+ frame, Performer series panels, hardwire beltpacks and a RiFace to tie in two-way radios. That served us well for several years, but once we moved to Artist and Bolero, nobody could do without it.

Our standard build now centers on an Artist-64 or Artist-1024 with SmartPanels and Bolero wireless. Panel configuration depends on the setup: we use rack-mounted RSP-1232 panels and desktop DSP-2312s based on what users prefer. Cast mics and program audio come into the Artist matrix over Dante, so any panel can monitor any microphone on the show. Producers, audio and engineering can communicate with the crew and follow the show’s story from a single device.

Bolero provides the most flexibility for our distributed-location builds. At the main control room, it integrates directly with the Artist frame. For offsite crews, we build standalone systems using licensed antennas powered over Cat-6 with PoE, with an NSA interface bringing analog program audio into the system. Everyone uses the same beltpacks regardless of where they’re working. There is no reconfiguring and no workflow changes or equipment swaps when someone moves between locations.

Automatic Connectivity
“Top Chef” illustrates how that scales in practice. The main stage runs an Artist 64 with SmartPanels, integrated Bolero and a RiFace to bring walkie channels into the system. Two separate offsite locations run standalone Bolero systems with NSAs feeding program audio to the beltpacks. The beltpacks connect automatically to each location’s antenna network, so crew members move between all three sites during the day without stopping to reconfigure anything. From the user’s perspective, it feels seamless because it is.

The three-part Apple TV+ documentary “Fight for Glory: 2024 World Series” presented a different situation. The World Series broadcast was already running Bolero throughout the stadiums. Our documentary crew integrated directly into that existing environment—the director communicating from a Bolero in the trailer, every camera operator carrying a beltpack, all running on the coordinated antenna network already built for the broadcast. We didn’t install separate RF infrastructure; we stepped into a communications environment that was already built and operational.

That’s what gives me confidence in Riedel. Whether it’s a reality competition with crews spread across multiple locations or a major live event, the system must perform without question. After 20 years with these products, I know that anything with the Riedel name on it will be rock solid. In whatever conditions, wherever our shows take us, I already know the answer. It just always works.

More information is available on Riedel’s website.

LOS ANGELES—Geronimo Creek Lighting specializes in location‑based work, such as commercials, television, film and short‑form projects where we’re constantly moving. Some days we’re shooting promos on a helipad while on other days we’re in vans heading to Santa Monica Beach. Sometimes we’re bouncing between stages with no time to set up a traditional comms network.

On modern film sets, communication is more spread out than ever. Camera assistants who used to stand beside the operator now sit further away, adjusting the focus remotely. In these situations, we need a lightweight and reliable professional communication system that is truly plug‑and‑play. Pliant Technologies’ MicroCom XR fits that workflow perfectly and has become the comms solution I rely on.

The Professional Alternative
I’ve been working in film and television since 2001, and in that time, I’ve seen on-set communication shift toward cheaper, disposable wireless systems. These systems work in a pinch, but they create an undisciplined, constant‑talk environment and they’re not designed for professional production or long, demanding days.

For our crews, reliability matters more than price. I need something that sits between large‑scale matrix systems, which are too big for our footprint, and inexpensive, unreliable radios. Pliant Technologies MicroCom XR is that middle‑ground solution: It’s the lightest-weight system I have found that still offers professional-grade headsets.

MicroCom XR requires no infrastructure and performs consistently in environments where cheaper systems struggle. Even without a centralized antenna, the range is excellent; I can move from one stage to another without losing signal. The 900 MHz frequency penetrates walls better, so the audio stays stable even when you step away or move into another part of the building.

Because the antennas are customizable, MicroCom XR can also adapt to unconventional setups. On one production, I needed coverage across multiple stages without a network. The system’s flexibility allowed us to maintain stable communication without adding hardware or engineering support.

Even without a centralized antenna, the range is excellent. Headset fatigue is another issue we face that often gets overlooked; people don’t realize how exhausting it is to carry gear for 12 hours straight. Pliant’s lightweight headsets make a noticeable difference. Location filming can feel like a contact sport, so having gear that doesn’t drag you down matters.

Critical Production Workflows
As a gaffer, I use comms to stay in sync with the lighting programmer, especially during complex setups. The grip departments also use comms for camera movement involving jibs, techno cranes or detailed dolly shots—a small kit of four to 10 beltpacks is perfect for these situations. Having multiple channels helps keep the communication clear. It’s not about having everyone talking at once, but about clear, disciplined communication that supports the work.

We use the Microcom XR series comms to support our field crews for Season 36 of “Dancing with the Stars”—on location, in dance rehearsal halls, on Hollywood stages and on location for more promotional shoots. MicroCom XR’s range and portability allows our grip, lighting and camera teams to stay connected without setting up a networked comms system. It’s exactly the type of production where a midsize, professional solution makes a measurable difference.

For me, the value of Pliant comes down to reliability, build quality, headset comfort and ease of use. It’s robust, dependable and appropriate for the television and film industry. Whether it’s a reality show, large commercial shoot, or a short‑form project, MicroCom XR offers a scalable, professional alternative to consumer‑grade systems.

More information is available on Pliant’s website.

TAMPA, Fla.—As the A1 audio mixer for Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa Bay Lightning and Orlando Magic home broadcasts, I try to make viewers feel like they’re part of the experience. Whether watching from their living room or on a mobile device, the fans should feel like they’re sitting behind home plate, courtside or inside the arena.

The best broadcasts don’t draw attention to microphones, mixers or technology. They create a listening experience that feels authentic. I don’t want viewers to think that I’m trying to make them hear something. They should hear it naturally.

Sports audio is complex, with crowd noise, public address systems, venue acoustics and the pace of the game all competing for attention. My job is to present the sounds that matter most naturally, so viewers experience the game, not the technology behind it.

Natural Sound
That philosophy is what first drew me to the Shure DCA901 microphone array. I was introduced to the tech through colleagues working on major national broadcasts, and my first opportunity to spend significant time with it came during NBA All-Star Game productions. What stood out immediately was how the DCA901 allowed me to focus less on chasing individual sounds and more on creating a complete listening experience.

In basketball, I originally relied on a large number of microphones spread around the court. Capturing the sounds required constant attention as the action moved from one end of the floor to the other. The DCA901’s steerable lobes and automixing capabilities simplified that process while still giving me the detail and coverage I needed. Instead of constantly chasing the action, I could focus on getting the sound where I wanted it.

What impressed me even more was what I heard when using the DCA901 for baseball. For years, I’ve worked with high-end parabolic microphone systems that are considered industry standards in sports production and they do an excellent job. But when I first listened to the DCA901 behind home plate, I noticed something different.

With many traditional systems, you hear the impact of a baseball hitting a bat. With the DCA901, I felt like I could hear the wood itself. A clean hit sounded different from a foul tip. A player finding the sweet spot sounded different than one getting jammed inside. When a bat splintered, the detail of the wood breaking apart came through with remarkable clarity. As an audio engineer, those details matter, because they’re the sounds that make fans feel connected to the game.

Flexible Coverage
Today, I regularly deploy DCA901 systems on MLB and NBA broadcasts. For basketball, I place units on the basket stanchions. For baseball, I position them along the first- and third-base lines to capture key game sounds throughout the field of play. The steering flexibility gives me options that would traditionally require a much larger microphone deployment.

Pairing the DCA901 with Shure Action Isolator software has also been incredibly valuable. In baseball, I route my effects mics through the Action Isolator before bringing them back into the console. My crowd mics remain separate, so crowd energy stays natural, while Action Isolator cleans up the effects mix and makes it easier to feature key game sounds.

For me, the two technologies complement each other. The DCA901 gives me flexible coverage across the field and court, while Action Isolator helps reduce ambient noise that naturally exists in live sports environments. One feature I’ve especially appreciated is the ability to independently adjust processing on individual channels, allowing me to tailor the mix to the sport, venue and production requirements.

What continues to impress me most is how naturally the system captures important moments. Whether it’s the crack of the bat, the sound of the ball hitting the mitt, a pickoff attempt at first base or action developing across a basketball court, the DCA901 helps reveal details that might otherwise get lost in the mix.

More information is available on the Shure website.

RICHMOND, Va.—Opening a brand-new, state-of-the-art production facility at CarMax Park for the Richmond Flying Squirrels minor league baseball team presented many challenges and opportunities.

Among them was the all-important decision of selecting the camera system. Taking the leap from our previous workflow in our old stadium, “The Diamond,” our goal was clear: support productions of home games, live events, LED programming and multiplatform content with a consistent, high-quality production standard that truly sets us apart.

Knowing that the cameras would be in use throughout the day, reliability, image quality and flexibility were all important factors.

We looked at several options before selecting the Grass Valley LDX 110. During our evaluation, it delivered better performance in low light and other challenging lighting conditions than the alternatives we considered, while remaining within the budget we had set for the project. The Xenios CMOS image sensor consistently delivered the picture quality we were looking for, and the compact camcorder-style design was a good fit for how our operators work on game days.

All-Action Capture
Our production schedule begins when the gates open and finishes after the last fans leave the ballpark. During that time, in addition to the game itself, we’re producing a variety of content including player introductions, fan features, live entertainment, promotions and activity around the concourse. Camera operators are constantly moving between different environments and lighting conditions.

Our fixed cameras, including the high home and centerfield positions, provide the main coverage throughout the game. They produce excellent pictures and give us the consistency we need across the entire production.

The MVP in our live production workflow has been the mobile camera system, a huge upgrade over previous systems deployed. The LDX 110 gives us much more freedom to cover everything happening around the stadium with the same picture and color quality we see on fixed cameras. Operators can move freely around the 360-degree concourse to spend time with fans, react to big moments and capture entertainment occuring on and off the field, all with a consistent high-quality production standard. These shots are critical in telling the story of the fan experience at CarMax Park.

The mobile system is a seamless, natural fit in our workflow with the color-grading system in our control room, allowing our shader full control while the camera operator freely moves around CarMax Park. That combination has made mobile operation far easier than we have experienced in past workflows.

We use the word “consistency” often, as that has probably been the biggest operational improvement seen since opening the venue. The picture quality and consistency of the LDX 110 systems is big league, giving our production the polish our fans and partners deserve while allowing our team to stay focused on the live show.

Big-League Delivery
The response from our fans and community partners has been extremely positive. Fans, colleagues and industry peers who visit CarMax Park often describe our productions as “big league.” That was one of our main objectives when we designed the production facilities, so it is very rewarding to receive that feedback.

Overall, the deployment has exceeded our expectations, and we are already working with Grass Valley and our integration partners to add a second mobile camera system. That decision is based on how much value the first system has added to our productions and how often we now rely on it during a game.

Opening a new ballpark gave us the chance to build the production workflow we wanted from the beginning. The LDX 110 cameras have become an important part of that workflow, helping us produce consistent, professional coverage throughout every game while giving our production team more creative freedom around the stadium.

More information is available at Grass Valley’s website.

SAN DIEGO—When your “broadcast studio” is 5,000 meters below the ocean surface, you have to get creative with your camera technology. That’s what our combined teams at DeepSea Power & Light and Ocean Exploration Trust (OET) did on a deep-sea expedition, modifying Sony’s HDC-P50 POV camera to explore and live-stream UHD content from the ocean depths of the Cook Islands.

Each OET expedition is focused on scientific exploration, visiting never-before-seen parts of the planet, documenting ecosystems in poorly understood ocean regions, discovering new species and sharing this data with the world. A core part of OET’s mission is education and outreach, using the excitement of discovery to inspire the next generation of explorers.

Extreme Tech
Sending exploration tools to depths of 5,000 meters or more requires a unique set of hardware that can survive and operate in extreme temperatures and low light. Space constraints further complicate mounting cameras on remotely operated underwater vehicles and controlling them from confined workspaces aboard an exploration vessel.

In 2019, DeepSea partnered with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) to design a camera system that could deliver studio-level imaging quality in these conditions, an idea first championed by MBARI’s Mark Chaffey. The team sought a camera capable of UHD resolution, HDR and native 12G outputs to integrate with standard broadcast workflows. The Sony HDC-P50 hit the sweet spot for all criteria.

What sealed the deal was the camera’s modular design. DeepSea completely deconstructed and re-engineered its chassis to integrate the HDC-P50’s features into the MxD SeaCam, a broadcast-
grade 4K subsea imaging system with a ruggedized pressure housing designed for deep‑ocean exploration, scientific research and underwater filmmaking.

Building the MxD SeaCam around Sony’s proven compact broadcast camera helps us deliver the same imaging performance and control as a full-sized studio system but hardened for thousands of underwater pressure cycles. In 2025, OET and DeepSea brought the camera to sea on the Exploration Vessel Nautilus and tested it under real-world conditions.

A key objective of the Cook Islands expedition was to explore the South Pacific region’s biological and geological diversity and provide information about these environments to the Cook Islands Government.

ROV-based (remotely operated vehicle) surveys are best suited for filming macro fauna, which is everything large enough to see with the naked eye, or about a few centimeters in size. During the Cook Islands expedition, the camera’s combination of UHD resolution with a faster frame rate to capture more detail per second brought out the finer details of organisms that scientists need to identify species and examine geological patterns. Color is also important, and this HDR system gives us a richer range of hues and spectral information about underwater habitats and environments.

High-Resolution Science
The HDC-P50 will remain an essential part of DeepSea’sMxD system and the team will test and evaluate newer Sony camera versions as our organizations continue to advance deep-sea floor imaging. Only about 28% of the seafloor has been mapped at high resolution. We know more details about the moon’s surface than we do about the ocean floor.

The ocean contains about 99% of our planet’s habitable volume, yet roughly 90% of the species that live in it have yet to be identified. The visual information we gather with Sony tools is used for high-quality broadcast viewing and permanently stored in public repositories where it remains available to scientists and anyone interested in researching and learning in the future.

For many scientists, the complexity and cost of at-sea research limit their access to the sea floor. With advanced imaging solutions like the Sony HDC-P50 and DeepSea MxD SeaCam as well as OET’s telepresence outreach, researchers worldwide can unlock new ultra-high-resolution views of the deep. The better the quality of the data we can deliver to our audiences, the better they can do their jobs.

More information is available on Sony’s website.

BRISTOL, Conn.—“College GameDay” is ESPN’s premier college football pregame show, for which we have won the Sports Emmy for Best Weekly Studio Show for three consecutive years (2024–2026). It’s a privilege to work on the show and to continue to shape it.

For those unfamiliar with “GameDay,” it’s a 20-plus-camera, multiset, fan-immersive broadcast that moves to a new college campus every week of the season. It’s exciting, unpredictable and one of the most technically complex studio shows on television.

Live in HDR
Last season, we began exploring how to evolve the show’s visual identity. We had already moved “GameDay” into HDR, and that shift opened the door to a more cinematic presentation. I don’t just mean shallow depth of field, which tends to dominate conversations about “cinematic sports,” but the full package: Crisp edge detail, richer color and extended dynamic range. With a controlled lighting environment on our set (even outdoors), we knew we could push the look further.

At the 2025 NAB Show, RED’s booth immediately caught my attention. They were showcasing the V-RAPTOR with the SMPTE back, and the combination aligned exactly with my search for a cinema-grade sensor that could still integrate cleanly into a broadcast workflow.

After meeting RED’s specialists and digging into the camera’s capabilities, it became clear the V-RAPTOR could deliver two things we needed simultaneously: One was a true cinematic image suitable for HDR and the other was high-frame-rate performance for studio slow motion.

We weren’t just chasing a “pretty picture.” I needed a camera that could slot into our EVS replay system, take a matching look-up table to sit alongside our Sony broadcast cameras and still be painted live from the truck. V-RAPTOR ticked every box.

Every week of the season, “GameDay” rolls into a new campus. We build a full studio environment outdoors, surrounded by thousands of fans who show up before sunrise. It’s a wild place to deploy a cinema camera, but RED made the integration straightforward.

Canon supported us with optics, primarily the Canon 17–120 mm Cine Servo zoom, and later a prototype Canon 11–55 mm. We ran the camera through a Cyanview control panel, RED provided the necessary rack gear and we powered the camera directly from the truck to accommodate the different power requirements.

Operationally, the only noticeable change was weight. With cine glass and the larger body, we assigned the camera to an operator with experience carrying one through long, energetic handheld sequences. Once it was on his shoulder, he ran with it creatively.

We deployed the V-RAPTOR for two weeks of the 15-week regular season, at Vanderbilt and Utah. Vanderbilt was a perfect test case—the show featured live country music performances, and the camera produced standout images that immediately
differentiated themselves from our standard broadcast coverage.

We ran the camera at 3x slow motion, using it for fan reaction slo-mos, which are a show signature. We also used it for our on-set field-goal challenge, where a student attempts a kick for a cash prize.

Ready for 500th Show
The camera bridged the gap between cinematic presentation and high-frame-rate replay in a way we hadn’t achieved before. RED proved itself as a valuable tool in our broader innovation strategy.

As “GameDay” enters its 40th season and prepares for its 500th road show, we’re always looking for ways to evolve. V-RAPTOR gave us a new visual language to explore and helped inform how we think about balancing cinematic storytelling with live broadcast reliability.

As we continue to push forward in HDR, in camera tech and in how we bring the energy of thousands of fans into viewers’ homes, RED will remain part of the conversation.

More information is available on the RED website.

PORTLAND, Maine—Portland Media Center is the nonprofit community media hub for the greater Portland, Maine, area. We operate two local broadcast stations and two fully equipped production studios that are open to the public.

Our mission is straightforward and a little radical: Everyone has a story worth telling, and everyone deserves the tools, the training and the airtime to tell it. We offer workshops, seminars, and hands-on media production training for everyone from seasoned documentary makers to people who have never so much as touched a camera.

When I walked into the control room for the first time, I saw a love letter to every decade of broadcast technology since 1985. Racks upon racks were assembled over the years with genuine skill and craftsmanship, each piece there for a reason, often because something older needed a translator to talk to something newer.

It worked, but it was clunky. It was difficult to teach, scale and maintain. It was not exactly a system you could confidently put in front of a newcomer and say: “You belong here. This is yours to use. Go tell your story.”

Designing a New Studio
That needed to change and I knew what I wanted. A system that spoke one language, camera to switcher to edit suite—all of it integrated, intuitive and designed to get out of the way and let the storytelling happen.

We built out the new studio around four Blackmagic Studio Camera 4K Pro live production cameras, an ATEM Television Studio HD8 ISO live production switcher, an ATEM Camera Control Panel and four camera converters. The transformation was immediate and dramatic—three full racks of old equipment came out, and the entire Blackmagic Design system went into half of one rack.

The cameras run on Power over Ethernet, delivering clean, timeline-ready files directly to the ATEM. The clutter and complexity are gone, and now we have a studio that looks exactly as it is supposed to look.

Choosing the Blackmagic Studio Camera 4K Pro was deliberate. For a nonprofit operating on a community media budget, cost matters, but so does performance and teachability.

The Blackmagic Studio Camera 4K Pro delivers on all three. Color correction is intuitive whether you are working in camera or through the CCU. The switched feed integrates flawlessly into DaVinci Resolve Studio and Fairlight, producing a pipeline that feels less like a workaround and more like it was designed by someone who actually thought about how these things connect (because it was). Files arrive already embedded in a timeline, ready to go. In a pinch, the entire system can be run by a single operator.

Perhaps more importantly for our mission, the system is easy to teach. New creators can get up to speed quickly, while more experienced producers have plenty of depth to explore. We have shifted from a place that produces programming to a place that produces producers.

Simplfied Debates
The proof came in the form of a recent live gubernatorial debate. Five candidates—
including one appearing remotely—as well as two hosts and a live studio audience of 65, were delivered simultaneously to broadcast, video-on-demand and YouTube. It was exactly the kind of high-stakes civic production that used to require crossing your fingers and hoping nothing went sideways.

Nothing did. The Blackmagic Design system handled every element with zero drama and delivered a production we were genuinely proud of. Having the right tools meant it looked as important as it was.

For us, that’s the real value of the Blackmagic Studio Camera 4K Pro. The cameras don’t just produce excellent images, they simplify complex productions, make professional broadcasting accessible and allow our nonprofit to do more with limited resources. By modernizing our infrastructure, we’ve strengthened our ability to serve the community and ensure that more local voices can be seen and heard.

More information is available by contacting Blackmagic Design at 408-954-0500 or by visiting the Blackmagic website.

MINNEAPOLIS—I first founded Curling Stadium, a systems integration firm specializing in deploying livestreaming systems in curling arenas using PTZ cameras and NDI connectivity technology, in 2019. Combining my 25 years of IT experience with my background as an Olympic curler, we installed and managed systems in 23 curling clubs around the world.

Those deployments captured the attention of organizations, including USA Curling and international governing body World Curling. We started getting requests to provide full broadcast production services for major curling events, leading us to evolve into Stadium Sports Network, the full-service production company we are today.

Curling Challenges
We had used a variety of PTZ camera brands over the years, ranging from budget-oriented brands for small clubs to the premium high-end models we rented for larger productions. With our productions for World Curling destined for linear television anywhere in the world, we knew we needed to upgrade our cameras to achieve higher quality while remaining cost-competitive. A tipping point came when we were contracted to produce broadcasts of the U.S. Olympic Curling Trials in South Dakota last November for NBC Sports and Peacock.

Shooting curling involves some unique challenges. For example, when we’re tilting a camera down at the ice, we’re getting a lot of bright white that blows out the exposure on most of the other cameras we’ve used. The lighting also varies a lot between events depending on the venues—from dimly lit older curling clubs to bright, modern arenas—so we needed cameras with at least a 1-inch sensor as well as exceptional exposure handling.

One of our partner companies recommended we check out Telycam PTZ cameras, and I’m glad we did. After testing their broadcast-class Explore XE model, we purchased three of them.

In our typical workflow, the Telycam cameras output NDI HX3 streams that are delivered to the production center over a 10 Gbps Ubiquiti network. Switching is done on a computer running vMix software, with Singular Live powering HTML5 graphics and a Behringer X32 audio mixing console.

We use AVKANS controllers for PTZ camera control. Telycam makes its own controllers, but the Telycam cameras support the standard VISCA control protocol and we already owned many AVKANS controllers, so we stuck with them.

The Telycam PTZ cameras have been outstanding, and we couldn’t be happier with the results. When I compare them to other manufacturers we’ve used, aspects like color shading and autofocus have been standouts, and the autoexposure has been amazing in overcoming the above challenges.

In fact, we had rented high-end cameras from a big broadcast brand for a previous project, but we found that Telycam’s autoexposure and focus management blew the more expensive cameras out of the water. The Explore XE gives us superior quality and at its price point, we can buy the cameras rather than renting them. The value we’re getting from them allows us to be competitive at the high end of our market.

PTZ Creativity
Curling is also fairly repetitive compared to other sports, so the shots are almost always the same. We need to be more creative with how we mix in shots with zoom, and the Telycam cameras’ responsiveness with different presets has been valuable.

Most importantly, our broadcast clients have also been happy with the results. We previously heard from skeptics that PTZ cameras couldn’t achieve this level of production quality, but I believe that’s been proven not to be true.

Telycam has also been great to work with. The demo and sales process was smooth and their technical support has been excellent. During one project, we found that we needed a different firmware package, and within an hour, they had responded and new firmware was running on the camera.

We plan to expand to produce multiple broadcasts at the same time, so we’ll be investing in more cameras. Based on our experience, when we do, it will be with Telycam.

More information is available on the Telycam website.

SAN DIEGO—Established in San Diego in 2009, Show Imaging was known as the group of producers who refused to say “no” to the crazy and seemingly impossible. Over the years, Show Imaging has grown to a team of over 200 people nationwide and a community of unique creators who come from every background to build all aspects of premier experiences.

San Diego Comic-Con, one of my favorite events of the year, draws hundreds of thousands of devoted fans across film, television, literature and comics to experience panels, artist showcases and cosplay competitions. Delivering a memorable experience requires reliable, high-quality video capture and displays to ensure every fan has a front-row seat.

In 2025, Show Imaging partnered with Panasonic to bring that vision to life, providing the production technology needed not only to capture Comic-Con’s iconic panels but also to deliver high-quality video coverage to engage devoted fans and audience members.

Immersive Fan Experiences
Many panels operate on a first-come, first-served basis, so auditoriums fill quickly, including the seats in the back. Our job is to ensure all 6,000 attendees receive a front-row experience, delivering real-time audio and video that keeps every viewer connected to the action regardless of where they’re seated.

That’s why we equipped the room with three Panasonic AW-UE150 4K PTZ Cameras, one AK-UC4000 Studio Camera and the Kairos Live Video Production Platform. Designed for fast, intuitive setup, these solutions allowed our team to capture dynamic panels in 4K without having to worry about technical complexity or system reliability.

For close-ups during panel discussions and audience Q&As, Panasonic’s 4K PTZ and studio cameras delivered precise color reproduction and consistent shading, ensuring every attendee—even those watching online—experienced an accurate view of the action on stage.

Panasonic’s AW-UE150 4K PTZ Cameras were particularly instrumental when “Star Wars” creator George Lucas made a surprise appearance to promote the new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. Attendees not only saw and heard the exclusive announcement of the museum, but also close-up video of Lucas as he shared behind-the-scenes stories and insights about his work, making the panel an unforgettable moment for “Star Wars” fans.

We also deployed 18 Panasonic PT-RQ35 projectors to map content across a 250-foot linear projection screen. Thanks to Panasonic’s interoperable ecosystem, the 4K PTZ cameras and projectors worked seamlessly together to deliver accurate visuals at scale with minimal adjustment. Panasonic’s Kairos Live Production Platform enabled the production team to easily edit, overlay and switch this content across screens in real time.

Kairos can also handle
ST 2110 signals directly, dramatically streamlining workflows. Comic-Con is a large-scale live event with many moving parts, and Kairos helped us manage the PTZ cameras, studio cameras, audio inputs and other visuals.

Panasonic’s integrated production ecosystem gave us the flexibility to prioritize storytelling over technical complexity, as illustrated during the “Tron: Ares” panel. A dramatic red laser light show and live stage performance were captured seamlessly by Panasonic’s PTZ cameras, ensuring audiences experienced every moment from wherever they were seated.

Images and Energy
Panasonic’s professional AV solutions enabled our team to immerse Comic-Con attendees in every iconic moment with precise imaging, seamless workflows and reliable performance. Rather than focusing on the technology behind the scenes, our crew could focus on what mattered most: capturing the energy of every panel and delivering an unforgettable experience for fans throughout the venue.

As audience expectations continue to rise, broadcast-quality cameras and production platforms will become even more essential to live events of every size.

Combined with emerging capabilities like AI-powered auto-tracking and live captioning, these technologies will help production teams create more accessible, engaging and immersive experiences to allow every attendee and remote viewer to feel connected to the action, no matter where they are.

More information is available on Panasonic’s website.

PRAGUE, Czech Republic—CS live is a Czech Republic–based outside broadcast company that covers domestic soccer and ice hockey leagues, international UEFA competitions and large-scale mixed martial arts events. As our production work has grown in scale and complexity, we reached a point where our existing setup no longer matched how we needed to operate day to day.

When we started planning our newest OB van, the real question wasn’t just what equipment to use but how it would all work together once it was in the truck.

OB trucks have always pulled from multiple vendors—audio consoles, switchers, replay, monitoring—and each comes with its own way of working.

In practice, that often means juggling several control systems simultaneously. Operators learn each one separately, and even small changes, such as swapping out a device or reworking a setup between shows, can take more effort than necessary.

Streamlined Control
That complexity was becoming harder to manage across productions, so we set out to simplify it.

After thorough planning with Czech integrator Smart Informatics, we went for a Riedel solution. including the company’s “hi human interface” control system, a browser-based, platform-independent control layer that enables operators to manage a wide range of devices. Part of that decision came from prior experience with Riedel technology, but just as important was their approach to tying systems together rather than treating them as isolated components.

At the core of the truck is a MediorNet-distributed network built on 12 MicroN UHD nodes. Seven nodes handle signal routing, while five are configured as multiviewers. Two additional MicroN Standard nodes act as stageboxes, linking the truck to stadiums and other sources over a single fiber connection. SDI, MADI and Ethernet all run together, which helps keep the physical side of the build manageable.

For us, another advantage is flexibility going forward. We’re still working in baseband today, but the system gives us a way to move toward IP at our own pace without having to rethink the entire build.

On top of that sits hi, Riedel’s control system, which we use as a single layer across the truck. It brings control of audio, switching, replay, monitoring, GPI triggers and signaling together into one interface. Instead of moving between systems, operators stay in the same environment.

The setup includes five hiPush18 panels, a hiPush32 Shading panel, a hiPush36 panel and three hiContact panels, along with tablet control where it makes sense. We also use Riedel 1200 Series panels, where the intercom can sit on one layer and routing or device control on another—a practical option when space is tight.

From Days to Just Hours
The biggest operational change for us has been how hi separates the operator experience from the underlying hardware. The interface behaves the same way regardless of what’s behind it. In most cases, when a device changes or is reassigned, that update carries through automatically across the system.

What used to take days to reconfigure can now usually be handled in hours. That shows up most clearly in how we manage tight production schedules. Moving between venues or back-to-back events often means adjusting sources or workflows quickly. With a unified control layer, those changes are easier to implement without forcing operators to adapt at the same time.

There’s also a practical benefit in staffing. Because the interface stays consistent, operators don’t need deep familiarity with each system in the truck. That gives us more flexibility in how we crew productions.

This is the first deployment of hi in the Czech Republic, and it’s already shaped how we think about future builds. Moving to a distributed signal backbone combined with a single control layer changes the day-to-day experience of working in the truck in a meaningful way.

The system we’ve put together—MediorNet, hi, Artist intercom and Bolero wireless—isn’t tied to a fixed way of working. Instead of locking ourselves into one approach, we’ve built something we can adjust over time as our needs evolve.

More information is available on Riedel’s website.

CHICAGO—For more than four decades, Installation Services has been synonymous with RF atop Chicago’s Willis Tower. From early collaboration with the late and esteemed broadcast engineer Jeremy Ruck to coordinating antenna systems and transmission lines to helicopter lifts and structural upgrades, our team has worked on nearly every major broadcast installation on the building since the 1980s.

Most recently, we completed one of the most complex projects in the tower’s history: replacing an aging Dielectric triple-stack antenna system with two new UHF systems serving WLS-TV, WFLD-TV and WMAQ-TV.

The Importance of Advanced Planning
The original triple-stack system dated back to the industry’s digital transition in the late 1990s. It served Chicago viewers well for more than two decades, but evolving operational requirements and long-term infrastructure planning made it time for an upgrade. The new configuration includes a Dielectric TFU double-stacked slot antenna system for WLS-TV and WFLD-TV, along with a separate single-slot antenna UHF installation for WMAQ-TV. Both systems feature vertically polarized design elements to improve building penetration.

Projects of this scale begin long before anything leaves the ground. Planning alone took roughly one year and involved structural analysis, engineering reviews, fabrication work, Federal Aviation Administration and Federal Communications Commission coordination, city approvals and extensive lift planning. On a structure as prominent as Willis Tower, every component must meet rigorous engineering and Chicago building code requirements. Multiple engineering teams and third-party reviewers evaluated every detail to ensure the systems would meet performance expectations for decades to come.

Before installation could begin, we first had to remove the existing 18,500-pound triple-stack antenna system. Using Helicopter Express’ heavy-lift aircraft, we dismantled the legacy system into sections and safely lowered it from the tower. Preparation work included replacing aging hardware with new bolts ahead of the lift to ensure smooth field operations during the critical removal window.

The replacement systems required substantial site preparation as well. We removed and replaced the original top plate assembly atop the tower with a newly engineered structure designed to current standards. That alone required a separate helicopter lift and additional reinforcement work beneath the mounting structure to properly tie everything into the tower.

Once the site was prepared, the real installation work began. The WMAQ-TV installation included a massive, fabricated transition section—what we refer to as the “wedding cake”—which serves as the primary support structure for the antenna above it. We also installed rigid transmission line systems to extend multiple floors down into the transmission facilities below.

The Big Lift
Coordinating the helicopter lifts is one of the most demanding aspects of projects like this. We shut down more than a dozen city streets, halted pedestrian traffic and coordinated with dozens of workers, engineers and public safety personnel. During lift operations, virtually every major TV and FM station on the building had to temporarily power down. It’s an enormous logistical undertaking that started before sunrise and requires precision from everyone involved.

Once the antennas were installed, the work shifted toward final optimization. Our crews spent weeks torquing hardware, verifying structural integrity and preparing the RF systems for operation. Third-party inspectors reviewed the completed work, after which transmission lines were connected and tuned. Dielectric engineers then performed system sweeps and final RF optimization to ensure peak performance across the entire transmission system.

These are extremely high-power broadcast facilities serving one of the nation’s largest television markets, so every detail matters. Seeing the new Dielectric systems successfully installed and operating atop Willis Tower is something that brings tremendous pride to our entire team. Projects like this remind you how much planning, engineering and teamwork go into keeping over-the-air television operating reliably for millions of viewers every day.

For more information, visit Dielectric’s website.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates—At Badger & Combes, we specialize in delivering high-quality live production for sports and broadcast, focusing on scalable, remote workflows that support complex, multilocation events. Our team regularly works on fast-paced productions where reliability, flexibility and efficiency are critical to success.

One example of that is the Dubai Rugby Sevens, an international tournament featuring top men’s and women’s teams from around the world. During the 2025 event (Nov. 28-30), 664 competitive matches were played across a large multisport venue. Every game was captured and streamed live on YouTube, the Dubai Sevens official website and the official event app.

Remotely producing a live global sporting event on the scale of the Dubai Rugby Sevens is no small feat. With hundreds of matches played across multiple locations, a production hub thousands of miles from the venue and zero tolerance for downtime, delivering uninterrupted live coverage to a global audience is a major challenge.

Livestreaming Every Match
For the 2025 tournament, we took on the challenge of live­streaming every single match using a fully remote production workflow built for seamless worldwide distribution.

A Haivision-powered workflow, designed for high scalability, efficiency and rock-solid reliability, formed the backbone of our production. With Haivision’s contribution solutions and the SRT (Secure Reliable Transport) protocol, we delivered a resilient, continent-spanning broadcast network built to meet the intense demands of live, fast-paced sports.

Rather than deploying a large-scale broadcast setup at the venue, we relied on a flexible and lightweight contribution model using Haivision live video contribution solutions powered by SRT, a protocol developed by Haivision for low-latency, secure and reliable videostreaming over unpredictable networks, enabled the live production to be driven from a central hub in Manchester, England, while postproduction infrastructure operated live in Dubai.

On-site in Dubai, we deployed 12 cameras connected to a range of Haivision mobile video transmitters across eight pitch locations. The main stadium was supported by a Haivision Pro460 mobile transmitter, handling multiple camera feeds through its multiview feature. A second Pro460 was positioned at the engineering station, ingesting feeds from additional pitches alongside an RF camera, enabling real-time bidirectional communication between teams in Dubai and Manchester.

Across the remaining pitches, we deployed seven Haivision Air mobile transmitters and a Falkon X2 transmitter at individual camera positions, providing reliable, low-latency live video contribution from each game, along with return feeds so engineers could monitor activity across all pitches.

A Haivision Air unit was also used to support audio communications and file transfer. Our team in Manchester communicated directly with the on-site team in Dubai through the Air, allowing roaming crew members to coordinate production from over 3,000 miles away. This same infrastructure supported file transfer, consolidating workflows into a unified Haivision ecosystem.

All camera feeds were sent over the internet using SRT with latency as low as 1.5 seconds, arriving at Haivision StreamHub receivers in Manchester. From there, feeds were sent to EVS for replay, graphics, and postproduction before delivery to digital platforms.

The system proved highly reliable. Every incoming feed was recorded as it arrived, creating a backup archive of all camera footage for post-event use. The flexibility of the Haivision solutions allowed full visibility of the entire production across both locations.

Really Remote Workflows
Despite the distance between Dubai and Manchester, the camera-to-production workflow enabled effective live switching, replay and real-time communication across continents.

What would once have required large crews and significant on-site infrastructure was achieved through a centralized workflow built on Haivision technology and SRT. By the end of the weekend, we successfully delivered live coverage of all 664 matches with no major technical issues, using a production footprint small enough to fit into just three cases.

The equipment was lightweight, easy to deploy and highly cost-effective, enabling us to deliver full-scale production with a minimal on-site footprint and significantly reduced operational costs.

More information is available on Haivision’s website.

MILWAUKEE—WMVS and WMVT, Milwaukee PBS’s two high-definition television stations, are licensed to the Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC), with their studios and offices located in the downtown campus, where students in the associate of applied science degree program in television and video production receive training.

At our MATC and Milwaukee PBS studios, television instructors have two priorities: ensuring our broadcast training labs and productions run smoothly and students receive the most practical, professional hands-on experience possible.

Supporting New Cameras
We constantly upgrade our student studio to mirror the on-air facilities of Channels 10 (WMVS) and 36 (WMVT) to stimulate student growth from training all the way to MPBS broadcasts and, finally, to the area TV stations we serve. When we recently discovered that the old heads on our Vinten Osprey pedestals could not support new Sony HDC3100 cameras, prompters and monitors, we began looking for a cost-effective solution that would ensure a truly professional student experience.

After entertaining several vendors and products and finding difficulty in satisfying all of our requirements, we contacted Vinten, who loaned us their latest offering, the Versine 360 pan and tilt heads, for a test drive. What we found was a sturdy, responsive and cost-effective solution that allows us to keep our older peds, add newer cameras and accessories and upgrade our training and production workflow with confidence.

Our studio operations were instantly upgraded when instructor Dan Brown installed the Versine 360 heads on our Ospreys. He and his fellow lab instructors, David McCoy and Traci Koller, found that the combination of precision, quality and versatility made these heads ideal for preparing our students at the fundamental stage of broadcast learning. Utilizing those skills later as crew members at Milwaukee PBS, they seamlessly supported our schedule of local productions.

Versine 360 heads are built for demanding studio environments, which is key when using them in training for hours on end. Their robust construction handles repeated, intensive use, essential in a live, multicam environment with students of different skill levels.

In live production—especially in a high-volume training lab—camera support is not just about mounting a camera; it’s about precision, repeatability and operator confidence. Dan found that the Versine heads provide excellent counterbalance, holding the camera steady with only rare needs for adjustment, which is important for longer productions with multiple rotating operators. Their adjustable fluid drag ensures pans and tilts are smooth and consistent, giving operators confidence as they learn to focus on framing and storytelling.

One of the most rewarding parts of my job is integrating the latest professional equipment into our tech college programs—the only TV program in the state and one of only a handful housed within a PBS station. Students seek out MATC to learn in our Milwaukee PBS studios, gaining hands-on experience in broadcast production. This practical training is invaluable, providing students the skills and confidence to step into broadcast roles immediately after graduation.

Training the Next Generation
The majority of broadcast and video professionals in our market, from TV stations to the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks, to networks and production companies throughout the Midwest, include staff trained here at MATC/MPBS. They know the combination of training, skills, gear and professional experiences afforded by an MATC education is second to none when it comes to transitioning into the professional world.

Investing in the Versine 360 heads was not just about upgrading equipment; it was about maintaining an environment where our broadcasts and our students benefit from high standards of performance and reliability. Their precision, robustness and versatility allows us to run complex productions confidently while serving as a real-world classroom for future industry professionals.

The Vinten Versine 360 heads are now an integral part of our educational experience, giving our programs polish and students a foundation that will serve them throughout their careers in Southeastern Wisconsin’s broadcast industry and beyond.

More information is available on Vinten’s website.

LOS ANGELES—I’m the founder of Rowdy Skeleton, a consulting and content agency based in Los Angeles, as well as a host and former tech journalist who has spent more than 15 years refining and updating my AV setup.

Over the years, I’ve covered all kinds of events across games, pop culture and tech, including one of the world’s biggest consumer-electronics shows, CES. When I attended CES 2020 just before the pandemic, my field kit was massive: full-frame camera, three-plus lenses of every focal length, small LED lights and a wired mic to avoid wireless interference and noise.

Covering products and stories at CES took ages to set up, especially if I didn’t have a dedicated camera operator on any given day. After a few booths’ worth of setup, recording and striking, I’d decamp to our press room to unload footage and rest before heading back to the show floor. It was truly exhausting, running from appointment to appointment carrying a heavy backpack while making sure I was still camera-ready and delivering as much enthusiasm as I could muster.

Downsizing With DJI
These days, I’m on the content creator/influencer side of things, and last December, a client booked my company for a last-minute content engagement at CES 2026. I’d been working to downsize my kit, and the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 has served me really well. It’s lightweight, extremely portable and its versatility made shooting field packages a breeze.

However, I hadn’t found a lighting solution that matched the Osmo Pocket 3’s usefulness. Mass-produced lights I had tried were small and inexpensive, but they didn’t throw enough light to make a difference when I was more than an arm’s length away from the Pocket 3’s lens. And I didn’t want to invest in a full-cage system, since they add so much weight and bulk to a shooting solution that’s meant to be extremely light and compact.

After some research, I discovered Frezzi’s PocketLight LED kit for DJI Osmo Pocket 3, a light kit designed specifically for Osmo, and convinced them to let me try it out as I covered CES 2026.

Setting it up was easy—I slid the Osmo Pocket 3’s extended battery into the minimalist-but-sturdy metal case, attached the LED’s long arm and snapped the light onto the strong magnet at the top. Heading out on the show floor, I felt well-equipped and confident, even without a more complex and heavier traditional camera setup. Moving through the crowds was so much easier, and using a magnetic LED mount meant taking a hands-free shot was as simple as snapping the entire system to it and framing my shot in the Osmo Pocket 3’s selfie modem with DJI’s Mic Mini attached to my jacket.

Frezzi’s light is an incredibly well-designed piece of equipment that makes the most of its form factor, and it rounded out my kit exactly as I hoped it would. The range of its brightness meant I was able to have exactly the right amount of light for every shot, no matter if the booth was extra dark, extra bright or backlit.

Versatile and Portable
Many times, I was shooting in areas featuring a product under absolutely beautiful light, but attempting to record in front of those displays would result in a harsh case of backlighting. The Frezzi LED completely neutralized those issues, and using it at less than 50% brightness (which is still really bright) resulted in a massive battery-life boost that was a sincerely pleasant surprise.

Because the light isn’t fixed to a cold shoe (it uses a magnetic mount instead), I can swing it around in any direction regardless of what I’m recording. I’m not exaggerating when I say that this setup has been an absolute game-changer for me as a content creator, and I’m excited Frezzi created a lighting solution that matches the capability, portability and versatility of the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 perfectly.

More information is available on Frezzi’s website.

NEW YORK—The live sports broadcasting industry is grappling with a significant technological shift. Productions are becoming larger and more complex, and the demand for wireless cameras has outpaced the capabilities of traditional microwave RF systems that operate on increasingly crowded and limited frequency spectrums.

There’s a constant challenge to efficiently broadcast content wirelessly, which has created a strong industry-wide push to find viable next-generation solutions like 5G. All the traditional solutions still perform well, but when Sony demoed for us its 5G-powered live remote-production offering, comprised of a CBK-RPU7 encoder paired with the PDT-FP1 portable data transmitter and the NXL-ME80 media-edge processor to achieve ultra-low latency, our reaction was, “Why wouldn’t we look at it?”

Low Latency, High Quality
Sony’s solution presented an option offering ultra-low latency and high video quality, plus the ability to send back return video and control the camera and tally.

We’re always limited on the amount of RF cameras we can run on a large-scale event—at a golf major, we typically have around 120 cameras. Over the last four or five years, we’ve been creating one giant camera-control network. If we have six different trucks, the person physically shading cameras can be there, or we can extend the network to New York and have somebody paint it from there.

Our teams have also started virtualizing RF camera control with Sony Camera Control Network Adapters (CNAs), which show up as just another CCU on the network. Now, even if we have 25 video operators, they can be anywhere, in any truck, controlling anything. Having another Sony device on the system allows us to add control to the network more easily.

It’s important we continue to look for ways to transmit more content using the same number of frequencies available. Spectrum is in short supply, so being able to leverage new transmission technology is certainly an advantage, and 5G is obviously, for now, the next solution.

Typically, public networks are specified at about 80% allocation for download and 20% for upload, making it difficult to stream higher bit rates—we need much higher upload bandwidth to transmit live video reliably and smoothly. The video quality and low latency achieved through Sony’s 5G encoder are production-ready and comparable to wired fiber, making it a viable option for primary broadcast cameras.

We’ve even done side-by-side tests of the 5G feed against hard-wired fiber feeds, revealing minimal differences in quality and latency. The video quality from Sony’s 5G encoder was so high when compared to a wired fiber camera that we often could not tell the difference, even when using a high-grade broadcast monitor.

Public 5G Slicing
Production always wants more RF—that’s one of the biggest requests at major events. While private 5G networks provide excellent, dedicated bandwidth, deployment is still challenging enough to warrant further simplification for broader adoption. The potential for carriers to offer guaranteed bandwidth (slicing) on public 5G networks could be the next necessary step towards simplified deployment. Plus, the availability of a public 5G slicing option means you don’t always have to deploy a completely separate 5G system.

Even if there is some trade-off between robustness, latency and quality, it’s worth it for the ability to get more coverage easily and over a large area. The future of wireless broadcasting, at least for the near term, is likely a hybrid model with traditional RF cameras supplemented by 5G cameras placed in strategic locations or in areas difficult to reach with other technologies.

We’re definitely rounding the corner, and as we do, it will be this 5G-powered remote production technology’s time to shine.

More information is available on Sony’s professional products website.

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—As the founder of TNDV, a Nashville-based live event and broadcast production company specializing in multicamera television, music specials and large-scale live events, I know how recording and capturing content is one of the most crucial tasks we face on any project.

For more than two decades, our team has supported everything from concert broadcasts and awards shows to network television and corporate productions. As our company has grown, our technology choices have always been driven by reliability, efficiency and the ability to scale alongside increasingly complex productions.

Practical and Affordable
My relationship with AJA’s Ki Pro line goes back to the very beginning. I was an extremely early adopter of the original Ki Pro in 2009, and it fundamentally changed the trajectory of my career and my company. At the time, recording HD content meant relying almost exclusively on tape-based HDCAM systems that could easily cost six figures per unit, and it was preventing me from moving beyond an SD-SDI workflow. The Ki Pro introduced a practical, affordable way to record broadcast-quality HD using a file-based, disc-based workflow, arriving at exactly the moment our industry was ready for change.

We quickly recognized that the Ki Pro was not only just a recorder, it was a workflow solution. As our young company expanded from a single HD production truck to three and eventually to 12, we purchased as many Ki Pro units as we could. They became a core part of our technical infrastructure and a key differentiator when pitching new clients.

As the industry transitioned away from tape formats, we were already prepared to deliver file-based media that quickly entered postproduction pipelines in file formats our clients were asking for, like ProRes.

Deployment was straightforward. Ki Pro units integrated cleanly into our trucks, worked seamlessly with a wide range of cameras and switchers and proved themselves reliable in demanding live environments. On a typical production, we use Ki Pro recorders for ISO recording, program capture, backup recording and deliverables. The ability to hand off high-quality media immediately after a show without real-time tape transfers saved hours on every production and helped our clients move faster.

When AJA introduced the Ki Pro Rack, we immediately began purchasing dozens of units. The rack-mounted form factor was a natural evolution for mobile production and control-room environments. It allowed us to consolidate recording systems, improve cable management and expand channel counts without increasing complexity. The Ki Pro Rack was built upon everything we appreciated about the original Ki Pro while offering greater flexibility for larger shows.

Ready for the Future
A few years later, we were just as eager to adopt the Ki Pro Ultra, followed closely by the Ki Pro Ultra Plus. As our productions moved into higher frame rates and 4K workflows, these units provided the performance and consistency we needed. Today, we own and operate over 100 different Ki Pro recorders across our fleet. They are trusted tools for both HD and 4K shows, whether we are covering a live concert, televised awards show or high-profile corporate event.

Over 15 years after the original Ki Pro was introduced, the Ki Pro family remains a crucial part of our workflow. We have evaluated and tested many alternative recording solutions over the years, but the Ki Pro continues to stand out for its reliability, image quality and ease of use. In live production, failure is not an option, and AJA’s recorders have consistently delivered dependable performance show after show.

For our team, Ki Pro is not just a piece of gear—it represents a turning point in how we work and how we serve our clients. From our earliest HD productions to today’s multi-truck, multiformat broadcasts, AJA Ki Pro recorders have helped us grow, adapt and stay competitive in an ever-evolving industry.

More information is available on the AJA Video Systems website.

THUNDER BAY, Ontario—Dougall Media is one of the last privately owned multi-TV, multi-radio, print paper and digital advertising organizations in Canada. We cover all of Northwestern Ontario, a land mass equivalent in size to the Greater Toronto Area but proportionally representng roughly one-tenth of the GTA population.

The Government of Canada’s 2011 DTV transition inspired a complete investment in digital television infrastructure at Dougall Media. We rebuilt the plant to be fully digital from the ground up right from the mandate. As the engineer in charge of technology decisions, I decided to take the extra steps to establish a complete captioning workflow, rather than simply add a digital encoder at the end of the chain.

Accuracy and Automation
We built several different text-to-speech environments, but as time progressed, the expectations for accuracy and deliverability evolved. That inspired a shift to automated captioning solutions that could more easily reach the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) minimums for accuracy in captions. We also wanted a system that could address more complex processes, such as speech recognition, without user intervention.

That search led us to ENCO’s enCaption solution for live, automated captioning in 2018. Deployed as a fully on-prem captioning workflow, we have continued to evolve our enCaption solution with nearly every generation, including our most recent update in 2025.

One of the first things we focus on in captioning is accuracy as a measurable outcome; automated captioning must deliver not only strong baseline performance, but consistent results across program types and conditions. As enCaption is designed for real-time broadcast environments, it continues to improve in a way that matters operationally. Our accuracy has continued to improve over time and today hovers near 99%.

This is especially impressive when you consider that the captioning workflow exists within the chaos of many separate audio layers. enCaption’s captioning engine can cleanly differentiate between speech over music, effects-heavy segments, multiple speakers, cross talk and more across our entire 5.1 signal chain.

enCaption has proved it can handle complicated audio streams without creating a constant downstream burden that can cause latency. Accuracy is essential, but if captions arrive too late, viewers lose interest and live programming suffers.

Reliability and consistency are also paramount. Captioning correlates with accessibility, compliance, and viewer experience, and everyone watching (including regulators) notice when it fails. enCaption behaves as part of our core infrastructure, as proven during a primary fiber path outage. Video and audio were restored quickly through a backup satellite feed that didn’t carry usable in-band captions.

We were able to route that baseband backup source through a secondary captioning path and regenerate captions using enCaption. Viewers still received accessible programming, and we remained compliant. That experience reinforced why redundancy and routability were non-negotiable requirements for our automated captioning workflow.

More Than Broadcast
Finally, we’re building systems for a future where linear broadcast is only part of the picture. Connected TV, apps, FAST channels and OTT distribution are rapidly becoming more important. Captioning requirements don’t disappear in that world—they expand, often into translation and multilanguage delivery.

Our continued investment in enCaption allows us to look beyond today’s primary broadcast output across our multiplatform delivery footprint moving forward.

enCaption meets the criteria broadcast engineers value, including accuracy you can measure, exceptional speed with ultra-low latency, performance under challenging audio conditions, flexibility in the signal chain and operational resilience in failures.

ENCO’s customer service has also been exceptional across every phase of our relationship, which is just one more reason we value our decision to standardize on their captioning technology.

More information is available on the ENCO enCaption product page.

LANCASTER, Pa.—Pocono Television Network (PTN) is operated by the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau (PMVB), a private, nonprofit organization that serves to promote, educate and attract visitors to Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains. Launched in 2017, the channel showcases the region through original segments such as “Pocono Perspectives” and “Pocono Mountains Magazine,” weather updates, live webcams and features on local businesses and events.

The PMVB created its own television network in order to drive content development with a focus on storytelling about the destination and the organization’s 600 members. As president and CEO of the PMVB, I also serve as the executive in charge of production for PTN, which, over the past eight years, has grown substantially in its broadcast, cable and streaming coverage to now reach more than 50 million households.

By 2022, we had exceeded the technical limitations of our third-party distributor and decided to expand our existing partnership with Take One Productions. Under the new arrangement, Take One’s team and PMVB’s in-house staff produce content for the network, while Take One oversees content aggregation, scheduling and playout across cable, OTT and digital platforms.

Broadcast-Grade Upgrade
Supporting continuous multi­platform distribution of PTN would require more than a basic file-based system that simply creates playlists from uploaded content. We needed a broadcast-grade solution that we wouldn’t outgrow, supporting the complete workflow—ingest, media asset management, playout, graphics and master control—while delivering the scalability and long-term reliability needed for a 24/7 network.

Just as important, the platform had to be cloud-based. With Take One’s studio in Lancaster and the PMVB located two hours north in Stroudsburg, relying on physical infrastructure wasn’t practical. The Versio integrated playout system from Imagine Communications, combined with the company’s cloud-native Aviator Automation, turned out to be the perfect solution.

Versio gives us the core playout engine and pulls the workflow together, but the bonus is in how seamlessly it works with Imagine’s Aviator Automation to create a unified, cloud-based operation.

Aviator Automation simplifies the programming process, offering remote login capabilities that enable programming from anywhere. In addition, the platform provides as-run logs to reference what has played, while its built-in Content Portal makes managing content simple. For additional visibility into PTN’s inventory, special fields were added to the metadata so content can be quickly identified by season and region.

Versio and Aviator Automation are incredibly easy to operate and have been exceptionally reliable—in more than two years of 24/7 broadcasting, there hasn’t been a single minute of downtime due to system failure. And when there have been any issues, the Imagine team is available within minutes, and the issue gets resolved on the spot.

Easy to Scale
The Versio platform’s cloud capabilities have enabled us to expand PTN’s cable footprint to nearly a dozen providers across Pennsylvania. At the same time, we’ve built a strong OTT presence through Vimeo’s enterprise platform—allowing the network’s live stream from Versio to be delivered to a wide array of consumer devices. Viewers can download the app to watch live programming or explore on-demand content from anywhere.

Last year, we added over-the-air broadcasting to the distribution mix. The channel is now live in six markets—with a seventh on the way—reaching audiences in Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Lancaster and Philadelphia, as well as Wilmington, Del., and even areas near the New York State border.

With cable, OTT and OTA distribution, PTN has the potential to reach millions of households, not including international audiences streaming online. For a regional tourism network, that kind of reach is a big step forward. We’ve even discussed launching a second channel, and with Versio, that’s now a realistic option. What once took nine months can now be done in just a few weeks.

More information is available at https://imaginecommunications.com.

SAN DIEGO—Visaic has deep roots in video and sports media. Our team of industry veterans has worked with some of the biggest brands in sports. We founded the company in 2020 to build a fast-growing sports business anchored by the Visaic Interactive Platform (VIP), an AI-powered engine that helps sports properties own their audience and elevate their brand.

Today, VIP is a fully managed, turnkey solution built on three core pillars: Fan Experience, Data IQ and Monetization. We deliver premium fan experiences across any device, apply advanced data science to deepen engagement, and provide flexible hybrid monetization models. VIP is purpose-built for sports, and we believe it is one of the most advanced platforms on the market.

To support VIP at true sports scale, we needed a reliable and flexible live-video workflow foundation—in 2025 alone, we surpassed 55,000 live games. During peak periods, we manage close to 2,000 games a week, so operating at this volume requires a partner that can support large-scale, flexible ingest and full automation.

API Forward
We evaluated several workflow technologies early in our development, but Zixi offered the combination of reliability, automation and partnership that we required. Zixi gives us the reliability and insight we need to scale efficiently. With a unified view of our live workflows, we have been able to grow distribution while keeping operational complexity firmly in check.

Three factors made Zixi the right choice for us. The first was the API-forward design. Even before ZEN Master’s API set reached its current level of maturity, it was clear we could automate the full life cycle of each event. We needed to create, configure, monitor, and tear down live events entirely through automation. Zixi gave us the means to build that system.

The second factor was the flexibility on ingest and delivery. We work with hundreds of venues and a wide range of production tools, which means we see all types of ingest formats. Zixi’s support for RTMP, SRT and the Zixi protocol allowed us to create a consistent and reliable workflow regardless of how a venue originates its feed.

The third factor was the partnership itself. Live sports requires rapid response, so our NOC works closely with Zixi support through established Slack workflows. The speed of that collaboration has been essential, whether an issue is minor or significant. The pace of live events does not allow slow turnaround times, and Zixi has consistently met the urgency of our environment.

Our workflow starts at the venue—across college campuses, arenas and automated camera systems, we ingest signals using RTMP, SRT or the Zixi protocol. Zixi Broadcaster instances, i.e. a virtual server running in the provider’s data center that is deployed in our cloud environment, handle transcoding, packaging and feed into our multi-CDN workflow. ZEN Master provides orchestration, but we rely on the ZEN Master APIs to automate the process. We also have AI agents that monitor the games for QoS and automatically trigger responses based on the incoming signals.

Automated Fall Sports
A typical Saturday during the fall sports season demonstrates how this works. Our platform may be processing hundreds of simultaneous games. For each event, our automation activates Zixi Broadcasters, assigns them to specific games, applies the correct transcoding settings, configures redundancy and monitors stream health. If a Broadcaster instance shows issues such as packet loss or increased latency, our system uses telemetry from Zixi to automatically reassign the event to another instance. The process is automated and does not require repeated operator input.

This level of automation allows our team to manage tens of thousands of games per month. Whether we’re powering large, aggregated sports platforms spanning many leagues and thousands of games or a branded university athletic conference with dense schedules and high live-viewer concurrency, Zixi enables consistent quality across widely varied venues and customer segments.

By integrating Zixi solutions with VIP, we have helped our customers achieve strong results and bring broadcast-level experiences to audiences of all sizes.

More information is available at https://zixi.com/.

HINTERSCHMIDING and MUNICH, Germany—At MMO Managed Media Operations, our teams manage cloud-native live production and playout infrastructure across Europe. We specialize in stream ingest, signal monitoring and multiviewing for broadcast customers, handling everything from linear channels to event-based live coverage. Our workflows are built entirely in Amazon Web Services (AWS), using TAG’s platform across multiple use cases from signal acquisition to visual QC.

Our Business Needs
Our biggest challenge is maintaining signal quality and availability at scale without introducing operational complexity. We ingest dozens of contribution feeds from multiple customers (delivered via SRT) and monitor signal health throughout each signal’s life cycle, from preprocessing and metadata injection through packaging and final distribution.

In a cloud-native environment, we needed a solution that supports dynamic scaling, provides granular probing and alerting and enables real-time response. Our major pain point: the time-to-resolution when something goes wrong. We can’t afford to spend minutes determining if a problem is upstream, inside our infrastructure or downstream at the handoff point.

For deployment, we use TAG’s Realtime Monitoring Platform to monitor incoming and outgoing SRT contribution streams, plus intermediate handoffs, metadata overlays and packaging status. Everything is deployed 100% in the cloud, containerized and fully orchestrated in AWS.

TAG provides a unified view of signal health at every critical point. We can ingest contribution feeds, decode and display multiviewers for operational staff and create mosaic views for stakeholders across different functions. TAG’s open APIs integrate with our tools, and our infrastructure-as-code approach means TAG can be spun up or down quickly as needed.

In terms of use cases, we primarily support 24/7 playout and live-event ingest for multiple European broadcast customers. Our signal-acquisition team monitors all incoming SRT streams using TAG, with alerting tied to key thresholds (loss, jitter, decode errors). We can also visualize packaging and encoding stages downstream, ensuring signals are clean and synchronized before handoff.

More specifically, we get the signals via SRT from several customers, then send them to a partner that does distribution or playout. For one broadcaster, we created a special layout, the customer could connect from their side to TAG, and they could view it on their own.

TAG’s SRT support and ability to decode and visualize mosaic views in the same environment are key strengths. We leverage TAG’s layout editor to quickly create custom displays for different departments and events, from election night coverage to regional sports.

Operational Impact
Since deploying TAG, we’ve reduced time-to-visualize issues from several minutes to under 30 seconds. Operators rely on TAG’s mosaic displays to identify stream issues in real time and take immediate action. Our engineers appreciate the detailed metrics, which pinpoint whether issues stem from ingest, transcoding or handoff. Because everybody on the team is remote, it was important that it’s cloud-native. TAG helps us go deeper into the error and zoom into the signal.

TAG enables us to offer higher confidence and SLAs or standard-level agreements to broadcast customers. When a customer asks whether their feed is live and stable, we don’t jump between dashboards. We open TAG and see everything at a glance.

As for next steps, we plan to expand TAG’s footprint into more event-based workflows and integrate its data into our monitoring and ticketing systems. We’re also exploring deeper integration with scheduling metadata to automatically trigger layout changes based on time of day or event priority.

In short, TAG has become critical to our live operations and engineering workflows. It delivers confidence, speed and flexibility across highly dynamic cloud-native production environments. Most importantly, it allows us to focus on managing signals, not managing tools.

For more information, visit tagvs.com.

BROOKLYN, N.Y.—For over 45 years, arts and media organization BRIC Brooklyn has shaped the borough’s cultural landscape across visual arts, performance, media and civic engagement. Our public media center and arts spaces are complemented by Brooklyn Free Speech, a public-access platform, and BRIC-TV, a community TV channel and digital network. As one of the nation’s largest community media centers, we support hundreds of local creators who submit weekly programming, expanding access to cultural content.

Given our high volume of local programming contributions, we found that our traditional playout system could no longer keep pace with our organization’s growth.

The Hypercaster
In 2024, we left our top-name legacy broadcast equipment behind, with its opex and training needs, and replaced it with TelVue’s HyperCaster AIO (All-in-One) playback server and cloud services Connect and CloudCast for contribution, transcoding, scheduling and automation.

TelVue’s new system offered more flexibility, scalability and cost efficiencies, but most importantly, significant time-saving workflow adaptations and improvements. The upgrade delivered greater efficiency and eliminated a complex workflow in which our producers emailed download links and staff manually downloaded, sorted, transcoded and reuploaded files for scheduling. Any missing files had to be reimported from storage for playout.

TelVue Connect now handles submissions through a cloud portal, giving producers individual moderated access to login, drag-and-drop programs directly into BRIC’s cloud media library and tag the metadata. Connect automatically transcodes files to consistent, broadcast-ready presets, while staff members moderate submissions and control delivery to the HyperCaster, including series scheduling.

With over 100 active content contributors sending BRIC hundreds of video files each week, TelVue’s dynamic, seamless cloud-based workflow for contribution, approval, delivery and scheduling files for playout has been a huge timesaver for the organization’s team, as well as their contributors, freeing them up for more creative work.

Rhonda Alexander, producer of “Tomorrow’s World,” said, “As one of the first producers to use this TelVue Connect system, it has made it so easy to upload our programs and track what we’ve released and what’s upcoming.”

We recently expanded our Connect licenses to encourage and enlist program submissions from more community members. TelVue supports our goals of streamlining submissions and future-proofing distribution across platforms. Our content will soon reach viewers on Apple, Android and Roku, and this shift allows us to curate more cohesive programming on our channel with content themes and create richer interstitials, rather than spending hours managing file logistics.

Over the next two years, more than 400 contributors will move to Connect for a YouTube-like submission experience. TelVue has helped us reimagine how channels operate through transcoding and easing scheduling, and allowing staff to focus on curation and the overall viewer experience.

We’re also excited to use TelVue’s paywall options and AI tools for summarization and indexing to improve discoverability.

Branded OTT
Our operational shift reflects the broadcast industry’s transition to cloud-driven contribution, automated scheduling and multiplatform distribution, and TelVue enables our organization to onboard producers easily, eliminate bottlenecks, and publish across cable, OTT, mobile and social media from a single platform.

TelVue provides a full broadcast ecosystem, simplifying high-volume submissions and optimizing scheduling and playout through its HyperCaster platform with integrated graphics and multi-streaming. TelVue also helped us launch branded OTT and mobile apps, giving audiences access to live channels and on-demand content with search.

By leveraging innovative broadcast and cloud technology solutions like TelVue’s, we can continue to build on our legacy of supporting local artistic and creative communities in their efforts to drive positive social change through digital media platforms and more.

More information is available at https://telvue.com.

BALTIMORE—Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN), the regional sports network owned by Major League Baseball’s Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals, broadcasts both teams’ games to fans across a seven-state region. On top of 24/7 access to all its core live baseball coverage, MASN covers a breadth of exclusive pre- and postgame shows, documentaries, and annual collegiate events spanning from basketball to poker and fight sports.

Lower Costs, More Control
Faced with high satellite costs and other issues, we turned to LTN to explore a full migration to IP delivery. Leveraging its experience supporting IP transitions for TelevisaUnivision, MSG Networks and Tennis Channel, we successfully migrated all our channels from satellite to IP ahead of the 2025 MLB season. The result was a nearly 60% reduction in distribution costs, with greater control, flexibility, and visibility over our transmission feeds.

We decided to move from satellite to IP because regional sports networks like ours face mounting pressures to control operating costs, maintain consistent signal quality and navigate the shrinking C-band spectrum capacity for video distribution. These factors are prompting many of us to look at alternatives to satellite to ensure reliability and low-latency delivery that meets today’s ever-increasing viewer expectations. MASN faced these same challenges.

We needed to modernize our network distribution model without disrupting existing partners or viewers. We set out to reduce delivery and maintenance costs, preserve satellite-grade reliability for consistent streaming experiences and gain deeper insight into how our networks perform. At the same time, we wanted to ensure continuous, high-quality coverage of our traditional multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs) and newer virtual MVPD partners to keep our live sports delivery uninterrupted throughout the transition.

We needed a trusted partner that understood our key priorities and could deliver uninterrupted high-quality video throughout the transition. Our long-standing collaboration with LTN built the trust that allowed us to make the move, and we were delighted when LTN completed the transition from satellite to IP in just 60 days, including a dual-illumination phase where satellite and IP ran in parallel to ensure an effortless switchover.

The LTN team worked with our engineering teams to plan, test and implement the new delivery workflow. This process included hands-on project management as well as on-site configuration, logistics and testing. One of LTN’s key differentiators was its relationships and direct coordination with MVPD headends to ensure all end points were ready to receive IP feeds before the switch.

We now distribute four variants of our two full-time channels, including MASN1 and MASN2, via LTN’s purpose-built IP video network. This setup enables MASN to insert localized advertising and tailor content for our two core markets in Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

Event-Driven Transport
As many networks assess their next steps with the C-Band spectrum auction approaching, we moved quickly to secure a future-ready model.

With the added flexibility and control that comes with IP, we can monitor signal integrity in real time and collaborate far more efficiently with our partners. More broadly, our transition demonstrates how rapidly sports networks can embrace IP once they commit to the shift. Today, fully-managed, SLA-backed IP distribution stands out as the most dependable way to deliver multiple channels across a range of platforms while maximizing ad revenue. In addition, LTN’s 24/7 customer service makes this fully-managed service stand out.

Beyond delivering our core channels, we also rely on LTN for event-driven IP transport, including the MLB spring training series. LTN’s low-latency IP transmission lets us centralize production at our control facility while pulling live camera feeds from venues nationwide.

We’re now stronger and more focused than ever following our move to IP, and excited to bring fans an even better viewing experience.

More information is available at https://ltnglobal.com.

CHICAGO—Weigel Broadcasting’s mission is to bring audiences the best in classic and contemporary entertainment. From MeTV, America’s leading classic television network, and Catchy Comedy to Movies!, Heroes & Icons and more, we deliver programming that connects generations of viewers across the United States.

To support our expanding portfolio of networks and affiliate stations, we needed exceptional-quality programming and modern technology to efficiently scale our operations. Managing a network of 25 television stations and multiple digital networks using hardware-heavy systems—with standalone encoders, playout servers and PSIP generators—was becoming increasingly complex. Each new station required more “pizza box” appliances, adding costs, maintenance and interoperability headaches.

It was time to rethink our broadcast infrastructure and break free from hardware limitations.

VOS Media Software
Our goal was clear: consolidate workflows, reduce hardware and create a future-ready foundation to sustain our rapid growth. We wanted a unified solution that would simplify our operations, eliminate redundant equipment and provide the flexibility to scale efficiently as we expanded into new markets.

From the start, we knew that a cloud-native approach to playout and delivery would be key to transforming how we operate. We chose Harmonic’s VOS Media Software to modernize our broadcast distribution, centralize control and simplify operations.

Harmonic’s VOS Media Software allows us to integrate automation, advanced playout, premium encoding and all the broadcast-grade capabilities we rely on into one streamlined platform. Instead of a patchwork of hardware at every site, everything is managed centrally, with greater control and efficiency.

With VOS Media Software, we can preassemble all channels and distribute air-ready signals directly to our owned stations. This change eliminates the need for local hardware at each station and dramatically simplifies channel origination.

Today, we manage 41 ATSC 1.0 signals, spanning both HD and SD channels, from a single, centralized environment. Our operations and engineering teams now control 24/7 linear channel origination, branding, statistical multiplexing and content delivery, all through a unified web interface.

What once required multiple systems for captioning, watermarking, graphics insertion and delay-line programming now lives entirely within the VOS platform. Harmonic’s containerized architecture makes it easy to scale resources up or down dynamically. If we need to launch a new channel or expand services in a market, we can do so almost instantly without new hardware investments or long deployment cycles.

Efficiency and Scalability
The results were immediate. By consolidating workflows into a single software environment, we’ve reduced hardware costs, eliminated interoperability challenges and simplified management for our engineering teams. Previously, adding a new station required weeks to procure and install hardware; now, it’s as simple as allocating more software capacity.

The shift to a subscription-based model has brought predictability. We can align costs with usage and redirect savings toward content creation and audience engagement—freeing up funds to invest in innovation.

Beyond cost savings, the transition to Harmonic’s VOS Media Software has modernized our operations. The same system now supports ATSC, streaming and split-signal workflows, positioning us to evolve alongside the industry and successfully meet our viewers’ needs. We’ve created all ATSC 1.0 multiprogram transport streams with well over 100 separate channels powered by VOS Media Software that feature SCTE-35-based ad insertion, opening new monetization opportunities.

Collaborating with Harmonic has reshaped how we think about broadcast operations. By embracing this playout-to-delivery transformation, we’ve not only simplified our workflows but also unlocked new creative and business potential. For Weigel Broadcasting, it’s the start of a new era that is defined by agility, efficiency and growth.

More information is available at www.harmonicinc.com.

LONDON—As Europe’s largest media company, Sky Group delivers premium content at a scale few media companies can match. Operating across multiple markets has meant managing a patchwork of siloed systems, inconsistent tooling, different operational practices and varied compliance requirements, preventing us from fully leveraging economies of scale.

Our challenge required not only a technically innovative approach to future-proof Sky’s content supply chain, but also a long-term strategic solution that would unify operations across the Group.

In short, we needed a radical shift onto a single platform.

One Group, One Platform
To address this, we built Media­Mesh, a unified cloud platform that centralizes QC, enrichment, conversion, and distribution at scale. The MediaMesh architecture—an API-driven, modular framework—brings together a curated ecosystem of in-house built microservices and products from leading industry partners, each selected for their ability to solve specific pain points.

For this project, we partnered with several companies, including SDVI, whose Rally platform provided the base layer that integrates with new and legacy tooling to retrieve metadata and media from dispersed systems and storage, in order to orchestrate content through the group’s platform.

Telestream’s Qualify serves as the automated quality control (QC) function at ingest, validating assets against Sky’s technical standards before proceeding further. Through close collaboration with operations, years of QC data were audited to optimize a system that flags issues early and reduces false positives compared to legacy tools, significantly minimizing manual review effort and downstream issues.

AWS ran AI to identify on-screen subtitles and spoken language to automatically identify localization requirements to fast-track downstream dubbing and subtitling efforts. This language detection has also allowed Sky Italia viewers to filter content by precise audio language, unlocking new levels of discoverability and personalization.

Codemill’s Accurate.Video platform not only plays back content, but provides a collection of audio controls, the ability to enable/disable subs and dubs for review and can present different time-based markers along a timeline (e.g., segmentation points, QC errors, sections needing localization).

We also deployed TMT Insights’ Polaris, which provides operations with a single platform identity, abstracting them from the multiple backend services, to streamline their operational practices. The Polaris UI provides visibility into metadata, end-to-end monitoring, workflow anomalies, prioritizes task management for steps requiring human intervention, communication threading and launching specialized functions such as editing tasks, various exports and ad hoc workflows. These functions help operations meet critical SLAs with confidence, reduce touchpoints, and speed up time to air.

Whether it’s ingesting content from over 300 content partners, enriching it with metadata and access services, or distributing it to platforms like Sky Glass and NOW, MediaMesh ensures every step is automated, observable, and streamlined. And the elastic scalability allocates sufficient system resources to meet the changing business demands.

To deliver a platform as ambitious as MediaMesh, we had to rethink not just our technology stack, but our internal capabilities. This meant evolving from a traditional broadcast engineering mindset to a software-first organization. TV engineers retrained as software engineers, embracing cloud-native development and modern DevOps practices. This transformation has not only accelerated delivery but fostered a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.

Business Benefits
By centralizing workflows, we can develop and deploy features once, rather than duplicating effort across multiple systems, delivering consistent benefits across the entire group. This streamlines internal investment and speeds up our time-to-market when delivering new features. Today, MediaMesh processes more than 2.7 million assets annually, equating to more than 10 million minutes of content, and manages around $2 billion worth of media across our ecosystem.

As we continue to evolve MediaMesh, we’re exploring new ways to enrich content, streamline compliance, and personalize viewer experiences across markets. The platform’s modular design ensures we can adapt quickly, whether it’s integrating new services, responding to regulatory changes or supporting future product launches. MediaMesh has laid the foundation for a more agile, scalable and collaborative future at Sky, and we’re excited to build on this momentum to shape next-generation content processing.

More information is available at www.telestream.net.

LOS ANGELES—I’m the super­vising editor for NBC’s “The Voice,” which is produced by MGM Television and recorded on the Universal Studios lot. I was the first editor hired on the show 15 years ago, and I’ve been on every episode since—that’s 700 episodes and nearly 1,100 hours of broadcast programming over the last 15 years.

We use Avid as our editing solution. The major advantage of using Avid is we start and finish everything in Avid. From offline to final online to color, everything is done inside of that.

Right now, we have about 35 editors, including about eight to 10 assistant editors. I think another dozen producers and story producers are also all accessing the media, all able to see everything, and they’re all remote. And I don’t mean we have some in Burbank and some in L.A. We have people in North Carolina; we have people in Virginia. We’ve had people in Maine and Japan; we’ve had people all over the world working on our show.

A Unified Solution
Having one, unified program that handles all of that has been absolutely beneficial and the cornerstone of our being on the air. I don’t think there’s any other production that hits the Avid hardware and software nearly as hard as we do.

I’m on Media Composer with the Symphony option and so are two of my online editors. The reason for that is we start and finish everything on “The Voice” inside of Avid, including color, final online and output of the master.

We use a lot of image stabilization. Those save our show because it’s a huge concert, and those cameras jiggle, and there’s nothing worse than seeing your artist or your coach jiggling around. I’d say easily between 600 to 900 stabilizations will be done in a two-hour episode.

We also use the “Animatte” effect in Media Composer for multiple reasons. We don’t like to break the fourth wall by showing camera people running through the audience, so we use that to duplicate audience members to hide cameras. We want viewers to be engaged in the performance, and if you see some guy running across the stage with a camera, that kind of pulls you out of it. Avid gives us the proper tools to maintain our illusion, to maintain the moment, without having to go to an external program.

Creating a Uniform Feel
Every episode of “The Voice” is a challenge because of the nature of the show. In an average two-hour episode, we introduce 13 to 15 new “characters,” if you will. Each story needs to have a life of its own, but we have to have some type of uniform feel to the show so when you turn it on, you recognize “The Voice” for what it is.

Our editors are constantly striving to give enough individuality to each of the story pods to showcase each artist individually, as well as maintain a high level of editorial status and make sure that editors are also as creative as possible, but without going completely astray.

We know our audience has faith in what we do and what we say about our show is real. When the first note comes out of an artist on stage—with the coaches’ backs to them in their chairs—that is the first time coaches hear them or see them when they turn. The audience sees our artists in their stories beforehand, but the coaches don’t get any of that information. It is legitimate; that’s the first note that the coaches ever hear. ●

More information is available at www.avid.com.

ORLANDO, Fla.—I started my first TV job in 1985 in the Orlando market at WESH-TV, loading 2-inch carts into an ACR25 for commercial playout and news playback on ¾-inch tape. At the same time, Florical Systems released its first product, TimeShifter. Since then, I moved on to Betacart, live shot acquisition and master control while Florical stepped up the technology with ShowTimer and AirBoss.

Forty years later, we’re both still here—my employer, Hearst Television, which acquired WESH in 1998, operates 35 stations nationwide. Every day, we manage the flow of syndicated shows, network feeds, commercials and promos that need to reach the air without fail.

My current role is to make sure that content is prepared, validated and delivered to our stations in a way that is both reliable and efficient. Ingest and media asset management sit at the center of this process, and over the past two years, we’ve transformed how we handle them with Florical.

The Deployment
We began rolling out Florical’s ingest and asset management module in 2024 with the goal of creating a stronger foundation for how content enters our ecosystem—whether that content is coming in from distributors, agencies or internal production teams. By putting ingest and asset management in place first, we were able to establish group-wide consistency in how files are received, cataloged and validated.

Earlier this year, we completed the next phase of that transition, moving our stations onto Florical’s AirBoss automation for playout. Having the ingest and asset-management tools already in place made that transition much smoother, because the content feeding automation was already standardized and predictable.

Stephanie Sobiech, our content coordinator, is on the front line every day, handling program and promo distribution and working directly with incoming feeds from Pathfire, PitchBlue, Extreme Reach, OTSM and our networks. With Florical, she no longer has to manually track whether a file is complete or in the right format; the system validates incoming content automatically and flags any problems before they reach the air chain. That has freed her to focus on higher-level coordination instead of chasing technical errors.

Commercials and syndicated programming represent another critical part of our workflow, and Florical has helped us bring real efficiency to that process. At Hearst, we operate on a “touch-once, distribute-to-many” model.

A single program or commercial may need to be delivered to 25 stations, and Florical’s workflows allow us to handle that with economies of scale. The content is ingested and validated once, then mapped and distributed to all the stations that need it. Our dedicated commercial preparation and approval team depends on these workflows every day to ensure spots and shows are delivered consistently group-wide. Instead of repeating the same steps, they can focus on confirming the content is correct and ready, knowing the distribution piece is handled efficiently.

The benefits extend to housekeeping, as well. Because the system manages distribution centrally, we can avoid duplication and unnecessary storage at the station level. At the same time, archived content remains accessible through AWS, so if a station needs to pull material back, it can be retrieved quickly without adding complexity to the local workflow.

Error Reduction
Since completing the rollout, the biggest change I’ve seen is consistency across the group. Whether it’s Stephanie managing syndicated feeds, the commercial team approving spots or operators checking final playlists, everyone is working under the same ingest and distribution standards. We’ve reduced manual errors, shortened turnaround times and freed people to spend more energy on coordination and quality control rather than on chasing missing files.

Looking forward, the metadata foundation we’ve built with Florical puts us in a strong position for the next phase of automation. AI-assisted workflows that can reconcile traffic logs, detect anomalies, and even self-correct ingest issues will depend on having robust and consistent metadata. For us, that future starts with the reliability we’ve already gained from
Florical’s ingest and asset-management tools.

More information is available at www.florical.com.

SPRINGFIELD, Ore.—In 2007, I began filming Mark Warmer restoring an Mopar Muscle Car and the “Graveyard Carz” series began. Shortly thereafter, Warmer and I co-founded production company The Division, focusing on reality television, and today “Graveyard Carz,” a reality show chronicling the restoration of Mopar Muscle Cars that are often deemed beyond repair, is the longest-running series on MotorTrend’s linear network.

Over the years we’ve learned a lot, particularly when it comes to streamlining workflows and increasing efficiency. We’re a small crew, handling virtually everything in-house: shooting, editing, mixing, color correction, producing, mastering, delivering and social media. (I even do voiceover for the show.)

Better Collaboration
Previously, our post workflow was hampered by the fact that any last-minute edits involved changing multiple projects and tracking multiple changes across multiple versions. In moving to DaVinci Resolve Studio, I was most excited by team collaboration via Blackmagic Cloud. My hope was that I could color-correct while my fellow executive producer, Jeffrey Osborns, could mix—in a proper DAW [digital audio workstation], like DaVinci Resolve’s Fairlight. Even more, I hoped that our talented editor and animator Nick DeAngelo would be able to add b-roll—all simultaneously. We still have some details to iron out, but overall, I’m very pleased with the improvements to our workflow.

While the move to DaVinci Resolve Studio and Blackmagic Cloud was an essential step forward, I thought why not streamline further by bringing editing into production (vs. just post) for larger, multicam shoots with an ATEM Television Studio HD8 ISO switcher?

I knew the ATEM ISO model shined when used with DaVinci Resolve for postproduction, so why not direct and capture episodic shoots in a live production style, with pre-edited segments enhancing efficiency, while maintaining the flexibility to further edit in post?

For these shoots, we record onto the local hard drive, saving the .DRP file (i.e., a DaVinci Resolve Project file) along with it. This enables us to switch cameras and direct the shoot in a “live” style while maintaining the flexibility to edit afterwards. The ability to edit with proxies and then switch to Blackmagic RAW at the push of a button for final grading is unique. This can be a fast and appealing workflow if you don’t mind working with multiple cameras in the sync bin.

Pre-Editing Segments
Now, we can pre-edit larger segments while making sure we have coverage of the action. We use headsets to communicate during the shoot, with the ATEM operator informing the crew which camera is being used or how to adjust a shot. While this live directing approach is something we’ve done without a switcher, it’s a terrible waste of resources when it’s so easy to have someone simply push buttons and edit the segment live. It gives the editor a huge leg up when they have a large segment.

Additionally, it’s much more pleasant for a producer to watch something that appears to be edited. It’s also possible to mix cameras in this workflow, and even to process the resulting .DRP in such a way as to produce a classic multicam clip, if that workflow is more appealing.

As an independent production company, we have leveraged social media for promotion from the very beginning—so using the ATEM for multicam live streams is also exceptionally valuable to us. We’ve used it to live stream on social media platforms, and I am confident we will continue to do so.

For more information, contact Blackmagic Design at
408-954-0500 or visit www.blackmagicdesign.com.

WASHINGTON—When I started Broadcast Management Group, our goal was simple: to make high-end broadcast production accessible anywhere, without compromise. Over the past few years, that vision has evolved into something much bigger: a fully connected, cloud-enabled production ecosystem that supports everything from major network shows to global corporate communications. At the heart of it all is Grass Valley’s AMPP ecosystem, which powers every aspect of our operation.

Our new network operations center, aka the “BMG Cloud Control Center” in Washington, D.C., represents a complete rethinking of how we deliver media services. It’s not just a facility; it’s our private cloud, where all of our production, playout and media asset management (MAM) systems live. Grass Valley’s AMPP and Framelight X are at the core of that infrastructure, providing the flexibility, scalability and reliability that today’s broadcast clients demand.

Unified Operations
Inside the NOC, our Grass Valley K-Frame switchers anchor the control rooms, and every one of our mobile trucks uses Grass Valley LDX cameras for live capture. We’ve also built a centralized video shading room powered by GV Creative Grading, which means our engineers in D.C. can shade cameras anywhere in the country. It’s an incredibly powerful way to unify our operations and deliver consistent quality across every production.

When people talk about cloud production, they often think of lightweight tools or “good enough” solutions. That’s not what we do; we’re handling Tier 1, broadcast-level productions that demand reliability, redundancy and performance. AMPP gives us that—a virtualized platform that combines the horsepower of traditional infrastructure with the agility of the cloud. It’s the operational heartbeat of our entire company.

We run two main business lines: live production and managed broadcast services. On the live side, we package major news, sports and entertainment events for networks nationwide. On the managed services side, we design, build and operate facilities for clients—everything from control rooms and studios to podcast and streaming setups. What ties all of it together is our AMPP-powered private cloud. Whether a client wants a fully local setup, hybrid workflow or completely remote operation, we can spin it up instantly through AMPP.

A great example of this in action is our work with UBS Financial. They were consolidating offices in New York and wanted a new studio and control room, but without the overhead of maintaining all their own backend infrastructure. We rebuilt their systems from the ground up and connected everything directly into our NOC. Their editing workstations, playout channels, and storage all reside in D.C., powered by Grass Valley AMPP and Framelight X. Their editors log in remotely and can cut files in real time, even while shows are on air and more video is being recorded.

That’s a massive leap from where they were, relying on portable drives to store nearly 30 terabytes of content a year. Now, every asset is searchable, secure and immediately accessible, not just in New York but potentially across UBS’s global offices. That’s what the future of live production looks like: Instantaneous, global and flexible.

The Future of Live
We’re applying the same model for VPM, a PBS affiliate in Virginia, by building an entire broadcast facility, all Grass Valley cameras and AMPP Asset management.

Grass Valley has been an exceptional partner in this journey. Their technology gives us the backbone to support enterprise-grade operations while scaling effortlessly for creative demands. Together, we’re proving that cloud production doesn’t mean compromise, it means opportunity. With AMPP and Framelight X, we can deliver broadcast-quality production from anywhere, for anyone, at any scale. And that’s exactly where the future is headed.

More information is available at www.grassvalley.com.

ALLENTOWN, Pa.—Owned by Maranatha Broadcasting Co., WFMZ-TV is an independent station based in Allentown, Pa., that also operates Maranatha-owned MeTV affiliate WDPN-TV Philadelphia. We are a unique operation, airing more than 10 hours of local news daily, covering the northern tier of the Philadelphia DMA and 12 total subchannels across our stations.

As sponsorships have become more graphics-intensive, we realized that our old automation was showing its limitations. Managing playout and graphics across multiple facilities and monitored channels also became increasingly inefficient with our existing system. We needed a cohesive platform from a single vendor that could handle automation and graphics with ease.

Linked Deployments
Imagine Communications offered exactly that. We adopted the company’s ADC automation and Versio Graphics solutions, deploying the automation across three sites: our main studios in Allentown, a disaster recovery site, and a separate onsite disaster playout server at the MeTV transmitter site in Philadelphia.

With the Imagine solution, we gained a unified workflow that aligned perfectly with how we already created content. The built-in Adobe After Effects integration was especially valuable.

Once we chose Imagine and went online, the benefits were immediate. Our syndicated content comes from sources such as Extreme Reach and Pitch Blue. For years, we segmented shows manually, a slow process of recording and segmenting each program by hand.

That changed with Imagine’s Motion feature, which reads BXF metadata from syndicators to segment programs automatically. Even when issues arise, we can reingest and resegment within minutes. The improvement in efficiency and reliability has been tremendous.

Versio Graphics has also transformed how we engage with our viewers. We now use a wide range of on-screen graphics, L-bars, snipes and more in our newscast and sponsored snipes on various channels. Each month, we partner with a local client for an awareness campaign tied to that month’s theme.

For Hispanic Heritage Month, for example, we created educational snipes with rotating facts about Hispanic history and culture. The system randomized which fact appeared, keeping content fresh and engaging.

We realized another example of the system’s flexibility when our Reading, Pa., newsroom celebrated the 30th anniversary of its “Berks Edition” newscast. Using Versio Graphics, we created a dynamic on-screen bug that animated from our standard logo to reveal the anniversary emblem. With the dynamic branding feature, the automation recognized when the Berks Edition newscast was live and automatically switched to the special bug, no reprogramming required.

That same efficiency extends to our weather channel, which runs nearly 300 graphics, all based on a single Adobe After Effects template that lets us quickly swap in client logos and publish updates. The process saves hours of production time and keeps every graphic consistent with our design standards. Versio Graphics made it easy to maintain, even with the many updates we manage each week.

Earlier this year, the platform played an instrumental role in overhauling our weather channel, enabling us to replace a complex system of external machines and contact closures. The system’s new “play from folder” feature lets us integrate video playback directly into the graphics engine, turning what could have been a costly rebuild into a quick, affordable transition.

Versio Graphics
Choosing Imagine for our operations was absolutely the right move. Versio Graphics and ADC automation have brought reliability, flexibility, and creativity to everything we do. Viewer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and Imagine’s support team has been outstanding. Whether troubleshooting or tracking down the source of issues, they’ve always been responsive and professional, even during late-night calls.

As an independent station preparing to celebrate our 50th anniversary during Thanksgiving week of 2026, we continue to chart our own path, guided by a forward-looking management team that’s always planning for growth. Our infrastructure gives us room to expand, and with Versio Graphics and ADC automation at the core, we’re well-positioned to keep innovating and delivering high-quality local content.

More information is available at https://imaginecommunications.com/.

LAS VEGAS—At Creative Technology, we deliver mission-critical monitoring and multi­viewing solutions for some of the world’s largest live events, from international product launches and corporate meetings to major tech conferences. Our workflows span on-premises compressed and uncompressed IP, OTT and remote production over public internet.

To keep pace with the speed and diversity of these productions, we needed a software platform that was flexible, scalable and capable of delivering high-quality, low-latency multiviewers for every team—on site or remote.

Today, the TAG Realtime Monitoring Platform from TAG Video Systems provides the scalable probing, monitoring and multiviewing backbone for our operators, engineers and directors. It’s helping us to reduce friction, accelerate deployment and gain complete confidence in every signal we manage.

TAG’s zero-friction model gives us the flexibility to scale in any direction, from a single server with dozens of sources to multiple servers handling smaller, dedicated workloads.

The Deployment
We initially deployed TAG to support our remote and virtual operations in the U.S. Since then, we’ve supported productions across Europe, Asia and South America. As the needs of each production can vary significantly, we were able to spin up and down environments without the overhead and limitations of fixed hardware—replacing traditional multiviewers with TAG’s IP-native software platform.

That flexibility made TAG an ideal fit across our use cases: Large-scale corporate, sports and entertainment events; complex workflows with tally, UMD control and data integration; and hybrid setups involving multiple networks and locations.

TAG’s orchestration layer allowed us to scale up quickly. Our network operations center (NOC) team handles layout adjustments and signal routing centrally, while field operators and directors get real-time, tailored views. Whether we’re running TAG on bare metal or in the cloud, the consistency and quality of experience are the same.

We use TAG everywhere we can—on prem or cloud, compressed or uncompressed, we just stand it up and go. It’s that flexible.

What stood out most during implementation was TAG’s simplicity and speed. We had new instances running in minutes—not days—and configuration was intuitive enough that multiple engineers across locations could operate in parallel.

We rely on TAG’s orchestration tools to manage layouts, swap sources, and deliver exact multiviews to various users without duplicate effort. Operators receive only what they need, and directors are seeing camera shading, tally indicators, and graphics timing in real time.

Our team also appreciates the operational independence TAG provides. We’re able to make multiview changes on the fly without touching routers or interrupting the production flow. “It’s not just the layout flexibility,” Sarah Wright, project engineer at Creative Technology said. “It’s the user interface, the orchestration. It’s brilliant.”

Operational Benefits
TAG has become a key part of our live production strategy. We can deploy, configure and reconfigure in minutes—giving us the ability to handle last-minute changes and multiple show formats.

Probing and multiviewing across video, audio and metadata lets us spot issues immediately and take corrective action. Layouts, tallies and source changes are handled remotely by our NOC, giving field teams what they need with zero disruption.

We can also scale up and down as required without having to worry about moving licenses around.

TAG also lets each department—engineering, operations and technical directors­—get the view they need, how they need it. This makes us more efficient, responsive and more confident. TAG just works.

We enjoy working with the team at TAG and look forward to continuing our partnership. We’re exploring even deeper integrations with our telemetry and orchestration layers. We also see the potential to add advanced features like smart recording and content matching as our workflows evolve.

At Creative Technology, we’re committed to engineering the best solutions for our clients. TAG helps us do that—with less effort, more flexibility, and total confidence in our signal chain.

More information is available at https://tagvs.com/monitoring/.

NEW WINDSOR, N.Y.—PRG is a global leader in production technology, powering creativity across every corner of the live and entertainment industries. While our roots are on Broadway—and we remain deeply entrenched in theater—we now partner with the world’s biggest names in live events, concert tours, corporate experiences, television and film. Today, more than 80% of our work is in 4K or higher.

Clients come to us with an idea, and we turn it into reality. That might be the setup and rental of a couple of digital cinematography cameras for an episodic shoot, or it could be a massive production infrastructure. We’ve even delivered productions on a record-breaking scale—like season one of “Beast Games,” for which we provided more than 300 cameras.

Flyaway Systems for Scale
To support the nature of our business, we build flyaway systems that can interconnect to give us the scale we need. We include all of the video and audio processing, along with routers from Evertz or Ross Video in racks under 63 inches in height so they can fit on a plane.

We have to work within tight space constraints, but we also have to remember our ultimate goal of ensuring the highest possible quality all time. So, our systems include signal-measurement kits, and for that we rely entirely on Leader. Typically, our racks will include the LV5350 waveform monitor and the LT4670 sync generator.

That means we can easily provide complete timecode, video quality monitoring and measurement, right where the production needs it. Where there needs to be quick adjustment, users can have confidence in what they are seeing. Indeed, the Leader name is widely recognized as the one to choose for video test and measurement, so our clients feel confident knowing we use these instruments.

Our quality control starts before the kit gets to the venue. Our camera team, led by Kenny Kato, checks every camera before it goes out. Where necessary, we have built on the manufacturers’ video standards to develop our own PRG quality baselines to deliver the best possible quality and ensure consistency. A large production will have cameras in multiple formats from many manufacturers, and we ensure that they are matched as closely as is technically feasible. This reduces stress on-site and time in edit.

All the Data at a Glance
Our camera workshops use the Leader LV7600W rasterizer. This means the engineer can precisely see the measurements they want in the layout they want on a large monitor on a workbench. That includes SDI packet timing as well as waveform and vectors to ensure the perfect signal is being delivered. Being able to see all the information simultaneously is obviously a huge time-saver, and more convenient and cost-effective than buying multiple instruments from multiple vendors.

Where we are lining up high-quality cameras for episodic shoots, the LV7600W allows the engineer to fully evaluate the output against a CIE diagram. It helps me confirm whether we’re hitting Rec. 709 or BT2020. The ability to display precise code value, rather than just a waveform, speeds accuracy.

We first used Leader test and measurement equipment in 2015 when we provided the facilities for one of the world’s largest sporting events. It worked well for us, and we have seen no reason to change. Leader Instruments offer us quick and clear access to precision measurement in the form that works best for us and for our clients. They’ve proven to be reliable, efficient tools—and in our view, they’re some of the best products in the industry.

More information is available at https://leaderphabrix.com/.

GAINESVILLE, Fla.—WUFT-TV, a PBS member station operated by the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications, is both a vital public broadcaster and a training ground for future media professionals. We provide trusted news, educational content, PBS programming and critically important public-safety information from WUFT’s Florida Public Radio Emergency Network (FPREN), which provides hurricane and other significant safety information to the state. WUFT-TV’s service area extends from the Florida-Georgia state line to The Villages and coast to coast in North Florida.

The initial need we set out to address with Actus Digital, a LiveU company, was compliance. WUFT had relied on a memory card-based workflow for air check recording that left the station and university vulnerable, as we could not prove compliance during FCC inspections.

Proof of Compliance
When evaluating technology options, the Actus platform stood out for its comprehensive feature set—particularly its Compliance and Quality Assurance tools. The interactive multiviewer further solidified Actus as the clear choice. As an existing LiveU user station, we’re also excited about the potential for deeper integration in the future.

The Actus QA Compliance Logger has become the backbone of our compliance strategy. It reliably captures everything required to demonstrate FCC compliance, including recordings, closed captioning, CALM Act loudness monitoring and Emergency Alert System messages.

As our chief engineer, Larry Bornacelli, explained: “One of the worst things that can happen to a media property is getting fined by the FCC. Actus protects us by proving we are compliant for both TV and radio.”

Beyond compliance, Actus vastly improves our quality with effective QC monitoring. The Actus multiviewer, accessible anywhere, displays a real-time panorama of our over-the-air broadcast, HDMI set-top box returns and our radio station. It immediately identifies frozen video, missing captions, audio dropouts and other issues with visual/audible alerts on the multiviewer, while also routing notifications through Active Directory via email and SMS.

This integration means our engineers know instantly when there’s a problem and can quickly pinpoint the source of an issue, which dramatically shortens troubleshooting time. Additionally, transport stream analysis gives packet-level visibility into our broadcast, letting us assess latency, jitter and encoding errors.

The Actus system was installed in our technical center alongside our existing encoders and decoders, with Actus technical staff logging in remotely for the configuration. We were so eager that we started using it even before official training, and it quickly replaced several piecemeal systems. Integration with Active Directory simplified user management, and within days, our staff was actively using the system.

Ethan Magoc, interim director of the Innovation News Center at the College of Journalism and Communications, described the overall impact. “Actus is a professional, reliable, industry-standard system that allows our engineers to maintain the quality of our broadcast…while also enabling our students to train on the same state-of-the-art systems they will find in the market after graduation,” he said.

EAS Compliance
In addition, our Actus system plays a vital role in public safety, delivering undeniable proof that WUFT is meeting its FCC EAS obligations. Actus provides a clear timeline of events, supports post-event investigations and verifies performance with reports according to FPREN. This also applies to our BEACON 24-hour, AI-based alerting system, which allows us to deliver timely and accurate messages during hurricanes and other emergencies.

For WUFT, Actus has become an indispensable tool on many levels. It strengthens quality control, assures us of compliance and streamlines engineering operations across the broadcast chain.

Before Actus, we relied on multiple disparate systems. Now, one unified platform gives us a single point of access and confidence in our compliance and quality, across all media properties. With Actus, WUFT has the tools to meet our challenges head-on, confident we are maintaining standards, complying with regulations and continuing to lead our community as a trusted broadcaster and world-class teaching facility.

More information is available at http://actusdigital.com.

BEAVERTON, Ore.—The ATSC 3.0 Security Authority (A3SA) plays a unique and essential role in the NextGen TV ecosystem. As the organization responsible for provisioning security credentials to broadcasters and device manufacturers, A3SA ensures ATSC 3.0 transmissions originate from trusted, Federal Communications Commission-licensed broadcasters and that receivers behave correctly when processing protected content.

To support this mission, A3SA developed a conformance program that allows manufacturers to test their devices against a reference implementation of the ATSC 3.0 security layer. That program relies heavily on Triveni Digital’s GuideBuilder XM, Broadcast Gateway and StreamScope XM Analyzer deployed in a cloud-based environment.

Cloud-Based Certification
Fully cloud-based, the A3SA certification platform is designed to generate and stream ATSC 3.0-compliant signals with precise timing and configuration. Device manufacturers use these streams to validate receiver behavior against A3SA’s specifications. Timing is especially critical in security contexts, where livestreaming is often required to match the device’s internal clock.

After evaluating multiple vendors, we selected Triveni Digital for its expertise in ATSC 3.0, comprehensive product feature set and readiness to support cloud deployment. GuideBuilder XM provides metadata management and transport encoding, enabling us to generate signaling metadata and encode IP streams in compliance with ATSC 3.0 standards. Broadcast Gateway, Triveni’s robust scheduler and signal generator for STLTP transmission, ingests IP streams and outputs STLTP signals to TV 3.0 exciters, supporting multisubframe delivery and real-time bit-rate monitoring.

To ensure the accuracy of ATSC 3.0 streams, we use Triveni’s StreamScope XM Analyzer in the cloud to inspect signaling tables, credentials and timing. StreamScope XM excels at verifying the presence and correctness of critical elements like signing certificates as well as CDT, SMT and CMS signatures.

We are leveraging StreamScope XM as the final checkpoint before test streams are released for conformance testing. In effect, this solution serves as the “truth” for A3SA conformance, helping us troubleshoot issues and validate configurations with precision.

The broadcast streams generated using Triveni’s ATSC 3.0 solutions also inform how the A3SA proxy system should best respond to requests from devices and broadcast gear. This proxy system handles provisioning of keys and licenses in the field, making the accuracy of the broadcast configuration essential to the proper functioning of the entire security infrastructure.

As the primary organization deeply focused on the ATSC 3.0 security layer, A3SA continuously defines new requirements and use cases that push the boundaries of existing tools. Triveni’s team has been highly responsive and agile in delivering patches and enhancements that support our evolving needs.

This iterative process benefits both organizations. Our findings influence Triveni’s product development, while Triveni’s expertise helps us implement new features and refine our certification program. We’re at the tip of the spear—defining requirements, implementing them and completing the ecosystem using Triveni equipment. Together, we’re shaping the future of secure ATSC 3.0 broadcasting.

NextGen TV Lessons
One key takeaway from our experience is the importance of trusted, conformant streams. In broadcasting, once a signal is sent, there is limited opportunity for correction. Without a robust conformance program, device behavior in the field would be unpredictable.

Triveni’s ATSC 3.0 solutions have been essential in establishing that baseline of trust. Their technology enables A3SA to deliver reference streams that ensure consistent performance across devices, ultimately improving the viewing experience for consumers.

The collaboration between A3SA and Triveni Digital continues to evolve, driving innovation and reliability across the ATSC 3.0 ecosystem. As more NextGen TV deployments roll out, the experience gained through this partnership will benefit broadcasters, manufacturers, and viewers alike.

More information is available at www.trivenidigital.com.

MELVILLE, N.Y.—Newsday has evolved from its roots in print journalism into a multiplatform digital media organization, producing content for print, online, social and live programming. However, with that growth has come significant media-management challenges; more content means more files to be shared and accessed. We needed a faster, more collaborative way to work, improving our file organization and streamlining access to media content across all our departments.

Newsday started using Sony’s Ci Media Cloud platform in 2021, when remote collaboration capabilities were becoming particularly vital to our operations, especially coming out of the pandemic. Almost immediately, the benefits were clear: centralized organization, cross-departmental accessibility and increased speed, all crucial for covering both breaking news and long-term projects.

Efficiency in the Cloud
Ci accelerates the entire news production cycle from initial capture in the field to final delivery. Anyone in our organization can easily find and use media assets through a single, well-organized hub.

We had been using an on-premise server and FTP client; essentially a giant hard drive with folders, which meant metadata was limited and organization was always a challenge. Before any file could be shared, it had to be uploaded, downloaded locally, exported and then reuploaded, with every step taking valuable time away from our teams. Ci replaces that entire chain of steps with one streamlined process—it’s notably faster.

Organization has improved dramatically. We generate about 20 file requests daily and gather more than 600 files from the field. Ci’s metadata tools keep everything structured and searchable, and we can tag, label and organize massive volumes of video clips with precision. That helps us find what we need quickly, a critical capability when covering breaking news. Using the File Request feature, photographers in the field can preload content with all the right labels, which saves us enormous time once it hits the system.

Ci supports our direct field-to-cloud workflows, making it a central part of our modern breaking news strategy. We commonly feed live video directly from camera backpacks in the field into the cloud platform. This ability proved invaluable during coverage of a high-profile courtroom case, when Ci broke down workflow silos between field and studio crews.

We streamed two live camera feeds directly into Ci, giving TV and print teams real-time access to footage. Newsroom staffers who weren’t on site could watch press conferences as they happened and update their stories on the spot. In another instance, a video editor cutting a story in the field needed a clip from the original arrest of a suspect. With Ci, they instantly located and downloaded the footage, with metadata. That task would have been nearly impossible using our old system.

Ci also makes for seamless collaboration across long-term projects. Some of our stories unfold over months, even up to a year. With Ci, we can build shared folders and group assets in a way that makes it simple for different reporters, editors or producers to step in at any stage. The handoffs are smooth and no one wastes time trying to track down files.

Multiplatform Workflows
Over the past four years, Ci has grown with us as our newsroom has evolved into a multiplatform digital media house. Ci isn’t just a tool we use; it’s part of how we work every single day.

Ci bridges the gap between every part of our newsroom: print, TV, web, social and marketing. It provides universal access to our media and enables a unified, collaborative workflow. Sony’s Ci functions as more than a media management system; it supports nearly everything we do as a modern digital newsroom.

More information is available at cimediacloud.com.

LOS ANGELES—When we launched KOCOWA, our vision was simple yet ambitious: to bring the best of Korean entertainment to audiences worldwide. Founded by Korea’s leading broadcasters, KBS, MBC and SBS, KOCOWA began in the Americas in 2017. Over the years, it has evolved into a truly global platform, with expansion into Europe, Australia and New Zealand in early 2024.

Today, KOCOWA has subscribers across 73 countries who enjoy their favorite dramas, variety shows, and K-pop programs just six hours after they air in Korea, with subtitles available in English, Portuguese, Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese.

This rapid expansion has been fueled not only by our dedication to fans but also by our commitment to continuously improving our technology. Dalet Flex, in particular, has become the foundation for building an efficient and scalable operation that supports both our B2C subscribers and B2B partners worldwide.

The Deployment
From the beginning, our goal was to automate content acquisition and distribution to operate with minimal resources while maintaining the highest quality of service. We needed a platform capable of handling the high volume of content arriving from Korea, adapting to diverse business models and scaling globally.

Dalet Flex provided robust, adaptable workflows that reduced manual labor and ensured consistency across every aspect of our media supply chain. With the support of Dalet’s professional services team, we designed and configured workflows tailored to our specific needs. These cover everything from ingesting and processing content to preparing metadata and delivering assets to both B2C and B2B end points. The Dalet team also trained our staff, enabling us to quickly optimize operations.

Today, we have team members across content management, marketing, service operations and engineering who rely on Dalet Flex on a daily basis. This cross-departmental adoption demonstrates just how central Dalet Flex has become to our operation.

In our operations, Dalet Flex automates the entire supply chain. Incoming assets and metadata are acquired, processed and transformed for use on our streaming service. Content is then distributed seamlessly across our B2C platform as well as to our expanding roster of B2B partners. Tasks that once required hours of repetitive manual effort are now handled automatically, allowing our teams to redirect their efforts toward innovation, user engagement and strategic partnerships.

One of the most valuable aspects of Dalet Flex is the Flex Core. Its flexibility allows us to adjust workflows as business needs evolve, whether we are scaling into new regions or adding distribution partners. Additionally, the Dalet Flex Publish feature has become indispensable to our content marketing strategy, automatically delivering promotional clips to YouTube, where they engage fans and generate excitement for full episodes.

Future Flexibility
The impact of Dalet Flex on our operations is clear in terms of efficiency, cost reduction and improvements in the viewing experience. The solution automates and eliminates repetitive manual work, accelerating turnaround and ensuring content is ready for fans within hours of broadcast in Korea.

It has also reduced costs. By leveraging automated workflows, we have kept staffing levels lean and operational costs under control, even while serving audiences around the world. In addition, simplified, reliable processes mean that viewers receive subtitled content faster, improving satisfaction and loyalty, while B2B partners benefit from smooth, on-time delivery.

As KOCOWA continues to grow, Dalet Flex will remain a cornerstone of our operation. Our plans include expanding our B2C reach into new territories while also strengthening our B2B partnerships with media companies worldwide. By doing so, we aim to make it easier than ever for audiences everywhere to discover and enjoy the rich, diverse world of Korean entertainment.

For us, Dalet Flex is the backbone that enables us to fulfill our mission of connecting global audiences with the vibrant, ever-expanding universe of Korean entertainment.

More information is available at www.dalet.com.

LAUSANNE, Switzerland—For years, World Archery—the international governing body for the sport of archery—relied on a complex, third-party broadcast setup to deliver coverage of its 10 top-tier and 40 second-tier events each season. This semi­remote workflow involved signal uplinks from competition venues, downlinks and fiber handoffs across multiple countries, and an outsourced master control room (MCR) in Scotland.

Not only was the process expensive and time-consuming to reconfigure for every event, it also often left us with little control over quality, particularly when our content wasn’t necessarily given priority over more regular or higher-quantity projects in the shared facilities.

This year, that all changed. We’ve taken production and distribution fully in-house, centralizing our entire live workflow at our Lausanne, Switzerland-based Excellence Centre and powering it with Appear’s award-winning X Platform.

The move has transformed the way we operate, improving reliability, enhancing quality and cutting costs, with an expected payback period of just 18 months.

From Satellite to IP
Our previous satellite-centric model was cumbersome. At each venue, we uplinked to satellite via SNG truck for downlink in London, sent the feed via fiber to Scotland for MCR switching, then back to London for final uplink or fiber distribution. We had no dedicated infrastructure and no consistent configuration—archiving was fragmented and scaling the operation down to lower-tier events was prohibitively costly, stunting our ability to grow.

Today, thanks to Appear’s X20 chassis equipped with Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) modules, decoders and multinetwork management, we send high-quality SRT feeds straight from the venue to Lausanne over IP. The Excellence Centre receives, decodes and redistributes them via IP to more than 20 global media partners, from regional broadcasters to streaming platforms.

Redundancy is built in, with parallel IP paths ensuring our distribution hub can maintain service even in the event of an outage. We’ve also largely eliminated the need for RTMP encoders, thanks to SRT’s efficiency and resilience.

Previously, a typical top-tier event required a 10-person off-site crew spread across multiple locations. Now we run the entire content distribution operation from Lausanne, with just two people, one technical and one editorial. That’s not just a cost saving; it’s a huge simplification of logistics. If we need to add resources, we can—the fully-IP nature of the workflow means that scaling is instantaneous, economic and easy.

Most importantly, we now have full ownership of our signal path. Our output is consistent from event to event and we can make real-time adjustments without depending on a third party’s priorities or availability. And as there’s no cost barrier to adding transmissions, we can scale our offering exponentially. We expect to hit 200 events annually by the end of this cycle—a fourfold increase.

Using Appear’s high-capacity IP platform, we can guarantee predictable quality across all events. Our content now reaches a broader audience, with feeds delivered to more partners more reliably, and often at higher quality than before.

Gateway to Expansion
The flexibility of the X Platform also opens the door for future expansion. We’re already exploring adding transcoding and encoding modules to improve contribution quality from our second-tier events and installing Appear X5 units at select venues worldwide to enhance our remote production capabilities. In the offseason, the Excellence Centre may even be used by other federations, creating a new revenue stream.

Appear’s X Platform stood out for its combination of flexibility, density, and sustainability. For a federation like ours, with events in challenging locations and a lean technical team, efficiency is crucial. The system’s modular design means we can add capabilities as our needs evolve, without replacing core infrastructure.

By removing the complexity of our previous broadcast setup, we now deliver consistent, high-quality coverage with minimal setup time. Appear’s X Platform has allowed us to regain full control of our content, ensure that audiences worldwide enjoy a seamless viewing experience, and reduce operational costs, all with a payback period of just 18 months.

More information is available at www.appear.net.

FORT WORTH, Texas–At Front Row, our mission is to redefine entertainment by pushing boundaries and mixing imagination with innovation. One of our regular productions is the quadrennial Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, a 21-day event and one of the most prestigious contests in classical music.

The 2025 edition delivered more than 130 hours of multicamera 4K HDR coverage over three weeks. The preliminary and quarterfinal rounds took place at Van Cliburn Concert Hall at Texas Christian University, with the finals at Bass Performance Hall, all in Fort Worth.

The broadcast for each Cliburn competition gets a little bigger and, along with our producing partner Framework Productions, we try to push the envelope more each time, both technically and creatively.

Blackmagic Cloud
Between recent competitions, we solved some workflow problems, but we also upgraded to 4K, doubling the data rates and creating a new challenge, because storage is very expensive. By leveraging Blackmagic Cloud, we recorded directly to a Blackmagic Cloud Store 20TB and enabled point-to-point remote offloading to our post facility with Blackmagic Cloud Store Max 48TB.

At the facility, a Blackmagic Ethernet Switch 360P ensured seamless performance across seven or eight different editing stations, all working off the same Cloud Store Max, by providing the “air traffic control” we needed for efficient collaboration.

We managed Dropbox deliverables for media outlets and distribution partners, including “The Cliburn” YouTube channel, local television, Chinese distribution partners and Medici, the largest classical music platform in Europe. We ran Blackmagic Cloud for our ProRes files and high-resolution ISOs, which were live-synced to our backup facility, while smaller deliverables synced via Dropbox.

With nine 45-minute shows plus 2.5-hour line cuts, ISOs, etc., the ability to have a complete set of “transferred” media immediately after each segment saved us hours of 4K transfer time. Orchestrating both Dropbox and Blackmagic Cloud deliverables streamlined the entire process, removing the complications of running hard drives between multiple locations.

We still created hard-drive backups, but even that was simplified: connecting via a 10G cable to the Blackmagic Cloud Store 20TB allowed overnight transfers, replacing the usual scramble to clear Solid State Drives (SSDs) for the next day’s show. We were able to completely eliminate the bottleneck of SSD transfers and having five or six decks of content that had to be dropped. The peace of mind of having all those programs in the cloud the entire time was amazing. For the first time ever, I didn’t worry about the safety of our media.

Security Plus
It was also a game-changer from a disaster recovery perspective, since everything was backed up immediately. It made our media manager’s job so much easier, because he could start organizing and naming everything, focusing on more important tasks instead of spending hours copying files.

Looking ahead, we are already anticipating replicating the workflow at the junior version of the competition in 2027. The Blackmagic Cloud workflow enables us to do so much more in terms of remote media management, simplifying the process and reducing the number of people that are onsite in the control room.

This year marked our most successful distribution strategy to date, thanks to the freedom we had to focus on our content delivery rather than worrying if the media was where it needed to be. With Blackmagic Cloud at each and every step of the way, the entire workflow was streamlined end-to-end, enabling us to concentrate on telling the story of the competition.

For more information, contact Blackmagic Design at
408-954-0500 or visit www.blackmagicdesign.com.

LAS VEGAS—Terrible Herbst Motorsports is an established name in off-road racing with a history that spans generations of the Herbst family. The Las Vegas-based team has earned multiple SCORE Trophy Truck championships and is recognized for vehicles such as the Monster Energy Ford F-150 and the influential Herbst Truggy, which helped shape modern desert racing. Known for both consistency and innovation, our team continues to compete in some of the sport’s most demanding events across Baja California and the American Southwest.

As vice president of digital media and aerial production at Terrible Herbst, my role is to capture the race while also expanding the boundaries of what can be achieved in live streaming. These races, which take place six times a year, unfold across arduous terrain, with 850-horsepower trucks reaching speeds of 150 miles per hour. Streaming them requires helicopters, off-road trucks and connectivity across remote locations—all operating in real time, which challenges traditional broadcast models. Still, we’re determined to advance the fan experience, and that’s where TVU has been essential.

Extremely Remote
Prior to adopting TVU Networks’ cloud-production tools, we relied on large production trucks—expensive to operate and requiring extensive on-site crews. For the 2025 Baja 500, we implemented a remote, cloud-based workflow using TVU Producer, TVU MediaHub and TVU Anywhere.

Producer-enabled live multicamera switching in the cloud, with feeds ranging from in-truck cameras to aerial footage from helicopters and truck-mounted angles. All signals were routed and managed through MediaHub, with additional mobile feeds contributed via TVU Anywhere, giving fans a richer, more immersive experience.

Once in MediaHub, we converted SRT streams from the cameras into RTMP, allowing
us to distribute the broadcast across social platforms, YouTube Live, and our own website. Executing this through a cloud-based platform allowed us to leverage remote operators across the U.S.—ensuring we can deploy our A-team every time.

Using Starlink and TVU solutions allowed us to enable innovation in the cloud, from the cloud.

Given the extreme remoteness of desert racing, we equipped trucks and helicopters with rack-mounted cameras and fitted the aircraft with Starlink for high-speed, mobile internet. The combination of Starlink and TVU has kept our live feeds stable, sharp and compelling.

Off-Road Connectivity
We’ve even seen growing external demand for our proprietary, patent-pending helicopter mounts and power conversion systems for Gen 2/Gen 3 performance Starlinks. Through combining TVU’s remote production tools with advanced connectivity solutions, we’ve brought high-speed desert racing to life in a way that was immersive, efficient and scalable—proving that no location is too remote for world-class live coverage.

Partners like TVU Networks have become integral to advancing live racing. My background in cinematography has driven me to create not just a live stream, but a high-end live show—which is exactly what fans want. We’re excited to see where innovation continues to take us and grateful for partners like TVU that help redefine the possibilities.

More information is available at www.tvunetworks.com.

LOS ANGELES—Working on the 97th Academy Awards this past March as the broadcast mixer inside NEP Denali’s Summit unit was a massive but deeply rewarding undertaking. This is one of the most complex shows on television, a global broadcast with countless moving parts, and the Calrec Apollo is at the center of our workflow.

The routing alone is staggering—it includes international feeds, audience microphones, podiums, RF mics and playback elements from multiple audio and video sources. While the orchestra and live performances are handled in the music truck, those feeds are integrated into our final broadcast mix.

Total Recall
What made it manageable was the Apollo’s ability to recall last year’s setup with a single press of a button. When I walked in, Hugh Healy, our longtime chief technical engineer, loaded last year’s configuration, giving me a fully mapped session to build on. From there, I could focus on refining, adjusting levels, EQ, panning, reverbs and microphone gains, rather than reinventing the wheel.

The familiarity of the setup was a huge advantage. We’d been in the same venue for years, working with the same Calrec console, the same outboard gear and, most importantly, the same amazing team. Pablo Munguia handles Pro Tools, Biff Dawes and Tommy Vicari mix the music and orchestra, Patrick Baltzel runs front of house, and Mike Parker and Tom Pesa manage artist monitor mixes. Many of us have been doing this show for decades and that consistency allows us to hit the ground running.

Getting ready for a show of this scale was a finely tuned process, kicking off with two intense days of technical setup, which included wiring the stage, deploying RF systems, assembling the orchestra’s space and ensuring that every microphone and audio feed synced perfectly between us, front of house, monitors and the music truck.

By midweek, rehearsals took center stage, first with stand-ins to nail down timing and movement, then with the actual performers to perfect everything from traffic flow to camera angles. Friday transformed into “music day,” where the orchestra and performers came together for full run-throughs of every performance. On Saturday, the focus shifted to the presenters, wardrobe checks for RF mic placements and a complete production rehearsal. After a final dress rehearsal on Sunday, the stage was set and we were ready to go live.

It was a far cry from when I first mixed the Oscars in the early ’90s, after working my way up from a maintenance engineer at Wally Heider Recording in the late ’70s. Back then, it was all analog, no Pro Tools, very few RF mics and far less I/O to manage.

The jump to digital has been transformative. The Calrec Apollo desk handles the insane number of inputs and outputs with ease, and its layers allow me to access everything without taking myself out of the mix sweet spot. I can preview RFs and line up the next act while mixing the current one, which is critical for live television.

Water-Cooler Moments
Of course, the job isn’t without challenges. Today’s stages generate significant noise from screens, lighting elements and fans, making it harder to maintain a clean, consistent room tone. The proliferation of RF devices requires constant spectrum management. And with streaming shows reducing or eliminating commercial breaks, there’s less time to breathe between acts, which means more operators handling things silently in the background.

But it’s still a thrill. Mixing this show gave me those “water-cooler moments,” the great speeches, stunning performances and elegant old-school presentation that make the Oscars special. The technology has evolved, but the goal remains the same: deliver a beautiful, seamless mix for a worldwide audience. After all these years, there’s still nothing like it.

More information is available at calrec.com.

LOS ANGELES—My company, State Media, specializes in Bolero system rentals and sales that are highly curated to the scripted film and TV, commercial, music video and documentary spaces.

For many years as a cinematographer working in scripted film, television and commercials, I worked in a niche of the entertainment industry dominated by walkies. Yet, I always found the most natural way of communicating with my department heads and sharing information, which is vital to the quality and efficiency of our work, was two-way communication.

Unfortunately, the systems we were using were limited to one, and at best two, party lines with uncomfortable headsets. Those headsets added wires to what they already wore between the walkies, which we still had to carry, and the Comtek receivers for program feed (the audio mix from the sound department, often referred to as “program audio” in other areas of production). I felt terrible having to make them wear these things and listen to lots of voices that they didn’t need to hear on a busy set.

First in North America
Thankfully, I learned about Riedel’s Bolero intercom system shortly after it came out, and I wound up becoming the first person in North American scripted film and TV to buy a system. Our community had no idea Riedel existed—and Bolero solved a number of problems we had with the systems we’d been using. With access to up to seven party lines on a belt pack, it meant that we could divide conversations up in smart ways to keep unnecessary voices out of people’s heads and share information easily when it was relevant.

For example, with a party line dedicated to the “A camera” crew, we can let the camera operator, first AC and dolly grip talk as much as they want, both in rehearsal and during a take if on the fly changes are needed to save the shot—all without anyone else having to listen to them and be distracted from their own work.

However, the biggest game-changer for my crew has been the ability to use lightweight, comfortable, wireless Bluetooth earpieces and the integration of walkie channels into Bolero. Our shoot days are usually at least 12 hours long, and any extra ounce, slight discomfort or extra wire adds up over time to the body.

In addition, the ability to integrate program feed, “voice of god” (a term for the director or AD speaking to the crew over a loudspeaker or intercom) and the ability to integrate the walkie channels into Bolero is a massive relief for the crew. Now they only have to carry one device that can deliver all of their communication needs and it’s completely wireless. My camera, grip and lighting crew heads love being on Bolero. We can’t work without it now.

Many Microinefficiencies
We purchased our first Bolero system purely for me and my crew to use, regardless of whether we would ever turn a profit. It was a tool that would allow us to do our jobs better. And then, by accident, it became a comms rental business in the pandemic.

Since then, as more and more people became aware of the power of the system in our cinema style of production, it’s become very commonplace. Producers who experience a crew on Bolero for the first time love it, too, because they quickly see how hundreds of microefficiencies accumulated throughout the day more than make up for the cost of the system’s rental. Directors love it because the most limiting thing for them is time and Bolero gives them more of that.

For more information, visit www.riedel.net/en/.

ROWLETT, Texas—Specializing in high-end events, CineLive covers everything from multicam live music shows to one-day events for Netflix Live, Amazon Music, etc., and “the three-letter networks,” to red carpets for big film studios, captures for theaters, corporate as well as creative YouTube events in cinematic 4K HDR and immersive audio.

We designed the audio suite of our truck to be flexible for typical broadcast applications, multicam shoots, corporate events, etc., and there is absolutely nothing that our Lawo mc²-based mixing system cannot do. It is part of the HOME platform that sits at the heart of our infrastructure.

Licensed for 256 Channels
Every freelance engineer who sits down at our mc²56 desk acknowledges that it sounds superior, even for the simplest of shows, like stand-up comedy with audience mics. We recently had our lowest channel count ever, with 20 channels for a movie release. In this high-value project, everything had to shine, and we delivered. For festival shoots, on the other hand, we often use 18 cameras and 196 audio channels.

We’re licensed for 256 audio channels and occasionally add temporary licenses for larger projects. Although we have a 7.1.4-capable audio suite in our truck, stereo and 5.1 still make up the bulk of our projects. My team and I took a mere two weeks to master the mc²56 console, as its layout is highly intuitive.

While making our decision on whose audio platform to adopt, we kept looking at the bigger picture, knowing that someone else would be sitting at the console for each project. We decided against a console from a brand that supplies most OB trucks in the United States, even though some people told us that this would make it more difficult to find freelancers.

Luckily, the number of people who want to learn to work with a Lawo console has grown exponentially. Additionally, none of our clients ever objected to our console.

Before we decided on the mc²56, we A/B’d several brands that used exactly the same signals and the sonic difference was obvious. The preamps are superb and our A__UHD Core DSP infrastructure is deep and complex, yet intuitive. We use two of them for full redundancy to eliminate any single point of failure.

We’ve also begun using the Lawo VSC software to record Ravenna streams directly to ProTools on our two Macs. Our inputs and outputs are provided by two Power Cores and a bunch of A__stage stageboxes. One Power Core is used for all analog I/O signals inside the truck, which are broken out to patchbays, as these are still mandatory for some customers.

The other Power Core is equipped with four Dante cards for our outboard equipment.

My advice to other users would be to stop clinging to the misconception that Lawo consoles are only for entertainment—we use our mc²56 for everything we do.

Immersive Audio
Some people think Lawo is expensive, yet for smaller outfits like CineLive, consoles from other brands cost either the same or substantially more. In the end, I’m glad I didn’t listen to the naysayers: We are immensely happy with our mc²56, whose specifications and price are difficult to match. It allows us to deliver 96-kilohertz immersive audio at a highly competitive price.

Lawo immediately understood our vision for the first CineLive truck, and Tony Staires and the team were there throughout the whole process, encouraging me to take our project to the next level.

If someone tells you that something cannot be done with a Lawo console, question and doubt them, and remember that the service we receive from Lawo is simply outstanding. I have been in the business long enough to know that this is a major pro.

More information is available at lawo.com.

SANTA CLARITA, Calif.—Migrate Sound is a recording and audio postproduction studio specializing in all aspects of audio production, including voiceover, dialogue, group and sound effects recording, sound designing and mixing, remote and on-the-go (OTG) recording, mix to picture (stereo and surround), copywriting, translation and adaptation.

With clients ranging from television and streaming networks to movie studios and advertising agencies, the majority of my projects include radio promos for Fox, Amazon Prime, Hallmark, Audible and more. I produce about 30 to 40 promos per year across a variety of genres, including comedy, drama, reality television and entertainment, or contest-based shows.

Sweeps are a notoriously busy time and as they happen four times a year, efficiency and ways to streamline and advance my workflow are always top of mind. I recently upgraded my studio, migrating from legacy Fairlight to DaVinci Resolve Studio for audio post just in time to tackle Fox’s February sweeps promos, which had me creating numerous radio spots for a variety of shows. Armed with the Fairlight Desktop Audio Editor and Fairlight Console Channel Fader hardware, I went to work.

Compressed Voiceover
Having done this for the better part of 30 years, it comes very naturally to me, but the promo is an art that requires fine instincts and the ability to condense an entire episode of a show into 30 seconds. Producing a radio promo means capturing the listener’s attention quickly and delivering a clear, compelling message within a very short time frame, all while maintaining high audio quality and adhering to branding guidelines.

Trying to fit the entire message into less than 30 seconds gets very tricky. The network gives us creative mandates, which include phrases that cannot be cut no matter what. DaVinci Resolve Studio’s ability to time-compress voiceover bits and soundbites from a show is a godsend. It’s done on the fly, it’s very fast and accurate and it doesn’t require the need to create a new clip.

DaVinci Resolve Studio’s AI-based noise reduction and voice isolation tools are like magic wands. Sound bites from TV shows can sometimes be noisy; with outdoor scenes comes background noise. While it makes sense on television because the visuals are there, it’s just confusing when used for radio. Though I’ve gotten rather skilled at filtering out distracting noises manually, the voice-isolation tools have made my job so much easier.

I was a bit hesitant to upgrade my studio as my original Fairlight system was still working great, so why rush? But I realized that staying up to date with technology is crucial for my business, or any business for that matter. I wanted to make sure my studio had the latest equipment, features and compatibility within our industry, so I can deliver to my clients and stay competitive.

As a business owner, a studio upgrade needs to deliver a return on investment and give me peace of mind that it’ll start up in the morning. I don’t have the luxury of moving to another room when there’s a problem with the one I’m working in. If my studio is down, my business is down. So, the most important thing to me is reliability and support, which comes seamlessly with Blackmagic Design.

For more information, contact Blackmagic Design at 408-954-0500 or visit www.blackmagicdesign.com.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas—At Texas A&M, we’ve always looked for ways to improve how we cover our athletic events. Between our in-house team at 12th Man Productions and the work we do with ESPN and the SEC Network, we’re producing more live events than ever—and the demands keep growing. So last year, when we decided to upgrade our camera systems, we knew it had to be a leap forward and not just a small step. That’s what led us to Grass Valley’s LDX 100 series.

We ended up going with 10 LDX 135s and four LDX 150s. These cameras are doing a lot of heavy lifting for us across multiple venues on campus. What really sold us was the fact that they’re native IP (2110), which let us rethink how we manage camera signals. The ability to run these cameras without needing a camera control unit (CCU) allowed us to connect them to our 2110 network leaf switches at each venue rather than running direct fiber all the way back to our central control room. That freed up a ton of fiber and gave us way more flexibility in how we route and manage signals.

New Workflows
The move to 1080p was long overdue and this upgrade was the last step in that process. Now, we’re setting our sights on what’s next. The image quality we have seen on these cameras has us seriously exploring 1080p HDR workflows. While we’re not there yet, it’s a direction we’re actively evaluating, and early internal tests have shown a lot of promise.

Adding the four LDX 150s to our camera complement has been a massive boost to high-frame-rate looks at all of our sports. Moving from two to four high-speed, six-phase cameras has given us the flexibility to no longer have to decide which sport or event will get the high-frame-rate cameras. Now we can spread them out to give us the incredible high-speed look the LDX150s offer at all of our biggest events, especially when we have multiple events going on at the same time.

What’s also been huge—especially for our students who are learning the craft—is the Creative Grading tool. The cameras give them a lot of latitude to adjust looks based on the sport or lighting and the tool gives them a really good understanding of color grading and how it all works. It’s made our content feel more polished and intentional.

Remote Camera Control
From an engineering perspective, I also appreciate how easy it is to monitor everything remotely. With venues spread across campus, being able to check in on a camera or tweak a setting from my desk—or even off-site—has saved me a lot of time and, honestly, a lot of stress.

We’ve been working with Grass Valley for a while now, and that history gave us a lot of confidence going into this. Their gear has always been reliable and this latest rollout has only reinforced that. Working with Diversified on the integration side made a huge difference, too. They know us, they know Grass Valley and they understood what we were trying to build. It wasn’t just about new cameras—it was about designing a system that could scale as our needs evolve.

Right now, we’re producing more high-quality content than ever, with more flexibility and fewer limitations. We’ve created a smarter, more-efficient workflow that’s not only better for our crew and students but also sets us up for whatever comes next—whether that’s HDR, UHD or whatever else the industry throws our way.

And we’re just getting started.

For more information, visit www.grassvalley.com.

METAIRIE, La.—Lynx Productions is a video production company that specializes in bringing events to life through professional broadcast equipment. These events range from capturing live performances for video wall projection to managing shoots for broadcast-quality streams. The latter includes everything from corporate meetings and events to building complete TV shows, and Lynx manages everything from supplying the technology and crew to technical direction across the entire signal flow.

Our commitment to broadcast-quality excellence begins at the acquisition point, where we employ a range of cameras to support different viewpoints and requirements. In addition to Steadicams, FlyCams and POV/robotic, the Lynx Productions team counts 10 Kokusai Denki SK-UHD-7000 4K/UHD cameras, used for both tripod-mounted and handheld acquisitions, among our camera fleet.

Capturing the Parade
We have a large team of talented camera operators, and we find that they do their most creative work when there are SK-UHD-7000 cameras in the mix. We know that the visual presentation will achieve unmatched clarity, warmth and stability, especially for long-range shots. Likewise, the SK-UHD-7000 always captures the primary shot from the front-of-house position.

The SK-UHD-7000 shines in low-light conditions and will shoot in the dark with no evidence of noise or grain in the acquired image. That artifact-free performance is consistent both indoors and outdoors, from the recent Essence Festival of Culture in the New Orleans Superdome to outdoor performances at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (Jazzfest).

One of our most popular broadcast events is Mardi Gras, where we capture and live-stream 29 parades over eight days on behalf of The Advocate, Louisiana’s largest daily newspaper. This is a simpler shoot, with a stage camera and a second, distant camera on a raised platform to capture long-range shots of marching bands, floats and more as they advance along the route.

We know to expect rapidly changing weather conditions throughout those eight days, shifting from sunlight to clouds with rain, drizzle or mist on short notice. Through those changing conditions of natural light, the performance remains consistent—there is never any flicker or banding thanks to the camera’s high sensitivity and global shutter technology.

Consistent Color
We appreciate the consistent color that these cameras capture. Specifically, the colors that appear on screen are always a real-world representation of what we capture. For example, some cameras will deliver a red or blue shift, but with the SK-UHD-7000, there is no oversaturation of colors and we can always count on a very level playing field across the spectrum.

As mentioned, the Lynx Productions team has a wide array of cameras that we use for varied content acquisition strategies. Kokusai Denki’s CCUs make it easy to color-match our robotics, POVs, PTZs and other cameras with our SK-UHD-7000 images. We can copy any color space and paint those cameras to create superior versions of their image captures.

The durability of these cameras cannot be overstated. Jazzfest is among our lengthiest productions, and our SK-UHD-7000s remain mounted in position outdoors over the event’s entire two-week duration. These are simply very well-engineered camera systems built from high-quality parts, and in the rare event we need service, our representatives are always responsive and available. That remains consistent with the branding change from Hitachi Kokusai to Kokusai Denki, and the quality of our relationship is sure to continue.

Patrick Cloud, director of sales for Lynx Productions, contributed to this article. More information about Lynx is available by emailing patrick@lynxproductions.net or by visiting lynxproductions.net.

For more information, contact Kenneth Cyr at Kokusai Denki at kcyr@kokusaidenki.us, or visit the company’s website at
https://kokusaidenki.us.

RENO, Nev.—As technical director for Minor League Baseball’s Reno Aces, the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Triple-A affiliate, I’m charged with overseeing, managing and maintaining our broadcast technology for nearly 75 home games. I support the direction and production of the baseball broadcast for the Bally Sports Live feed, local sports channel Nevada Sports Net (NSN) and the MiLB.TV feed, as well as the feed syndicated to the video board.

To achieve the look the Reno Aces wanted, we needed a durable, versatile and reliable camera that provided great images, offered lens flexibility, could be used by operators with all levels of experience and had a lower cost of operation.

HXC-FZ90 Deployment
We selected four of Sony’s HXC-FZ90 camera-system chains with the compatible camera control units (CCUs), which are used at center field, high home, low first and low third. I am familiar with Sony—we were replacing older Sony models—and the FZ90 offered us a good bang for our buck. With Sony’s cameras, if you treat the equipment right, it will last a long time.

The HXC-FZ90s are well-suited for the demands of live sports—they have a small footprint and are unobtrusive. They’re lightweight, easy to move and handle, and ergonomic enough for shoulder-mount use. Our camera operators range from novice to entry-level to experienced, and there was a short learning curve for everyone to get the most out of the camera. They are smooth, easy to use and have a nice layout. I even handled the integration of these units, and they were very plug-and-play, so setup was nice and simple out of the box.

Additionally, the camera’s ²⁄₃-inch type 4K CMOS image sensor has a dynamic range that enables us to effortlessly capture pretty sunsets over the Sierra Nevada mountain range, as well as springtime thunderstorms and majestic clouds that are full of rich, vibrant colors, with minimal painting.

Our games see their fair share of sun and shade, but the FZ90s allow us to adjust the iris and find a sweet spot that seamlessly handles shadows and bright light, especially when both are in frame simultaneously. The auto iris was a big selling point for us, especially when we don’t have a dedicated camera shader.

Full Control
On a minor league budget, we also valued the HXC-FZ90’s B4 lens-mount system, which supports the ²⁄₃-inch glass we already had in-house and allows us to swap out lenses. One of my favorite FZ90 functions is being able to maintain full ND (neutral density) control from the CCU and the ability to control different scene files. Additionally, the scene settings allow us to paint and repaint the cameras easily, without the need for a good scope. We go through the touch-panel menu settings to get into engineer mode to achieve everything quickly and simply.

Another notable feature is the XLR audio inputs which allow us to adjust the gain and run natural sound, from the crack of the bat to the coaches interacting, which adds more reality and engagement.

The cameras also offer 4K upgradability, which allows the cameras to grow as our needs do. Once MiLB or our RSN move over to 4K, we won’t be required to buy new cameras—we can just purchase an upgrade license to shoot in 4K, and the image is going to look even sharper. Finally, the compatibility with other Sony cameras is beneficial; they all match and offer integration, requiring only small tweaks, which makes our jobs easier.

For more information, visit https://pro.sony/ue_US/.

LOS ANGELES—As Korn’s cinematographer for the past 20 years, I’ve worked closely with the band to capture everything from music videos and studio sessions to global tours. When it came time to document their 30th anniversary show, I wanted to do something we’d never done before, something that matched the scale and energy of the band’s legacy while pushing the boundaries of how a concert can be filmed.

The idea? Invite the fans to shoot it.

Korn has always embraced technology and they’re constantly looking for ways to connect with fans on a deeper level. So, when I pitched the idea of using the Blackmagic Camera mobile app to let fans become part of the film crew, the band was totally on board.

Mobile Production
Blackmagic Camera adds Blackmagic Design’s digital film camera controls and image processing to iPhone, iPad, Android phone and tablets, so anyone can create the same cinematic look as a Hollywood feature film from their smart device. It has color space directly integrated to preserve the dynamic range and when footage goes to post, it is consistent with footage shot on any other Blackmagic Design camera. This was crucial for consistency between fan footage and mine, as I was shooting on a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro.

We blasted the opportunity out on social media, inviting the first 200 fans who signed up to act as filmmakers for the night. Each downloaded the app, which is free for anyone, with a custom preset we provided to ensure a uniform recording format and upload settings. Time-code syncing was as simple as using each phone’s time of day.

DaVinci Resolve’s cloud-syncing capabilities made the phone-to-Blackmagic Cloud workflow seamless and hands-off for the fans. As fans were shooting, clips were uploading to the cloud right away. In another use case, the editor could have been working on the footage moments after it was filmed.

The footage we got was unlike anything I’ve ever shot. We had fans filming their journeys to the concert, the energy in the crowd and the raw chaos of the mosh pit. Some of the most striking moments were from right inside that pit—immersive, sweaty and emotional. It’s a perspective I could never have achieved with a traditional rig, nor would I want to disrupt those moments by pointing a professional camera in someone’s face. But thanks to Blackmagic Camera, we had hundreds of lenses capturing a deeply authentic experience from every possible angle and in cinematic quality.

Cloud Stores
We used Blackmagic Cloud Stores as local drives to sync and back up all footage. To stay organized, I relied on Blackmagic Organizations within Resolve to set up collaboration groups. We had one group for fan footage, another for our internal production team and another for editorial. This structure gave us creative flexibility while keeping everything secure and accessible.

One of the things I appreciate most about Blackmagic Camera is that it lowers the barrier to entry. Picking up a professional camera for the first time can be overwhelming; all the buttons, menus and controls can feel completely foreign if you haven’t worked in production before. But your phone? That’s something you’re already on constantly.

This app flips that learning curve on its head. You open it on the familiarity of your phone, while also experiencing the exact same user interface that’s found on Blackmagic Design’s entire line of cameras. You’re learning to frame, expose and shoot using the same visual language that professional DPs use in the field. It’s an incredible gateway into the craft.

For more information, contact Blackmagic Design at 408-954-0500 or visit blackmagicdesign.com.

PADUCAH, Ky.—It’s no secret the world of TV news is changing faster than a June storm. Folks don’t just wait for the 6 o’clock news anymore—they want content on every screen, anytime. At WPSD-TV, a leading television station in Kentucky owned by Paxton Media Group (PMG), that put us at a crossroads: We had to modernize how we work or risk falling behind the very people we serve.

WPSD-TV has always prioritized delivering community-focused news and information. To maintain this standard, we’re always looking for ways to continuously improve our operations by modernizing workflows, positioning ourselves as a next-generation regional media hub equipped with cutting-edge technology. This led us recently to turn to our longstanding partner Bitcentral to enhance efficiency while minimizing costs.

Multiplatform Challenges
Whether it’s travel and lifestyle stories, high school sports, breaking news or weather coverage, WPSD-TV keeps our community informed and safe. But with viewer habits rapidly evolving, we found ourselves at a crossroads. We needed to rethink how we operated to keep up with the demands of today’s multiplatform media environment. We knew that modernizing our workflows was no longer optional; it was essential.

For that, we needed tools that were not only reliable and cost-effective; they also needed to streamline operations across departments, help us archive and access years of valuable media assets more efficiently, support our digital transformation and create a technology foundation that will remain strong well into the future.

To meet our goals, we chose several Bitcentral solutions, including ViewNexa Channels to launch and manage FAST (free ad-supported streaming television) channels, efficiently distributing both live and on-demand content. We also deployed Core News Suite, which completely reimagined how we produce news by allowing our team to adopt a “produce once, publish many” workflow. This lets us get more mileage out of every story over every platform.

We also adopted Bitcentral’s Fusion Hybrid Storage (FHS) for our media library. This smart, scalable storage solution enables us to support our high-res video, metadata and proxies without overwhelming our infrastructure. And because we wanted to overhaul and future-proof our master control operations ahead of our move to a new facility, we installed Bitcentral’s Central Control system, which offers automated feed recording, traffic system integration, and real-time monitoring.

Something Invaluable
Partnering with Bitcentral has ushered in a new era for us at WPSD-TV. We’ve been able to bring innovation and efficiency to the forefront of everything we do. Today, we’re better-equipped to meet the demands of a fast-moving multiplatform
media world—and we’re in a strong position to explore new ways to grow and monetize our content.

Bitcentral’s technology has helped us streamline operations across the board. From simplifying maintenance to reducing day-to-day costs, their solutions have freed our team to focus on what matters most: delivering outstanding local news and storytelling to our community.

Most importantly, working with Bitcentral has given us something invaluable: peace of mind. We know we can rely on their systems and support, not just today, but for many years to come. With that kind of confidence, we’re able to stay ahead of the curve, innovate with purpose, and unlock new opportunities as our industry continues to evolve.

More information is available at bitcentral.com.